The following fishing report is by Big Sky Anglers:
MADISON RIVER FLOWS – Slowly easing into runoff!
- West Yellowstone – 576 CFS
- Below Hebgen – 633 CFS
- Kirby – 1200 CFS
- Varney – 2000 CFS
The hotter the temp goes, the higher the flows…usually! While runoff may have been temporarily staved-off by last weeks spate of gnarly-low temps and wet weather, this week should see the beginnings of spring runoff in earnest if we get stable high-temps. Typically things are already blown out in full force by this time, but for now temps have remained relatively cool, and fishing has still been good up high. We’ll have to see what happens, but the river is currently fishable throughout the Fifty-Mile Riffle for now! It’s time to get the last of your early-season fishing done on the Madison in case flows reach their peak in the coming weeks — all you’ll need to do is set down your dry-fly rod and leave your purist ambitions at the door: it’s time to get “down n’ dirty.”
BETWEEN THE LAKES
Nothwestern Energy has actually cut flows slightly over the last day, down to 633 from the 699 of the past week or so. This shouldn’t affect fishing too much at the present, with most of this section’s fishable water being up above cabin creek, which is starting to muddy-up the lower reaches of the BTL zone. Staying up high near the dam will yield the best fishing. Nymphing and streamer-fishing will be your ticket to success— think big, heavy rigs to instigate those opportunistic strikes. I like to fish big-juicy stonefly nymph to get down fast and grab attention paired with a smaller, more delicate zebra midge, baetis nymph, or generic perdigon (something small with a tungsten bead) around size 18 to trick those more discerning fish: draw them in with the cheeseburger, but feed them the fries, if you will! Some key flies I’d recommend are: Heames’ Jig Rubberlegs #6 or #8, 101 Stonefly #8, Red Zebra Midge #16 or #18, Higa’s Tactical SOS Olive #20 and the Barbless Weiss BP Dark in #18. Those last two flies are needlessly specific, but they’re new patterns here in the shop and have proved deadly for me recently!
For those more inclined to strip streamers, a slim-but-heavy streamer fished on a floating line is my favorite way to prospect for predatory fish. I’ll fish a black or black-and-olive BFE or Bouface Leech on an 8 foot 0x leader. The key here is to cover water quickly and effectively — jigging and stripping your fly through any likely bucket or “holdy” looking pocket. This time of year can yield some big streamer eaters BTL — even down in the historically muddy zone between Cabin and Beaver Creeks. For now these tribs are adding only a little bit of color to the river down through Ghost Village Road!
WADE SECTION
Fishing has been excellent in the wade section recently, and I expect it to continue for a while yet. The water is the perfect shade of slightly off-color green, and fish are holding in the soft stuff tight to the edges and just off the main flows in the deeper / slower runs. As with between the lakes, nymphing heavy stonefly patterns and fast-sinking perdigons is a great recipe for success this time of year. Streamer fishing can also be stellar – a small sculpin fished upstream, tight to the bank, and aggressively jigged back downstream toward yourself can yield some awesome, aggressive eats. If dry flies are your thing, a big dry dropper rig with a chubby and a rubberlegs can also get it done! There have been more than a few whispers here in the shop of fish eating chubbies and even hoppers throughout the wade section — Get in there while the gettin’s still good!
FLOAT SECTION
As with the wade stretch, the float section is still fishable! We typically expect mudlines from the creeks and high / off-color water as par for the course by this time, but if temps don’t increase in the coming days, we may be floating the Madison well through May. A dead-drifted streamer under an indicator can be an interesting way of switching things up and bringing some larger fish out from their lies. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the ol’ trusty rubberlegs nymph rig is still going to be a reliable way of producing numbers. As in the summer, focus on the water above and below rocks and along the pockets accompanying major changes in flow and depth closer to the banks. If things get really slow, no one is going to bat an eye if you tie on a wire-worm or a squirmy fly of the San Juan variety: along with the rising water levels comes a corresponding loosening of morals. Once the water clears up and gets back to normal and seeing hatches, however, that’s when we’ll start to cast side-eyed glances at the proverbial “dirty flies”.
Get it in while you can – the Madison could soon be toast until late-June / early-July! Keep an eye on the temps and hit it hard if we remain in this Goldilocks zone!
Feature photo via Big Sky Anglers
