The Upper Madison is one of the best options for fishing near Big Sky and Bozeman for the next few weeks. For those that know, late-March can be a pretty fun time to fish the walk-and-wade section and the entire river all the way down to Ennis is free of shelf ice and all boat ramps are clear which means all usual options exist on the river (Valley Garden and Ennis access sites still closed). The Upper Madison River is in its spring window of reliable fishing. Because this is also prime spawning season for Madison River rainbow trout, it is crucial all anglers be aware of redds - areas of lighter colored gravel in the streambed where trout are actively spawning.
Water temps this past week almost hit 50 degrees F, but they will drop with the cooler weather that is forecast. Hatches of midges, Blue Winged Olives, and March Browns can occur in abundance, but the subsurface action is very good and should hang in there for the foreseeable future. Look for trout to feed in slower, deeper runs--which can be hard to find in the Upper Madison. But targeting water that is just a foot deeper and a tad bit slower can be the difference of a hole or bucket holding trout or not. If you find one fish, focus on fishing similar water and you may find more trout.
Flows in the walk-and-wade section are a few hundred CFS lower than average which means wading anglers can fish areas otherwise unreachable this time of year. For dry fly anglers, wait till later in the day when midges and Blue Winged Olives could hatch. Seek out slower pockets behind rocks or downstream of bankside structure. For BWOs choose your favorite hi-vis Parachute pattern and for midges a Buzzball or Hi-Vis Parachute Midge. Tandem subsurface nymph rigs with smaller flies are going to be the most successful. Choose your favorite midge or mayfly patterns such as Zebras, Sparkle Pupas, PTs, and the like. The proven tactic of a bugger and beadhead nymph dragged through a run or bucket will also pull some fish, but because the prominent food sources at the moment are small, two small flies fished under an indicator will get it done more often than not.
To get some useful knowledge and to expand your fly fishing horizons, be sure to read some of our recent blog posts featuring: 5 Best Streamers for Fly Fishing in Montana in Spring, 5 Essential Dry Flies for Spring, 9 Great Flies for Large Trout Anywhere in the World, What Do Trout Need And How to Use That to Catch More Fish, Best Not-So-Secret Places to Fish in Montana This Spring, and The Mayfly You Need to Know: Catch More Fish by Understanding Blue Winged Olives.
The river between the lakes is fishing well, but be cautious of redds.
Flies for the Madison Right Now:
Pats Rubberlegs in brown/tan or brown in sizes 8-14
Pheasant Tails in flashback or natural in sizes 10-16
Rainbow warriors in sizes 14-20
Firebead or hot bead SJ wormies in sizes 8-12
Zebra Midges in sizes 16-20
Beadhead PTs in sizes 18-22
Juju beatis in flash or tan in sizes 16-20
The Month Ahead:
Unless you happen to be in a section where a large hatch is occurring, the best way to get into fish right now on the Upper Madison is to fish subsurface. Nymphing big protein flies like stoneflies, worms, sculpins, and eggs has been producing and will be the primary method and flies until Mother's Day caddis or even early summer. Fish are in the slower deeper runs, so concentrate on deep, slow water and be patient--if you find one fish are you are likely to find more. Because many of the Madison's rainbow trout are still in spawning mode, please keep an eye out for redds and avoid walking on them or targeting them.
Long Term Fishing Forecast:
Fishing on the Upper Madison near West Yellowstone and down to Ennis should remain solid. Be cautious and avoid wading on redds. Hatches of Blue Winged Olives should increase in abundance and Mother's Day caddis is just around the corner. Flows may slowly rise, but will likely remain slightly below long term averages. Water temperatures will gradually increase--with some small fluctuations based on current conditions at the time--but that means the feeding window for trout will be longer throughout the day.