The 2017 Madison river and southwest Montana snowpack continues to build. The Yellowstone, Jefferson and Madison drainages all have snowpack levels that are pretty close to average or above average.  The snow pack in the Yellowstone river drainage is looking especially good at 126% of average.  This is good news for a river that suffered a serious mountain white fish kill and a full river closure in 2016, which was largely the result of abnormally low and hot water conditions in late summer.  

So far conditions are looking good for the 2017 fishing season.  The percentages listed on the map are the year to date percent of average snowpack.  Right now the Madison river drainage snowpack is right at average (100%).  If it gets hot and dry, this could decline and if it stays cool and we see more precipitation, it could increase.  So far it looks like we are on the right track.

The 2017 Madison River fishing season starts with snow.  The snow that we get or don't get in the next few months will determine what my Madison River fishing reports say for the rest of the summer.  The snowpack will impact where we float, what flies we are using, how many boats we see on the Madison River and the timing and duration of our hatches.  Yep...its kind of important.  A big snow year can push hatches back by weeks and make August fish like July and July fish like June.  A light snow year or hot spring can crowd the river and make August a  tough month to fish the Madison. We tend to have some of the most consistently floatable and fishable water conditions of just about any river in the area but when other rivers suffer we also see more people coming over from the surrounding areas.  Lets hope for lots of snow!

So far we are doing fine.  Snowpack is hovering around average, despite the impressively cold temperatures this winter.  The amount of water that we see in the Madison will be determined by a combination of snowpack, Hebgan lake levels and spring rain and air temperatures.  The snowpack looks pretty good so far and Hebgan is currently 80.5% full.  Keeping in mind that the lake level must drop in the winter to make room for spring runoff, it looks like we are in pretty good shape.  A lot can happen in the next few months.  I am hoping for as much snow as we can get.  The more the better.