Waters · United States
Madison River (Ennis) fishing report
Updated Friday, 9 October 2026 · refreshed automatically through the day
The fifty-mile riffle between Quake Lake and Ennis is the Madison at its most famous: near-continuous pocket water, with the salmonfly hatch working upstream through late June.
Species and season on Madison River (Ennis)
The Madison is a freestone trout river with rainbows and browns. The salmonfly hatch moves upstream through late June, the summer brings caddis and PMD hatches, and autumn browns run upstream from Hebgen and Ennis lakes. Winter fishing is slower but can be productive on mild afternoons.
How to fish it
The river's pocket water means short, accurate drifts rather than long casts. Cloud cover and a slowly rising barometer favour hatches; bright, hot afternoons slow them. Use the flow trend in the report: stable flows after runoff give the best dry-fly fishing, while rising, discoloured water favours nymphs and streamers.
Access, licences and local rules
A Montana fishing licence is required, and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks regulations apply, including section-specific rules on boat use, bait and catch limits. Public access points and a wade-friendly bank make walk-and-wade easy, but some sections restrict fishing from boats — check the current rules for the section you plan to fish.
Rules, seasons and permit systems change. Treat this as orientation and confirm with the licensing authority or fishery manager before you fish.
Today's report: good (77/100)
Brown Trout is the most promising species on Madison River (Ennis) today. Water temperature at the gauge is 13.2°C (56°F) and barometric pressure is falling. Gauge Madison River at Ennis, MT shows the water level falling (0 cm/24h).
Madison River (Ennis) water temperature and flow
- Water temperature: 13.2°C (56°F)
- Discharge: 28.9 m³/s (1,021 cfs) — down 2% over 24 hours
- Level trend: falling (0 cm/24h)
Measured at gauge Madison River at Ennis, MT · reading 36 min ago. Published by the national hydrological service, not estimated by us.
Best time to fish today
- 00:00–02:00 local time — score 88/100
- 03:00–05:00 local time — score 83/100
- 08:00–10:00 local time — score 85/100
3-day outlook by species
| Species | Friday 9 Oct | Saturday 10 Oct | Sunday 11 Oct |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 68 — good | 84 — excellent | 47 — fair |
| Brown Trout | 77 — good | 88 — excellent | 51 — fair |
Why this score
Cast & Scan uses a deterministic, published scoring model — no black box. The strongest influences on today's Madison River (Ennis) rating:
- water temperature: helping (+1)
- solunar period: helping (+1)
- season: helping (+1)
- wind: helping (+0.9)
- precipitation: helping (+0.9)
- cloud cover: helping (+0.85)
Forecast computed Fri, 09 Oct 2026 19:36:25 GMT · data: Open-Meteo + gauge Madison River at Ennis, MT · refreshed automatically through the day · see our published accuracy
Wondering how this stacks up against the apps you already know? Cast & Scan vs Fishbrain vs BassForecast — an honest comparison, including where they beat us.
Read before you go
- Trout stream tactics, read through the forecast
- How river flow trend changes the bite
- Barometric pressure and fishing, explained
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Nearby waters
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- Big Hole River (Melrose) — Montana, USA (79 km away)
- Yellowstone River (Livingston) — Montana, USA (94 km away)
- Henry's Fork (Lower) — Idaho, USA (170 km away)
- Missouri River (Craig) — Montana, USA (184 km away)
- South Fork Snake River (Irwin) — Idaho, USA (226 km away)