Lower Madison River Fishing Report
Date: 11/12/2026
Posted by: Toby SwankCurrent Conditions
The Lower Madison River has been fishing well lately, with crayfish patterns continuing to produce good numbers of fish. The colder weather has pushed trout into some of the deeper buckets and slower water, but there is still plenty of opportunity throughout the river. Nymphing has been the most consistent approach, with early afternoon offering a good window to get out.
Crayfish patterns trailed by smaller attractor nymphs have been producing particularly well. Pink and olive perdigons have been some of the better options underneath, along with smaller mayfly patterns. A zirdle or crayfish pattern followed by a pink or olive perdigon is a good setup to start with. Fish are moving around, so anglers should be willing to cover different types of water until they find them.
There are still some afternoon blue-winged olive and midge opportunities, particularly on cloudy days. Streamer fishing is also worth trying, although nymphing has been the more consistent way to catch fish lately.
Helpful Articles (click to read):
- Fly Fishing Bozeman in November
Stream Flows
View stream flow graph on USGS
Recommended Flies
Dead Drift Crayfish
Rainbow Spanish Bullet
Black and Red Spanish Perdigon
Olive Clouser Crayfish
Olive and Orange Zirdle
Tan Clouser
Tungsten Jigged Prince
Dark Olive Spanish Perdigon
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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