West Yellowstone - 303 CFS. Late summer time flows. The Madison River in YNP is under a full 24 hour closer all the way to Hebgen Lake. This section is closed until cooler temps prevail. 

Below Hebgen - 853 CFS.  Dropped this week. The idea here is to conserve water in Hebgen Lake for the next round of hot weather and lower Madison pulse flows.  This is the coldest section of the Madison River with peak temps hitting 64 degrees. 

Kirby - 976 CFS. These are great flows. Over the past few days, river temps have cooled down in the wade stretch. Get up early and get after it, but the afternoon here lately has been pretty good due to the cold front. 

Varney - 1060 CFS.  Temps have been decent this week and another cold front is swinging through and should cool things off quite a bit. There is a Hoot Owl from 8 Mile Ford to Ennis Lake - no fishing from 2pm until midnight. 

Hebgen is sitting roughly 3 feet from full pond.  There are fish rising on Hebgen Lake...

BETWEEN THE LAKES

Flows at Hebgen have been trimmed back again this week, but the river still looks great down in this stretch. River temps are fluctuating between 58 and 64 degrees - ideal conditions for sure.  Nymphing stone flies, small bead heads or stripping streamers fooled plenty of fish this past week and will continue to work this week as well. There are still some PMDs and Caddis hatching right now, but less and less as we move into August. A few spruce moths have been observed.  Don't forget to carry bear spray.   

A #8 black rubber leg, #16 olive hot spot jig, #18 Pheasant tail, #16 serendipities, #16 Shop Vac, #16 black Zebra midges, #16 and #18 Juju Baetis, #14/16 Rednecks are all great choices for nymphing. Dries - Iron X Caddis, Corn Fed, Missing links of various sizes and colors, Jojo's PMD, Riffle Riser PMD, Para-shuck PMD, #14 Elk Hair caddis, Chubby Moth, Micro Chubbies and Craneflies.  Drop a bead if you like or fish a single dry.  Cover water and you''ll find some good fish looking up. 

WADE SECTION

Fishing has remained solid down in the Wade Section throughout the morning hours and with the cold front arriving, the river is fishing all afternoon.  Some days have been better than others, which can be the case during the late summer.  Pay attention to the weather and bring a rain jacket!  The early morning hours might require waders. 

Fish are eating nymphs, jiggy streamers and a plenty of fish are rising at the right time and place. Caddis and PMD spinners seem to be on the minds of rising trout, so are hoppers, beetles and ants. The terrestrial fishing is heating up, so pay attention and when the hoppers start clicking, tie on one.  Spruce Moths have been observed, do with that what you will, ;).  There are noctural stone flies around in decent numbers as well. 

One should carry various life cycle PMD imitations and some smaller attractor stone flies like Purple, Tan or Royal Chubbies in #10-16. Cover water, move quickly and then slow down when you start catching fish - pay attention to the water fish are coming out of and find more of it.

Nymphing has been productive with jigs, Shop Vacs, Red Necks, Olive Dips, Zebra midges, Juju Baetis, 101 Stones, Two Bit Stones and Rubber Legs.  BFE, Olive Bouface, Sparkle Minnow, Scuplin Snacks and the Swing Mint are all great streamer patterns for the early morning or late evening streamer chucker.  Dries - Iron X Caddis, Corn Fed, Missing links of various sizes and colors, Jojo's PMD, Jojo's Noctural, Water Walkers, Riffle Riser PMD, #14 Elk Hair Caddis, Chubby Moth, Corn Fed Moth, Para-shuck PMD, Copenhaver Rusty Spinner and Chubbies of all colors and sizes. 

FLOAT SECTION

Spinners, a few moths, hoppers, beetles and ants are bringing fish to the surface in the morning hours and with the cooler temps, the afternoon has been pretty good as well.  Some days, the hopper fishing has been decent to pretty good - every day has been different down in the Float Stretch. Some days you're the hammer and some days you're the nail. It seems like the smokey haze is keeping some fish from looking up, but that's just an observation.  

Rubber legs, golden stone fly nymphs, small mayfly nymphs, caddis pupa will work just fine if you need to bobber fish. Fishing a chubby and a bead will also do the trick. Or you could fish a single dry fly with a reach cast along the banks, around the gravels bars or in the slicks. Dries - Iron X Caddis, Dusty Old Bat Caddis, Missing links of various sizes and colors, Jojo's PMD, Riffle Riser PMD, Para-shuck PMD, Para Nymph, Copenhaver Rusty Spinner, #14 Elk Hair Caddis, Chubby Moth, Corn Fed Moth, Micro Chubbies of various colors, Thunder Thighs, M's hopper, Sweetgrass hopper. . 

 Do your part and treat the fish with respect. 

1. Pull over and release those fish on the banks.  
2. KEEP THEM WET. Leave those fish in the net to take pics, or keep them as wet as possible.  Dry hands are terrible for the fish. Try taking a slow mo video of releasing your catch back to the river. 
3. If your trout swallowed the fly, cut the tippet and leave it in there, no need to jab those hemos down it's throat and make it bleed. 
4. Fish barbless.  Just do it. 
5. Fish heavier tippet whenever possible. I fish 3X to my #14 dry flies. And 2X to Hoppers. 
6. The river is getting warm, so pay attention and fish the appropriate hours of the day.  Give them a break when temps exceed 68 degrees. 

Treat other anglers on the river with kindness and respect - you will catch more fish if you follow this simple rule. When pulling off the bank, give plenty of room to the boats up stream working their way down. The Madison is moving fast and most folks new to rowing a boat don't realize that 100 yards is NOT enough space. When launching your boat and taking out, be efficient, get things done and exit the ramp area. Also, please anchor your boat on the bank when taking a break. Bouncing your anchor down the river is bad form, don't be that person.