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River guide · Montana

Fly Fishing the Madison River

The Madison runs fast, broad, and wadeable from Hebgen and Quake lakes north toward Ennis, a continuous riffle famously nicknamed 'the fifty-mile riffle.' It is a blue-ribbon freestone and one of the most storied dry-fly rivers in the world, draining out of Yellowstone country through the Madison Valley. Wild brown and rainbow trout hold in its boulder-strewn pocket water, and the river fishes well on both nymphs and dries through the summer and fall. Its signature event is the late-June salmonfly hatch, followed by golden stones, summer caddis, and a strong fall Baetis season.

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The best time to fly fish the Madison River is July–October. Key hatches include Salmonfly, Golden Stonefly, Pale Morning Dun, Caddis. 31 fly shops near the Madison River can outfit your trip.

Fly shops near the Madison River

Shops and guides that fish the Madison River. See all 93 Montana shops →

The Tackle Shop - Outfitter and Fly ShopEast Slope OutdoorsWild Trout Outfitters Inc.Montana Fishing Guide SchoolMontana Women's Fly Fishing SchoolGallatin River GuidesFishTales Outfitting LLCMontana Whitewater Rafting Co. - Yellowstone Fly FishFlatline OutfittersFour Rivers Fishing CoStonefly Inn & FlyshopMontana Troutfitters
12 fly shops shown

Species on this water

BassBonefishCarpRedfishSalmonSaltwaterSteelheadTarponTrout

Nearby towns

EnnisBig SkyBig Sky Canyon Village

Rivers nearby

Gallatin RiverJefferson RiverBig Hole RiverBeaverhead River
Hatches & seasons

When & what to fish on the Madison River

River typefreestone
Best seasonJuly–October
AccessHwy 287 follows the river from Quake Lake to Ennis with numerous FWP fishing-access sites and miles of wadeable public water.
Key hatches & timing
  • Salmonflylate Jun–early Jul
  • Golden StoneflyJul
  • Pale Morning DunJul–Aug
  • CaddisJun–Sep, evenings
  • Blue-winged Olive / BaetisSep–Oct
  • Terrestrials — hoppersAug–Sep
From The Fly Bench

Tie the flies that work on the Madison River

Step-by-step tying recipes & videos for these patterns.

Browse all 880+ patterns at The Fly Bench
Gear up

Gear up on the Madison River

Everything you need before the next trip — rods, lines, leaders, and fly-tying materials.

Shop the gear Flies that work

The flies that work on the Madison River

Find the most effective patterns for where you're fishing — and learn to tie them yourself, step by step.

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Updated June 2026