Fishing Report

Upper Madison

The Upper Madison River originates in Yellowstone National Park and flows through Hebgen Lake, past the town of Ennis, Montana on its way to Ennis Lake. Because river flows are managed from Hebgen Dam, water levels remain pretty consistent throughout most of the fishing season. With gorgeous scenery and great fly fishing, anglers from all over seek out Montana's famed Madison River.

June 29, 2025

Upper Madison

fishing report

The Upper Madison has been fishing excellent lately and should continue to be good as we move further into summer! For dry flies they have been eating salmon flies, golden stones, caddis and sally's. Our go to rigs recently have been a chubby chernobyl or salmon fly up top to a hare's ear blowtorch, bead baetis or shop vac behing it. For your nymph rigs, we like a size 6-10 rubber legs or a zirdle up top to a sz 14-16 sweetmeat caddis, sz 14-18 opal frenchdipity, sz 14-18 shop vac, sz 16 black inferno-gon, sz 14-16 frenchie, or sz 14-16 hare's ear blowtorch. If they aren't eating the rubber legs or worm, just fish 2 smaller flies like a shop vac and a frenchdipity and downsize your tippet to 5x. It is also important to have a variety of sizes of split shot and jig nymphs with different size beads so you can get close to the bottom. Try stripping some streamers too! Flashy flies like Sparkle Minnows, kreelex's, barely legal's, ditch witch's and Bite snack sculpins have been moving some nice fish as well as dull flies like the Dungeon's, Mini Peanut Envy's, and woolly buggers.

Suggested Fly Patterns

  • Dry Fly

    Parachute Adams (16-20), Purple Haze (18-20), Griffiths Gnat (16-20), Razor Midge (18-22), Buzz Ball (16-18), Chubby Chernobyl (8-16), Water walker (8-12), Corn Fed caddis (14-18), Stubby Chubby (12-16)

  • Streamer

    Woolly Bugger Black/Olive (6-12), Mini Loop Sculpin Olive, Natural (6), Mini Dungeons Yellow/White/Black (6), Baby Dragon Sculpin/Black/Yellow/Whitey (4), Sparkle Minnow Smoke/Sculpin/Brown (2-8) Heisenberg Black/ Olive/ White (6), Kill Whitey Black/ Olive/ White (4), Montana Intruder (6), Sparkle Minnow Smoke/JJ/Sculpin (8) (8)

  • Nymph

    Pats Rubberlegs Black/Coffee, Olive, Black, Orange (4-12), Rainbow Warrior (16-20), Copper John Red/Copper(16-20), Pink/Natural Quilldigon (14-18), Green Machines (16-20), $3 Dips (14-18), Steel Worm (6-8), Matt’s Shagadelic Mop, Eggs

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