Madison River Fishing Report, July 9, 2026

2026-07-09 (July 9, 2026)

Summary

The Madison has settled into full summer form, and the Upper river is the star. The rain freshened flows without hurting clarity, Hebgen is topped off so releases will stay consistent, and the Upper is squarely in peak dry-fly season with fish looking up through the middle of the day. The salmonflies that dominated late June have mostly run their course, leaving an overlapping spread of caddis, PMDs, Yellow Sallies, a few Green Drakes, and lingering Golden Stones that keeps trout fed top to bottom. The Lower is fishing steadily too, but it is into its warm-water season below Ennis Lake, so the smart plan there is early.

At a glance: Upper Madison in peak dry-fly season and fishing very well | ~1,070 CFS at Kirby (River's Edge, July 9), Hebgen replenished and holding steady summer releases | Upper water cool and healthy, low-to-mid 50s mornings | Lower Madison steady but warming, fish it early | Salmonflies winding down, the summer caddis and mayfly mix now runs the show

Upper Madison

The Upper is the most consistent water in the region right now. Flows are on the lower side for early July but there is plenty of water for both the wade and float stretches, and clarity is good. Fish are spread all through the sixty-mile riffle, which rewards covering water and making a lot of casts over camping on a single run. The dry-fly game is genuinely in full swing: caddis are the anchor hatch, with PMDs and Yellow Sallies mixed in through the day and the occasional Green Drake and Epeorus showing on the softer light. Salmonflies are essentially finished for most anglers, though a straggler golden stone in the upper reaches still draws a look.

Best techniques (Upper):

• Dry-dropper covers the most water: a purple or royal Chubby Chernobyl (size down the foam if fish snub it) trailing a Spanish Bullet, PMD-style Perdigon, Pat's Rubber Legs, or Blowtorch two to three feet down. A Jig Prince, Jig Pheasant Tail, or Frenchie all earn their keep on the point.
• When the caddis and mayflies are up, fish the single dry: an Elk Hair Caddis, Missing Link Caddis, X-Caddis, or a PMD Sparkle Dun, PMD Comparadun, or Purple Haze for the mayfly eaters. Riffles and inside seams in the 10-to-3 window are the sweet spot, with a second wave in the evening.
• Nymphing stays reliable through the cool mornings: a #4-8 Pat's Rubber Legs paired with a smaller attractor (Lightning Bug, Three Dollar Dip, Mega Prince, or a caddis larva). Streamer eats come early and late; olive, white, and two-tone patterns move the better fish. Stop into Trout Stalkers or the Madison River Fly Fishing Company in Ennis for the daily read before you launch; the hatch timing shifts by the day up here.

Lower Madison

The Lower has slid into its classic July pattern: a good option, but a warm one. Below Ennis Lake the water carries the lake's heat, and by midday it climbs, so the productive stretch of the day is the cool morning and again the final couple hours of daylight. The bigger hatch push has tapered, but there are still enough PMDs, Yellow Sallies, and caddis around to keep a dry in play, and the deeper buckets and riffles hold fish through the day. Tubing traffic picks up as the afternoon warms, another reason to be early.

Fish the Lower early. The stretch below Ennis Lake runs warm in July and climbs through the afternoon. Start at first light, target the cooler morning hours, and carry a thermometer, backing off if the water pushes into the high 60s to protect the fish.

Best techniques (Lower):

• Dry-dropper is the most consistent tool: a #10-12 Chubby Chernobyl or Hi-Vis Micro Chubby over a flashy #16 lite-brite Perdigon, tan Spanish Bullet, or JuJu Baetis through the deeper buckets and riffles. Simple and hard to beat this time of year.
• Nymph the deeper runs when nothing is up: a Zirdle, San Juan Worm, PMD Jigster, or Pheasant Tail down in the buckets. Crayfish patterns (a Dead Drift Crayfish or tan Clouser) and a Zonker move a few bigger fish.
• Stay into the evening for the last-light dry window with a PMD Comparadun, Yellow Sally Bullet, or an Iceberg Caddis. The Bozeman shops, Fins & Feathers and The River's Edge, both sit close to this water and will have the freshest morning read.

Hatches

Caddis are the primary hatch top to bottom on the Upper, with PMDs and Yellow Sallies steady through the day, a few Green Drakes and Epeorus on gray light, and the last of the Golden Stones up high; Salmonflies are winding down. On the Lower the bigger push has tapered but stays useful, with PMDs, Yellow Sallies, and a few caddis keeping fish looking up and Baetis and crayfish filling the subsurface picture.

The Fly Box

Nymphs: Pat's Rubber Legs, Spanish Bullet, Perdigons, Jig Prince, Jig Pheasant Tail, Frenchie, Blowtorch, Lightning Bug, Three Dollar Dip, Hare's Ear, Green Machine, Lite-Brite Perdigon, JuJu Baetis, Zirdle, San Juan Worm, PMD Jigster, Pheasant Tail

Emergers: Edible Emerger, CDC PMD Emerger, Zylon Emerger

Dries: Chubby Chernobyl, Hi-Vis Micro Chubby, Water Walker, Fool's Gold, Elk Hair Caddis, Missing Link Caddis, X-Caddis, PMD Sparkle Dun, PMD Comparadun, Purple Haze, Parachute Adams, Yellow Sallies, Yellow Sally Bullet, Iceberg Caddis, Parachute PMD

Streamers: Mini Dungeon, Mini Dolly Llama, Barely Legal, Mini Silk Kitty, Woolly Buggers, Sparring Partner, Peanut Envy, Dead Drift Crayfish, Clouser, Zonker

Outlook. Warm and mostly sunny building through the week, which keeps the dry-fly clock in that late-morning-to-afternoon and evening rhythm. With Hebgen full, expect steady flows on the Upper and fishing that holds or improves day to day. Midday water temperatures will rise on the Lower, so fish it early and give it a rest during the hot part of the day, letting the cooler Upper carry the afternoon. Favor the cooler mornings and watch water temperatures as the heat climbs.

Sources and Thanks

Shop	Report date	Coverage
The River's Edge (Bozeman)	July 9 (Upper) and June 26 (Lower), 2026	Upper and Lower Madison (freshest)
Fins & Feathers (Bozeman)	July 6 (Upper) and June 26 (Lower), 2026	Upper and Lower
Trout Stalkers (Ennis)	July 1, 2026	Upper (hatch detail)
Slide Inn (Galloup's)	June 26, 2026	Madison (hatch and streamer context)
Madison River Fly Fishing Company	June 12, 2026	Background