Madison River Fishing Report
September 26, 2020
Fall has slowly arrived here in SW Montana. The weather looks a bit unsettled over the couple of days and then it should get quite nice. It has been quite breezy in the afternoons!
Baetis seem to be the preferred insect at the moment. During calm conditions we’ve seen a great number of tiny baetis coming off around late morning. While extremely difficult to mimic with a dry fly, fish have been taking emergers well.
Nymphing has been most productive. We’re using smaller nymphs like the the prince, copper john, lil’ spanker, lightning bugs and various baetis patterns in #14-18. Worms and girdle bugs have also been dependable choices at times. There are a few brown trout here and there that are full of eggs. It’s not long until the whitefish do their thing either. The egg has been productive occasionally.
The streamer bite has had its moment, especially during overcast or stormy conditions. Natural and darker colored sculpin patterns have been the most consistent, however bright mornings have helped get the brighter flies going.
Enjoy this weather! Winter is going to hit us like a ton of bricks at some point.
See you on the river,
Parker
Upper Madison River Water Temperature
Lower Madison River Flows below Ennis Dam
Lower Madison River Water Temperature below Ennis Dam