Lower Madison River Fishing Report
Date: 04/09/2026
Posted by: Toby SwankCurrent Conditions
The Lower Madison River is a good option right now. The river has a little color to it at times, but it’s fishing well enough that it shouldn’t keep you off the water.
Fish are holding in the buckets and slower runs, and they’re feeding. It’s still more about staying on those spots and working through them than moving a lot.
Nymphing has been the most consistent approach. Clouser crays, zirdles, and dead drift crays have been good lead flies, paired with a size 16 butano lite brite, olive or black perdigon, rainbow warrior, or classic attractors like pheasant tails and copper johns underneath. Keep everything down in those buckets. If you’re not occasionally ticking bottom, add weight before changing flies.
You might see a few fish start to look up in the afternoons with midges and some early BWOs, and caddis around, but it’s still limited. Nymphing is doing most of the work.
The Lower Madison is in a good place right now. Stay on the deeper water, keep it simple, and fish your rig the right way.
Helpful Articles (click to read):
-Lower Madison River Fly Fishing In Spring
- Fly Fishing Bozeman in April
Stream Flows
Flows
Recommended Flies
Yellow Saly Bullet
Amber Jiggy Caddis Pupa
Tan Clouser
Iron Sally
Olive and Orange Zirdle
Gold Lightning Bug
Dead Drift Crayfish
Pheasant Tail
Lower Madison River Fishing
Read the "Lower Madison River Fishing Guide" for a comprehensive introduction to fly fishing in Montana on the lower Madison River from the Bozeman fly fishing guides with Fins and Feathers.
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