Upper Madison Fly Fishing Reports
September 16, 2023 Upper Madison Fishing Report
Date: 09/16/2023
Current Conditions
We have had some really nice weather the last few days and started to get fish on hopper/dropper rigs in the afternoons with some pretty slow mornings. The best success for us has been fishing streamers with a small nymph dropper under an indicator in the mid-river troughs until noon, or so. Once the sun is nice and high in the sky, we have been getting fish to come up to a variety of small dries with the better fish still eating hoppers. There has been a noticeable shift to using smaller tippet than we were using a few weeks ago on those dries, with a lot of 5x spools laying empty in the boat bags right now. Next week is shaping out to present some nice weather for streamer fishing later in the week.
We offer full day guided fly-fishing trips on the Upper Madison using drift boats, servicing the entire river from Raynold's Pass to Ennis Lake. Learn more about our guided fly-fishing options or book now by clicking on any of the booking buttons throughout the site.
Flows
1100 CFS
On 2023-9-16
Streamflow
Click to enlarge
Bozeman, Montana Fly Fishing Guided Day Trips
Our guests have the flexibility to fish a variety of world-renowned trout fisheries including the Yellowstone, Gallatin, Madison, and Jefferson rivers on our Bozeman, Montana fly-fishing guided full-day trips.
- Day Trips Are 6-8 Hours in Duration
- 1-2 Anglers Maximum Per Guide/Boat
- Float Trips with Wade Fishing Opportunities Throughout the Day
- Drive Time Is Typically 30-60 Minutes Each Way
- Use of gear, flies, and terminal tackle is Included
- Deli lunches and Non-Alcoholic Beverages are included
- Fishing Licenses and Gratuities Are Not Included
Fins & Feathers Guide Service has been outfitting fly-anglers across Montana since 2000. We sold our fly shop (Fins & Feathers of Bozeman at 4-Corners) to our friends at Yellow Dog Fly Fishing in late 2022. Our guide service remains the same and continues to be outfitted by Toby Swank, Montana Outfitter #9603.
For Shuttles on the Upper Madison Contact:
Rocket Shuttles: (406) 581-4626 or (406) 764-9886
Dorothy's Shuttle Service: (406) 682-4886
Driftaway Shuttles: (406) 682-3088
The upper Madison River is perhaps the most famous and highly regarded wild trout stream in the Western US. The river is formed in Yellowstone National Park at the confluence of the Gibbon and Firehole rivers, just outside of West Yellowstone, Montana. As the upper Madison River leaves Yellowstone National Park, it flows into Hebgen Lake and then works its way north through the Hebgen Dam and then Quake Lake. The stretch of river between Quake Lake and Ennis, Montana is known as the “50 Mile Riffle” and is typically the portion of the Madison River that people refer to as the "Upper Madison."