Madison River
Hebgen Lake-Quake Lake: 4/2/2010
The Madison remains open for fishing below Hebgen Dam throughout the year. The water is very low right now as dam outflow is being kept at around 600 CFS. This really limits the number of places that fish can hold and feed in the river. There are a lot of fish spawning in the Madison already and most of the rainbows are dark and more interested in spawning than food. Given these conditions, there are a lot better and more ethical places to fish than between the lakes right now. If you must fish it, avoid walking and fishing in areas of cleared gravel, as the next generation of Madison Rainbows is in the making.
Quake Lake-McAtee Bridge: 4/2/2010
The Madison is closed to fishing from Quake Lake to McAtee Bridge until the third Saturday in May.
McAtee Bridge to Ennis: 4/2/2010
Low water makes floating between Mac and Varney something that you really just don’t want to do in a driftboat. Down from Varney is a little better, but expect to have to drag the boat through shallows here and there. Nymph fishing has been decent as the fish are concentrated in deeper runs at the moment. Stay away from cleared gravel as there are already a number of fish spawning in this stretch of river.
Gallatin River: 4/2/2010
We’ve had some really good fishing on the Gallatin lately north of the Yellowstone Park boundary and in the canyon north of Big Sky. Good numbers of rainbows and browns can predictably be found in the deeper pools and runs in the river. Nymph fishing is generally the way to go, though midges have been abundant and some fish are rising to them. Prince Nymphs, Hare’s Ears, Ram Caddis, Copper Johns and Zebra Midges have all been very effective when fished under an indicator. Czech style short line nymphing is also a deadly method where boulders create small pockets that are tough to fish effectively with an indicator rig. The takes have been quite subtle so pay careful attention. We’ve seen numerous fish eat our nymphs without moving the indicators in the slower pools. Only by observing the fish were hookups possible. There is a ton of water and access to fish on the Gallatin and fish can be found throughout the river.
Hebgen Lake: 4/2/2010
The main body of Hebgen will more than likely be iced over for a month or more. Access to open water is still a mater of over snow travel.
Quake Lake 4/2/2010
Some tromping through the snow allows one to find open water on Quake Lake. Stripping or bobbing Chironomids, Hare’s Ears and small bugggers is the way to find fish right now. Keep the retrieves slow as the trout often won’t give chase when the water is cold.