September 26, 2023 Lower Madison River Fishing Report
Date: 09/26/2023
Posted by: Toby SwankCurrent Conditions
The Yellowstone River went off-color on Saturday night which put a lot of people on the lower Madison River the last couple of days, making for some unexpected crowded conditions. It has been very windy out there the last couple of days, it should lay down some tomorrow and be more manageable again by Thursday. Fish have been sticking to the deeper buckets, small channels near rocks, and longer runs. Hiking up into the Beartrap Canyon would be a good call the next couple of days, rather than focusing on the Highway 84 sections of the river.
Nymphing under a strike indicator has been the most consistent method for us the last two days, primarily using a Crayfish variation with a small nymph dropper. These rigs usually involve a lightly weighted crayfish imitation like a Clouser Crayfish fished on 3X tippet, about 4-5' below the indicator. We tie a small nymph with an 18" piece of 5X tippet off the eye of the Crayfish fly, for the dropper. When wading or anchoring next to deep spots, we will add a BB split shot to help get the flies down quickly to where the fish are holding.
There is not much insect activity right now, but expect Blue-Winged Olives to start showing up once we get some cooler weather that settles in for awhile, perhaps as soon as next week. Streamer fishing has been ok, but there is enough floating grass that it is really hard to keep you flies clean for long.
We offer full and half-day guided Montana fly-fishing trips on the lower Madison River, near Bozeman throughout the year. Book a guided Bozeman fly-fishing trip via e-mail or simply click here to get started. A guided day is a great way to improve your fly-fishing skills and learn this terrific Montana fly fishing option near Bozeman.
Stream Flows
Flows
Recommended Flies
Olive Clouser Crayfish
Gray Little Green Machine
Olive and Orange Zirdle
Blaze Infernogon
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.