Upper Madison River Fishing Report
Date: 09/14/2026
Posted by: Toby SwankCurrent Conditions
The Upper Madison River has been fishing well. Cooler weather has kept the river in good shape, but the wind has been the biggest challenge this week. When it's calm, there have been plenty of fish looking up. Once the wind starts blowing, most anglers have done better fishing below the surface.
A beadhead pat's rubberlegs with a black or olive Spanish bullet has been a dependable setup, especially through the deeper runs and riffles. If the wind settles down, hopper patterns are still worth fishing, and streamers have been moving some better browns during the first and last couple hours of the day.
The Upper has been consistent. Don't let the wind keep you off the river—it's just another reason to change tactics instead of changing rivers.
Additional Resources:
Stream Flows
View stream flow graph on USGS
Recommended Flies
Sweetgrass Hopper
Dave's Hopper
Tan Morrish Hopper
Chubby Chernobyl Pteronarcys
Brown/Black Pat's Rubberlegs
Purple Blowtorch
Spanish Bullet Tan
Gold Lightning Bug
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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