May 23, 2023 Lower Madison Fishing Report
Date: 05/23/2023
Posted by: Toby Swank
The river is very high right now as we are neck deep in the second week of "true runoff"! However, this is the best local option when it comes to the larger rivers. Nymph near the bank, along the weed beds and buckets with plenty of weight! This is the time to fish those Crayfish Patterns and trail them with a Caddis Pupa or Stonefly Nymph (San Juan's too)!
Mother's Day Caddis are out (along with a handful of March Browns and small Stoneflies) right now but the flows have come WAY up since a couple of days ago. Expect to see some off-color water conditions and difficult wading at this point. However, there are enough bugs out to bring fish to the surface at different points during the day.
Click to enlarge
Flows
3980 CFS
On 2023-5-23
Dead Drift Crayfish
Black Pat's Rubberleg
Lower Madison River Fishing
The lower Madison River has diverse wild-trout habitats from Ennis Lake to Three Forks. Beartrap Canyon has raging whitewater through boulder fields and narrow gorges. The river flows through a rugged valley before joining with the Jefferson and Gallatin Rivers. Fish species include Rainbow, Westslope Cutthroat, and Brown Trout. Both novice and advanced anglers can find ample opportunities to fish.
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.