Today's Read
Madison River is keyed to the bugs that are active in the current light and water conditions. These are the insects that matter right now and the windows when they matter most.
Ennis, Montana
Madison River Hatch Report
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.
Bugs & Best Matches
What's active
Fish this
Blue-winged olives, size 18-20, late morning through mid-afternoon
Parachute BWO, size 18-20, dry; Split Case BWO, size 18-20, nymph
Midges, size 18-22, morning and again in the soft evening light
Griffith's Gnat, size 18-20, dry
Skwala stoneflies, size 8-12, afternoons along grassy banks and slower edges
Pat's Rubber Legs, size 8-10, nymph; Skwala Chubby, size 8-10, dry
General subsurface
Pheasant Tail, size 16-18, nymph
How Fish Respond To This Hatch
- Late-April Madison fish are usually feeding subsurface through the morning, then sliding toward softer riffle edges and slicks once bugs start moving. Trout are not especially reckless right now, but they will eat if your drift is clean and your flies match the size of the naturals. Rising fish tend to key on small olives and midge clusters, while deeper slots still give up fish on stonefly nymphs and smaller mayfly droppers.
- Start with an indicator rig: stonefly or heavier jig up top, BWO or midge trailer 12-18 inches behind it.
Current Conditions
FlowDam-controlled spring flow that usually stays fishable unless runoff muddies the lower river.
Water TempCold enough to keep the best feeding window from late morning through mid-afternoon.
WeatherCloud cover and wind matter more than raw air temperature here. Overcast tends to improve BWO activity.
Rating7/10
More On Madison River
Related Rivers