Madison River
Fishing Report

Updated weekly by our team in Ennis.

December Delight

March 2025

UPDATED 3/6/2024

March is here and we have already started to experience some great spring fishing. The river is flowing at 960 at Cameron with water temperature fluctuating between 35 and 42 degrees. As of March 6th the boat ramps that are closed by FWP are Valley Garden and Town Access due to the gorge. Windy Point and Palisades both are snow packed and impossible to get a boat in. The boat ramps that are a little bit of a challenge are Lyons Bridge and Story Ditch. Lyons is covered in snow but you can slide a boat in, Story Ditch is frozen but you can break the ice and get a boat out.  Boat ramps that are wide open and ready to rock are Ruby Creek, McAtee Bridge, Varney Bridge, 8 Mile, and Burnt Tree. 

The fishing the last few weeks has been great! I’ve been lucky enough to get out the last few weekends, mainly nymphing with a little bit of streamer fishing. I’ve still been running your basic winter rig with 2 nymphs or a small streamer with a beadhead behind it. If you're a purist you can go find a great midge hatch in the upper wade section on a cloudy day.

As always our shop in downtown Ennis is stocked to the brim with flies so don't be afraid to swing by and check them out for yourself. Also feel free to swing by the shop for a more in-depth and up to date fishing report or general fishing advice. Just a reminder as well it is now barbless hooks only from Varney bridge to the Lake so pinch those barbs. Enjoy your time on the water this weekend and be safe out there!

Hot Flies:

Streamers: Krystal Bugger, Sculpzilla, Lil Kim, Sheila, Mini Dungeon, Peanut Envy, Trevor Sculpin, Mike's Sculpin, Karnopp's Space Invader.

Dry Flies: Mini Hot Mayfly Olive, Johnson's Mimic May BWO, Parachute Adams, Edible Emerger Olive,

Nymphs: Pat's Rubber Legs Olive, Jig Pink Egg, Jiggy Egg Oregon Cheese, TBH Jiggy Duracell Brown, Jig Formerly Known as Prince, Olsen's Hare's Ear Blowtorch, #4 Rubber Leg Black, #16 Gold Lightning Bug, Chartreuse French Dip, CDC Hustler.

- MTS Guide Nicko Opinsky

Upper Madison River Flows near Cameron, MT

 

FEATURED PHOTO

SUMMER FISHING

Salmonflies, Goldenstones, Yellow Sallys... Does it get any better than summer in Ennis, Montana?