Photos From The Madison River In Yellowstone National Park

The Madison Flows Through Wyoming and Montana

The Flyline Images team has visited Montana and Wyoming on many occasions. One of our favorite things to do when in these states is to fly fish on the Madison river. This page is dedicated to sharing some of those awesome adventures.

The photo in the top right of this page was taken not far from Madison junction. The junction is a key intersection in Yellowstone National Park. Many visitors to the park enjoy their stay at the Madison Junction camp ground. The camp ground is located right at the junction. The camp ground is able to accommodate driveable and towable RV’s, and also offers tent camping spots. Check with the park before booking your stay at the camp ground to ensure the length of your RV can be accommodated.

From the junction, you can travel south or north. If you turn and travel south, the Old Faithful area is just a short drive. Approximately 30 minutes from the junction. Go north and the Norris Geyser basin is also just a short 30 minute ride from the junction. If your ultimate destination is the Canyon Lodge, you should travel north from the junction. You will come to another junction as you approach the Norris Geyser area. That junction offers visitors the option of visiting the Norris Basin, traveling further north to Mammoth Springs, or going East on to the Canyon Lodge area.

Not far from Madison junction, multiple rivers flow together. The confluence of the Gibbon and Firehole rivers come together to form the Madison river. This photo was taken not far from the confluence. The fishing in this area can be pretty good if you find the right holes. There are a few areas that offer some deep pools. These deep pools tend to hold quite a few fish. The water near the confluence of the Gibbon and Firehole tends to be on the warmer side. The Firehole is the source of that warmth. It flows through one of the major geyser basins in the Yellowstone National Park. The Firehole is one of the most beautiful and scenic rivers in the park and is a favorite fly fishing spot for that reason.

 

 

 

 

Madison Offers A Variety Of Fly Fishing Challenges

The Madison river near the junction is fairly wide. This section of the river is often referred to as the meadows. Over the next 10 miles, the river narrows, widens then narrows again. Fair to say that the river offers anglers many different looks. There are sections of fast water, with some nice deep holes. There are wide sections of river with really slow moving water. Great place to try those dry flies you brought along with you. The riffle section is pretty narrow and relatively shallow. A great section of river to try a few emergers and maybe do some pocket water nymphing. After the riffles, the river widens again in an area known to hold some really nice native brown trout. You may also catch a few white fish in that area as well. The river eventually begins to serpentine through the valley, as it nears the western edge of Yellowstone National Park. These areas tend to be shallower, but do hold a lot of fish.

The sections shown below are an area just before the river begins to serpentine. As mentioned earlier, many anglers like this area in the Fall, when the big native brown trout are beginning to spawn. This section offers a combination of a few light ripples, along with some large areas of relatively slow moving water. In the Spring you might try a Stone Fly, Chubby Chernobyl or a May Fly. In the Summer, you may want to try some hopper, nymphs or caddis. We normally visit the park in August each year. Usually a great time to try some streamers, caddis, blue winged olives, pheasant tails, green drakes or wooly buggers. Fishing on the Madison really depends on the hatch that is going on at the time you are visiting the park.