Ennis Montana Fly fishing:
Ennis Montana is a small town of 850 people located 50 miles southwest of Bozeman. Ennis is the place to stay if you are planning to fish the Madison and its central location puts you in position to fish rivers like the Jefferson, Ruby, Yellowstone, Gallatin and Land of the Giants. Often described as "where fly fisherman meets cowboy" you will likely find Ennis Montana a comfortable, interesting and uniquely Montana place to stay and fish.
The Madison river flows through downtown Ennis, which means that choosing to stay in Ennis or the Ennis area puts you within a forty-five minute drive of any boat ramp on the Madison. Ennis Lake is just north of town making it a great place to spend a morning casting dry flies to large rising trout. When the action dies down later in the day the Madison river is close enough for an afternoon float. Other blue ribbon trout streams like the Ruby river, Gallatin river and Jefferson river are less than an hour from Ennis. There are eight blue ribbon trout streams less than two hours from Ennis. The Yellowstone river is 78 miles from Ennis, which puts it a little over an hour away. Likewise, the "Land of the Giants" section of the Missouri river is less than two hours away, making it a long day trip from Ennis but still an option for those who want to mix in a day of targeting the largest trout in Montana.
Montana Fising Licences in Ennis:
Before fishing you will have to pick up a Montana fishing license. Ennis has 3 fly shop and a sporting goods store that can all sell you a license and just about any other fishing equipment that you might need. I recommend stoping into the Madison River Fishing Company or Montana Trout Stalkers. If want to take care of purchasing a license in advance, you can do it online from Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks.
ENNIS Montana LODGING:
Ennis is a popular Montana vacation destination in the summer. Its proximity to the world renowned Madison river makes it a destination for fly fishermen. The breath taking plains of the Madison valley and towering Madison range peaks draw many people from nearby Yellowstone National Park through Ennis as they travel across Montana. Consequently Ennis has more than a few lodging options. There are plenty of hotels in town. If you have a few people in your group or will be staying for a few days there are lots of great vacation rentals in Ennis and throughout the Madison valley. An Ennis rental can give you more privacy, space and often a great view. There are also several full service fishing lodge options available in our area. The full service fishing lodge options are great for those who want the simplicity and convenience of lodging, dining and fishing in one location at a package rate. We are always happy to help you find the perfect lodging for your Montana fly fishing trip so please contact us for advice!
Dining in Ennis:
For such a small town Ennis has a relatively good range of pre and post-fishing dining options. For breakfast, a small diner called Yesterdays Soda Fountain in the Ennis Pharmacy is a local favorite that offers well prepared classic breakfast and lunch dishes. From eggs and bacon to chicken fried steak, the pharmacy is always a good choice.
For dinner Ennis has options that range from Montana beef and bison burgers to fine dining and some places in the middle. For classic bar food the local "saloon" called the Gravel Bar is the place to go and get a beer after fishing with other anglers and grab a Montana raised beef burger and fries. Want pizza? The Alley Bistro makes a pretty good one in addition to burgers and other items. For fine dining, Ennis has two restaurants that produce quality dinner fare. The Mcallister Inn is a great place to have a quality dinner and a nice bottle of wine. Likewise, Banditos is a small restaurant adjacent to the Gravel Bar that has some of the highest quality food in Ennis and is a summer favorite of the locals. For fine dining near Ennis, the historic ghost town Virginia city has the Wells Fargo Steak House. The Wells Fargo frequently offers live music as well. The nearby Virginia City Creamery is a good spot to pre-game with some some ice-cream crafted from a historic white-house cook book recipe. About 45 minutes up the Madison valley from Ennis is a restaurant called the Grizzly that has great burgers and stakes and is a good stop on the way back from wading the upper Madison or well worth the drive. There are lots of good options but having Chef Melissa and Seasonal Montana create the best dining experience in Montana in a private atmosphere is unbeatable.
Want to unwind after dinner? Ennis has five bars to stumble between after a day on the river.
Ennis Activities:
If you can't fish everyday or just want to get a taste of the Montana experience, Ennis has plenty of other summer attractions nearby. The most popular is Yellowstone National Park. From Ennis the western entrance to the park is about 70 miles and one hour away making it an easy day trip between days of fishing. Yellowstone is one of the best national parks to see wildlife and has geological features that do not exist anywhere else in the world. 20 minutes south of Ennis is Norris Hot Springs, a nice place to relax for an evening and even see some pool side live music. Virginia City is small ghost town a short 15 minutes from Ennis. Virginia City is a 150 year old mining town that was created during the gold rush. This town had a population of 10,000 during the gold rush and produced 30 million dollars worth of gold between 1863 and 1866. Many of the buildings in Virginia City are the same as they were back then and the town has done an amazing job of preserving and displaying the local history. If you want to grab a drink, the Pioneer Bar is a good place to throw back a few. For more western history Ennis boarders a list of interesting locations on the Lewis and Clark trail. Notable points are Beaverhead rock and the Lewis and Clark caverns state park in the scenic Jefferson Canyon.
In addition to fly fishing, the Ennis area has plenty of other outdoor activities to take you into the mountains and onto the water. Ennis has several guides who can take you up into the hills on horse back. There are lots of nearby trails to hike or ride into mountain lakes, the Lee Metcalf Wilderness or the Bear Trap Canyon Wilderness. The Bear Trap Wilderness is just ten minutes north of Ennis and has amazing scenery and some real whitewater. Taking a white water rafting trip through the wilderness is an adrenaline filled way to spend a day…the biggest rapid is called the "kitchen sink." For a more relaxing day on the water, you can rent a standup paddle board in Ennis and drive up to the gin clear mountain waters of Cliff and Wade lakes. Another Lake to check out is Earthquake lake. "Quake lake" is about 45 minutes south of Ennis. The lake was created in 1959 when an earth quake rattled the Madison mountain range and sent a massive land slide across the river. The slide damed the river, buried 28 people and created the lake that is 190 feet deep. The flooded timber still stands above the water line and big horn sheep are a common sight around the lake.
Summer Events in Ennis:
Ennis has frequent summer events. The source for information on upcoming events in the Ennis area is the Ennis Chamber of Commerce. Three of the most notable Ennis events are the fourth of July rodeo and parade and the Ennis fly fishing festival. The fourth of July is a great weekend to be in Ennis. The Ennis rodeo and parade are fun events. The Moods of the Madison is a newer event but has been a blast…great music after a day of fishing. The Madison river fishing festival is a fall event and has tons of activities and booths to check out after fishing.
