What to doOpen the notice
Check the exact reach, date, and hours before deciding.
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Fly fishing report · Greater Yellowstone
Madison River Fishing Report — West Yellowstone, Montana
Is the Montana Madison from the Yellowstone National Park boundary to Hebgen Reservoir legal and responsible to fish? Check today’s restriction, flow, water temperature, access, and rules before you go.
See the flow chart ↓Photo: National Park Service Opens in a new tab. · No claim to original U.S. Government works; no National Park Service endorsement
Good day to fish?Check needed
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Verify
Check the official notice before fishing.
Hoot-owl fishing restriction on the upper Madison River covers Yellowstone National Park boundary downstream to Hebgen Reservoir. The notice needs a new check with the agency. Fishing tips stay hidden until you check it.
Checked just nowRead the notice below
Check neededWait before fishing
Hoot-owl fishing restriction on the upper Madison River covers Yellowstone National Park boundary downstream to Hebgen Reservoir. The notice needs a new check with the agency. Fishing tips stay hidden until you check it.
Restrictions and advisories
Check Madison River before fishing.
These notices match this river report. No notice here does not mean the river is open. Always check the agency before you fish.
Last known active — check nowOfficial restrictionLegal closure
Hoot-owl fishing restriction on the upper Madison River
- Area
- Yellowstone National Park boundary downstream to Hebgen Reservoir
- Link checked
- Link status
- Checked through Aug 21, 2026, 5:55 PM MDT
- Check again by
- Starts
- Daily hours
- Daily, 14:00–24:00 (America/Denver)
- Repeats
- Daily from 2:00 p.m. to midnight
What to know about this notice
This route mapping covers the Madison reach near West Yellowstone outside the park; it does not apply the Montana notice to Yellowstone National Park water.
The West Yellowstone report covers the Montana reach from the park boundary toward Hebgen Reservoir.
Your plan
Check the notice first.
Hoot-owl fishing restriction on the upper Madison River covers Yellowstone National Park boundary downstream to Hebgen Reservoir. The notice needs a new check with the agency. Fishing tips stay hidden until you check it.
Hoot-owl fishing restriction on the upper Madison River: Yellowstone National Park boundary downstream to Hebgen Reservoir
Live river check
What the river is doing
Check the latest flow and weather before you go. A quick change can make the river harder or less safe to fish.
Showing the latest stored river check while current readings load.
- Flow
- 296 cfs
- From the latest stored river check. Open the official source for the newest reading.Water 65.3°F · 24h high 76.1°F · USGS provisional
- Air now
- 48°F
Current NWS forecast period
- Next 24h high
- 77.0°F
NWS air forecast near
- Rain chance
- 1%
For this forecast period
Latest stored weather check
Partly Sunny
Partly Sunny
- Wind
- 1 mph
- Weather checked
Recent flow chart is loading
The latest stored reading is shown above. Check the official source below if you need the newest value now.
More forecast and source details
National Weather Service
West Yellowstone, MT
The National Weather Service forecast is temporarily unavailable.
Live data
Where these readings come from
RiverReports gauge: Madison River at West Yellowstone
Water 65.3°F · provisional · 24h high 76.1°F provisionalWater observed · high observed
How to fish it
Fishing advice is paused.
Use the official notice and current conditions instead of fishing advice.
Hoot-owl fishing restriction on the upper Madison River covers Yellowstone National Park boundary downstream to Hebgen Reservoir. The notice needs a new check with the agency. Fishing tips stay hidden until you check it.
What to try
Fly choices are paused.
Check the restriction or advisory before choosing flies or tactics.
Seasonal fly and tactic guidance stays hidden while this stop or unverified notice applies.
Access and safety
Madison River access and rules.
Use these places as starting points. Open the access link below and check posted signs before you park or enter. At the August 19, 2026 review, Montana FWP listed the Madison River from the Yellowstone National Park boundary to Hebgen Reservoir closed to fishing daily from 2 p.m. through midnight, effective July 11, with no end date shown. The 2026 rules also require rainbow trout to be released on this reach, except anglers age 14 or younger may keep one rainbow trout daily and in possession, any size. Recheck both official sources before fishing.
Choose the rules before the water.
Yellowstone National Park boundary to Baker's Hole
Montana rules begin at the boundary. Confirm a legal public entry, the current 2 p.m.–midnight restriction, and the separate status of adjacent Park water before fishing.
Montana FWP current waterbody restrictions in a new tabBaker's Hole to Hebgen Reservoir
Use Baker's Hole as the verified access landmark and Hebgen Reservoir as this report's downstream boundary. No launch or takeout is verified by this review.
USFS Baker's Hole Campground in a new tabBaker's Hole Campground
The Forest Service identifies Baker's Hole on the Madison River three miles north of West Yellowstone. It was listed open on August 19, with a weather-dependent May 1–October 11 use season. Treat it as a campground and access landmark, not an FWP Fishing Access Site or verified boat ramp.
USFS Baker's Hole Campground in a new tabBaker's Hole is the verified access landmark in this review. It is not an FWP Fishing Access Site and no boat ramp was verified.
A visible bank, road shoulder, or fence opening does not prove legal entry. Use signed public access and respect private property.
The active Montana restriction and the separate Yellowstone National Park closure govern different water. Confirm which side of the boundary you are on.
This page supports a short wade or bank plan only. No launch, takeout, or boat itinerary was verified.
River sources
Official Madison River sources.
Official agencies and primary river operators come first. Secondary tools are labeled so you know what carries the most weight.
How this report was checked
How this report was checked
Reviewed byBlueStreamFly River Review Team
Trip guidance checked
What was checked: This review uses official regulation, flow, temperature, access, weather, and public-river sources. BlueStreamFly does not claim a field visit, local field test, current hatch observation, or first-hand conditions report for this update.
Live measurements and forecasts keep their provider timestamps. Rules, access, and trip guidance use the source-review date shown here. BlueStreamFly planning advice is editorial interpretation, not an agency notice.
First-hand experience: BlueStreamFly does not claim a first-hand visit or local field test for this report unless a real contributor is explicitly named and linked.
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
More helpful links
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
See all 9 checked sources
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
What this source covers
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
More helpful links
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
What this source covers
Open this page for more river information and check when it was last updated.
What this source covers
Open this page for more river information and check when it was last updated.
Quick answers
Check the official notice first.
Fishing tips stay hidden until the official notice is clear.