West Yellowstone - 303 CFS. Early Fall flows. She's a little skinny. This will change if/when the storm rolls in. 

Below Hebgen - 707 CFS.  Dropped back to prep for Fall brown trout flows, should stay here for the winter. 

Kirby - 788 CFS.  

Varney - 949 CFS.   

Hebgen is sitting roughly 5 feet from full pond. 

Weather outlook - sunny for a couple days and then some rain on Saturday. After the front comes through, things are going to cool off for the time being.  Lows in the high TEENS and 20s!  Get after it, Winter is coming. 

BETWEEN THE LAKES

Be on the lookout for BWO hatches in the afternoon once things warm up a little bit. Streamer fishing should be good in the low lights periods of the day and honestly could be good all day on the right day.  You can always nymph a few up with stone flies, small BHs, or a Zonker.  Don't forget to carry bear spray.   

A black rubber leg, #16 olive hot spot jig, #18 Pheasant tail, #16 olive serendipities, #16 Shop Vac, #16 black Zebra midges, #16 and #18 Juju Baetis, #14/16 Rednecks are all great choices for nymphing or dry dropping. Dries - #18 Iron X Caddis, Missing links of various sizes and colors, Jojo's BWO,  #18 Elk Hair caddis, Micro Chubbies and Arrick's Ant, Jojo's Ant, and various hopper patterns. Drop a bead if you like or fish a single dry. Cover water and you''ll find some good fish looking up. Just make sure to let em eat it! 

WADE SECTION

Bring the gear! Waders, puffy jackets, hooded gore-tex, handwarmers and a thermos of whatever are be mandatory from here on out. 

Fish are eating nymphs, jiggy streamers and some trout are rising at the right time and place. Fish a small dry and cover water. Or bobber up and fish small nymphs.  Be on the lookout for BWO hatches. One should carry various attractor stone flies like Purple, Tan or Royal Chubbies in #12-18, Royal Wulff's in #16 and #18. 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 - #18 Iron X Caddis, Missing links of various sizes and colors, Jojo's BWO, #18 Elk Hair Caddis, #!6 or #18 Copenhaver Rusty Spinner, various hoppers, ants and Chubbies of all colors and sizes. 

FLOAT SECTION

BWO have been hatching. If one can drift a #18 BWO in the skinny water along the bank or in the slicks, you just might be surprised who your day turns out! Fish a streamer on the banks or in the middle - just keep it moving and change colors once in a while if what your stripping isn't working. Nymph fishing has been pretty good at times in the upper reach of the float stretch. 

Rubber legs, golden stone fly nymphs, small mayfly nymphs, caddis pupa will work just fine under the bobber. 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 BWO, #18 Para Nymph, #16/18 Copenhaver Rusty Spinner, #18 Elk Hair Caddis, Micro Chubbies of various colors. 

 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. 
6. We are not seeing brown trout spawning just yet, but leave em' alone if and when you do. 

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.