Upper Madison River Fishing Report
Date: 10/02/2026
Posted by: Toby SwankCurrent Conditions
The Upper Madison River has been a little iffy from one day to the next. The water is low and clear, and even with good baetis activity around, there are days when fish just aren’t moving much. The lower stretches around Ennis and Valley Garden have been the best.
Nymphing is still the way to stay into fish. Leech or sculpin patterns under an indicator with pat’s rubberlegs to a #16–18 baetis or black spanish bullet perdigon is another good setup. There are still occasional fish willing to come up for a chubby chernobyl or hopper, but the dry fly bite hasn’t been something to count on all day.
Streamer fishing has been worth the time through town and farther upstream around McAtee. Smaller olive, black, or yellow streamers have been getting attention, especially when the light is off the water.
Additional Resources:
- October Fly Fishing in Bozeman, MT.
Stream Flows
View stream flow graph on USGS
Recommended Flies
Dark Olive Spanish Perdigon
Brown/Black Pat's Rubberlegs
Black and Red Spanish Perdigon
White Circus Peanut
Spanish Bullet Tan
Gold Lightning Bug
Olive Mini Dungeon
Purple Blowtorch
Upper Madison River Fishing
The Fins and Feathers "Upper Madison River Fishing Guide" features a comprehensive overview of the river stretches and seasonal highlights with Madison River fishing tips from our Bozeman fly fishing guide staff.
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