Continued from Waters We Fish

Lower Madison River

Fishing here is best both early and late in the season, On hot mid-summer days, the water temperatures are generally too high for productive fishing. Although the lower Madison has several tributaries that will make the river unfishable for several weeks during the height of runoff, it stays clear later in the spring than most other streams, and it clears earlier in June, when most of our other rivers are still high and off-color.

The lower Madison holds both rainbow and brown trout, and in the last couple of years, we have seen the average size of the fish increase by an inch or two. On nymphs and dry flies, expect to catch mostly rainbow trout from eight to about fifteen inches. The brown trout can grow much larger, and streamer fishing from a drift boat, using sculpin and crayfish imitations, is usually the best way to catch the largest fish. Access here is excellent, from the mouth of the Beartrap Canyon down to Greycliff. There are many good areas to wade fish.

Anglers willing to hike a few miles can enjoy some great fishing in both the Beartrap Canyon and inside Yellowstone National Park.  As with most fishing cloudy days tend to fish better on these stretches as the Madison is a crystal clear river.  Bright, sunny days can make these fish a little shy.  The fall is a good time to chase big browns on the Madison in the park.  If you're willing to walk, you'll could be casting to 20 inchers all day long... 

                 Outfitter Eric Paulson and a client with a

                         nice looking Madison Brown

              Beartrap Canyon