Upper Madison River Fishing Report
Upper Madison River Fishing Report
12/31/25
Start the New Year off right by getting out on the water and catching some fish! The unusually mild start we have had to the winter has given us some great angling opportunities.
Walk Wade Stretch (Between the Lakes, Upriver of Lyon's Bridge, Downriver of Ennis):
The wintertime can provide some incredible angling opportunities on the Walk Wade Stretch of the Upper Madison River; fewer anglers means less picky trout, and on a tailwater in the wintertime, those trout are feeding regularly.
Plan to see pretty frequent Midge hatches and don't be afraid to commit to using some tiny dry flies tied to a long leader to have some fun this winter. Using a tandem dry fly rig with a slightly larger fly on first and then behind that a small midge dry like a Skittering Zelon Midge gives you a much better chance at being able to find that small dry and know what going on during your drift.
Slowly stripping or deadrifting streamers like a black leech, Complex Twist, or Sparkle Minnow can get you into some larger-sized fish this time of year. Just because it is cold doesn't mean the big ones take a vacation from eating!
Float Stretch(Downriver of Lyon's Bridge to Ennis):
Floating the Madison in the wintertime can be a lot of fun, however, lower flows mean taller rocks. The bottom of your boat will definitely find a few extra rocks if you get out and float this time of year. Plan on anchoring up in deep runs or hopping out and fishing from foot if you decide to take the boat out. Getting multiple drifts in the same spot, and at different depths, is the key to finding fish in the wintertime.
Dries: Stick Midge Adult #20, Griffith Gnat #18-20, Doc's HV Psuedo #20
Nymphs: Zebra Jig Thin (Purple, Rusty Brown, Red) $3 Dip(Black, Red, Copper) #16-20, Olive or Pearl Perdigon #16-18, Olive Hotspot Perdigon #16-18, Lightning Bugs #16-20, Lite Brite Perdigon (Green) #14-18, Pat's Rubber Legs #10-14, Pearl and Orange Jig #16, Rainbow Warrior (Red) #18-20
Streamers:Sex Dungeons, Barely Legal, Sparkle Minnows and Zonkers will move fish for you. Play with color and profile every day. Skinny vs. big heads, dark vs. light, etc. Don't be afraid to throw a streamer under your indicator and dead drift it!
New to the Madison? We have guides with 40 plus years of experience fishing the Madison ready to share their knowledge with you. We offer full-day float and walk-wade trips on the Madison River. Don’t need a guide? We have the flies and info to help you be successful on a DIY mission.
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Thanks for checking out our Madison River Fishing Report brought to you from Big Sky, MT.
