Ennis Fly Fishing In June

June Fly Fishing Near Ennis, Montana

June is a great month to experience the diverse fly fishing in Montana near Ennis. The Madison Valley comes alive with a lush green lining across the valley floor. The Madison River corridor fills with young wildlife and myriad songbird species nesting along the river's edge.

The Madison River flow drops quickly throughout June, creating a few weeks of terrific fishing in constantly changing conditions. Trout line the banks, seeking refuge during the high flows of late May and early June, making easy targets for skilled anglers fishing dries and streamers while floating.

Lakes and reservoirs surrounding Ennis make for great stillwater angling in June. A side trip to Cliff and Wade Lakes is worth exploring for seasoned anglers. Fishing with mice patterns on Quake Lake in the dark is a local angler's "rite of passage."

June Highlights

• The legendary salmonfly hatch kicks into high gear sometime around mid-June along the Madison River. Emerging adults are found upstream of Ennis within a day or two of their initial sighting near Ennis, setting the stage for one of the best times of the year to fly fish in Montana with dry flies.
• Salmonflies first arrive on the Big Hole River in Southwest Montana during late June or early May and is a long-standing favorite hatch event among Montana anglers.

These 3-4 inch long stoneflies crawl up riverside rocks and trees as nymphs and emerge from their exoskeletons as fully formed adults. After a few days of mating rituals, the females lay their eggs on the water's surface in frantic flights at the end of their lifecycles. Trout feed greedily on spent adults for 2-3 weeks and the hatch becomes less significant by July 4th.

• The Brown Drake hatch on the lower Madison River takes off in mid-June, bringing epic dry fly fishing to the forefront during calm evenings as dusk approaches.

Bozeman Fly Fishing Guide Pro Tip:

Most anglers "chase" the salmonfly hatch up the Madison River during the peak of the hatch. There is no "right or wrong" strategy as the angling experience is always variable during the hatch. Expect lots of anglers, zillions of bugs, and inconsistent action on the best of days. However, late or very early starts are worth trying to find rested trout while also escaping the crowds.

Ennis Fly Fishing Trips in June

The Fins and Feather staff of Montana fishing guides eagerly await mid-June each year as the Madison River starts to improve daily dropping flows and clearing water. This is the beginning of the peak Montana fishing season on the various rivers near Bozeman.

Our guided fly fishing trips near Ennis focus on floating the Madison River during the month of June. The entire river improves throughout June with the upper sections being best early in the month. The Ennis stretches typically start to fish well by the middle of the month and by late June, anglers can be found fishing throughout the upper Madison River. Day trips to the Big Hole and Jefferson are recommended during this time of year for guests fishing with us on multi-day itineraries.

Experienced anglers can expect a mixed bag of fly-fishing techniques in June with streamer fly fishing and dry fly fishing being the "marquee" methods to target trophy brown trout during higher flows.

Beginning and novice fly anglers are in awe of the explosive dry fly strikes during the salmonfly hatch in the second half of June. Great water conditions, spectacular scenery, and hungry trout make for rewarding fly fishing near Ennis for anglers of all skill levels in June.

Reservations can be secured online, via e-mail, or by calling our Montana fly fishing specialists at 1-406-468-5019.

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