Ennis, Montana

Best Flies For Madison River

Updated Apr 24, 2026, 7:00 AM MDT

Fish the inside seams and softer buckets with a two-fly nymph rig early, then watch for blue-winged olives and midges once cloud cover settles in.

Current Conditions
  • Flow: Dam-controlled spring flow that usually stays fishable unless runoff muddies the lower river.
  • Water Temperature: Cold enough to keep the best feeding window from late morning through mid-afternoon.
  • Weather: Cloud cover and wind matter more than raw air temperature here. Overcast tends to improve BWO activity.
  • Overall Rating: 7/10
Today's Read

Madison River is fishing around blue-winged olives and midges. Start with the patterns below and adjust only after fish show you something different.

Best Flies Right Now
  • Parachute BWO, size 18-20, dry
  • Griffith's Gnat, size 18-20, dry
  • Pheasant Tail, size 16-18, nymph
  • Split Case BWO, size 18-20, nymph
  • Pat's Rubber Legs, size 8-10, nymph
What They Match
  • Blue-winged olives, size 18-20, late morning through mid-afternoon
  • Midges, size 18-22, morning and again in the soft evening light
  • Skwala stoneflies, size 8-12, afternoons along grassy banks and slower edges
How To Fish These Flies
  • Start with an indicator rig: stonefly or heavier jig up top, BWO or midge trailer 12-18 inches behind it.
  • Work riffle tails, inside seams, and the softer edge of deeper buckets before the hatch starts.
  • If fish begin showing on top, shorten up, drop the indicator, and fish single dries or a dry-dropper tight to bank structure.