Madison River Fishing Report
This Madison River fishing report is from April 13 until early May.
Lower Madison: A good option due to the fairly warm water. Look for BWO and midge hatches after lunch, though the best fishing will be subsurface. In the few deep runs, we will be nymphing with crayfish, eggs, and San Juan Worms, either in conjunction with each other or with a midge pupa, “pink junk,” or BWO nymph on the dropper. Elsewhere, we’ll prone to swinging streamers this time of year. It’s not a bad idea to break out a trout spey rod here. Note that Cherry Creek may be pumping in filthy brown water. If it is, either float the opposite side for a while (until the mud mixes in a bit) or take out at Damselfly Access right below this creek’s mouth. If fishing below the creek, worm patterns are a great idea generally, since even if it isn’t filthy brown, it will still be carrying in a few real worms from the meadows it flows through.
Upper Madison: Supposedly fishing well with stonefly nymphs, worm patterns, and midge larvae/pupae. Check with shops in Ennis or West Yellowstone for more details. Note that the area below the West Fork may blow out from time to time with shots of spring melt, though this runoff will seldom make the river completely unfishable.