Lower Madison River Fishing in September

Lower Madison River Fly Fishing in September

September marks the beginning of fall fly fishing in Montana on the Lower Madison River below Ennis Lake. Cool, fall weather revitalizes the river, and brown trout start to show their autumn colors.

Recreational crowds disappear and leave the river to Montana anglers for the remainder of the season by the middle of the month.

Lower Madison River Fly Fishing Hatches in September

The blue-winged olive and Pseudocleon mayfly activity increases as the weather cools. The occasional rising fish can be found in the slick water next to the banks and below structures like weed beds and boulders.

Rainbow and brown trout actively feed on Crayfish, Sculpins, and the small nymphs of hatching insects in the buckets and fast runs between the Madison Dam and Black’s Ford fishing access site.

September Fly Fishing Techniques for the Lower Madison River

Set the hook fast on any pause or hesitation of the strike indicator or dry fly with a dropper. Streamers or crayfish patterns fished below indicators are standard Lower Madison setups this time of the year.

Dry fly anglers will find the odd rising fish in flat water on overcast days during BWO hatches.

Bozeman Fly Fishing Guide Pro-Tip:

With lower flows and clear water at this point in the season, trout can become a little pickier. Try to be as stealthy as possible when approaching the water you want to fish by using fluorocarbon tippet and longer leaders. We like Rio's Fluoroflex Strong in 4x-6x on a 9ft leader for nymphing.

Our Lower Madison River Fly Box for September