Lower Madison River Fishing Report
Date: 05/15/2026
Posted by: Toby SwankCurrent Conditions
The Lower Madison River has come up a bit and is now sitting just over 2,000 cfs, but overall the river is still in good shape and remains one of the better options around the Bozeman area right now.
Nymphing has continued to be the most productive approach. Crayfish patterns fished up top with smaller perdigons underneath, especially yellow sally-style flies like the sunburst perdigon, have been getting eaten consistently. Making sure flies are getting down has been the biggest factor with the added water.
Caddis and yellow sallies are still around in the afternoons, and there have been a few decent windows with fish looking up once temperatures come up. It’s not an all-day dry fly game, but there are still opportunities if anglers stay ready.
Streamer fishing has been mixed and not nearly as consistent as nymphing.
The Lower is still fishing well and continues to hold up better than a lot of the surrounding rivers as runoff starts building across southwest Montana.
Helpful Articles (click to read):
- Montana's Mother's Day Caddis Hatch: Nature's Spring Spectacle
- Bozeman Fly Fishing Guide To May
Stream Flows
Flows
Recommended Flies
Dead Drift Crayfish
Yellow Saly Bullet
Amber Jiggy Caddis Pupa
Tan Clouser
Iron Sally
Olive and Orange Zirdle
Gold Lightning Bug
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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