Madison River
CountryUnited States
StateWyoming and Montana
Length183 mi (295 km)
Discharge1 locationnear Three Forks
Discharge1 avg1,647 cu ft/s (46.6 m3/s)[1]
Source 1Madison Junction
Source1 locationYellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Source1 coordinates44°38′32″N 110°51′56″W[2]
MouthMissouri River
Mouth locationThree Forks, Montana
Mouth coordinates45°55′39″N 111°30′29″W[2]
Tributaries leftFirehole River
Tributaries rightGibbon River

The Madison River is a headwater tributary of the Missouri River, approximately 183 miles (295 km) long, in Wyoming and Montana. Its confluence with the Jefferson and Gallatin rivers near Three Forks, Montana forms the Missouri River.

Course

The Madison River begins in Teton County, Wyoming at the confluence of the Firehole and Gibbon rivers in Yellowstone National Park, a location known as Madison Junction. It flows west out of the park and into Montana, turning north through the Rocky Mountains of southwestern Montana to join the Jefferson and Gallatin rivers at Three Forks. The Missouri River Headwaters State Park lies at this confluence.[3]

Dams and Lakes

In its upper reaches in Gallatin County, Montana, the Hebgen Dam forms Hebgen Lake. Downstream of Hebgen Dam, the 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake led to the formation of Quake Lake, a naturally dammed body of water that remains part of the river’s hydrology. In its middle course, the Madison Dam in Madison County, Montana creates Ennis Lake. These reservoirs and lakes regulate flow, support recreation, and are associated with hydroelectric power infrastructure (see Natural Resources).

History

The river was named in July 1805 by Meriwether Lewis at Three Forks. The central fork of the three, it was named for U.S. Secretary of State James Madison, who later succeeded Thomas Jefferson as President in 1809. The western fork, the largest, was named for President Jefferson and the east fork for Treasury Secretary Albert Gallatin.[citation needed]

On August 17, 1959, a massive earthquake near Hebgen Lake triggered a landslide that blocked the Madison River, forming Quake Lake. The quake, known as the 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake, measured 7.3 to 7.5 on the Richter scale and caused significant loss of life and property damage in the area.[citation needed]

Recreation

The Madison is a class I river in Montana for the purposes of access for recreational use.[4]

The Bear Trap Canyon section downstream from Ennis and Ennis Lake is known for its class IV–V whitewater, drawing experienced paddlers during seasonal flows.[5]

Ecology

The Madison River is widely regarded as one of the finest trout fisheries in the world.[6][7][8] It is classified as a blue ribbon fishery in Montana, where fly fisherman target brown trout, rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, and mountain whitefish.[9]

Grizzly bears and wolves reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park roam the river valley.[10]

Fish Species

According to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, the Madison River supports many fish species, reflecting its varied aquatic habitats and long history of fisheries management.[9] Both coldwater and warmwater species are present, including several native salmonids such as Arctic grayling, mountain whitefish, and westslope cutthroat trout. Introduced species like brown trout, rainbow trout, and brook trout are also well established and widely targeted by anglers. In addition to trout, the river sustains native suckers, minnows, and sculpin, contributing to the ecological complexity of the watershed. The following table provides an overview of representative fish species recorded in the Madison River.

Fish species found in the Madison River
Common nameScientific nameGroupWater TypeOrigin
Arctic GraylingThymallus arcticusTroutColdwaterNative[11]
Brook TroutSalvelinus fontinalisTroutColdwaterIntroduced[12]
Brown TroutSalmo truttaTroutColdwaterIntroduced[13]
Common CarpCyprinus carpioMinnowWarmwaterIntroduced[14]
Longnose DaceRhinichthys cataractaeMinnowWarmwaterNative[15]
Longnose SuckerCatostomus catostomusSuckerWarmwaterNative[16]
Mottled SculpinCottus bairdiiSculpinNative[17]
Mountain SuckerCatostomus platyrhynchusSuckerNative[18]
Mountain WhitefishProsopium williamsoniTroutColdwaterNative[19]
Rainbow TroutOncorhynchus mykissTroutColdwaterIntroduced[20]
StonecatNoturus flavusCatfishNative[21]
Utah ChubGila atrariaMinnowIntroduced[22]
Westslope Cutthroat TroutOncorhynchus lewisiTroutColdwaterNative[23]
White SuckerCatostomus commersoniiSuckerWarmwaterNative[24]
Yellowstone Cutthroat TroutOncorhynchus clarkii bouvieriTroutColdwaterNative[25]

See also

References

  1. ^ "USGS Surface Water data for Montana". USGS Surface-Water Annual Statistics. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  2. ^ , USGS GNIS
  3. ^ "Missouri Headwaters State Park on the Madison River". Montana Fish and Wildlife and Parks. Archived from the original on 2007-05-21. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  4. ^ "Stream access in Montana". Montana Fish and Wildlife and Parks. Archived from the original on 2009-03-10. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  5. ^ Fischer, Hank & Fischer, Carol (2008). Paddling Montana. Guildford, CT: The Globe Pequot Press. pp. 111–113. ISBN 978-0-7627-4352-0.
  6. ^ House, Mountain. "18 of the Most Legendary Trout Streams in America". Mountain House. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
  7. ^ Savard, Lisa (2019-12-09). "Madison River - The Upper River". Fly Fishing Waters. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
  8. ^ "Madison River". Western Rivers Conservancy. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
  9. ^ "Madison River data". Fishing guide. Montana Fish and Wildlife and Parks. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  10. ^ Vanh, Hevenn (2024-06-20). "Ranching group in Madison Valley working to reduce conflicts between grizzly bears and livestock". KBZK News. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
  11. ^ "Arctic Grayling - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  12. ^ "Brook Trout - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  13. ^ "Brown Trout - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  14. ^ "Common Carp - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  15. ^ "Longnose Dace - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  16. ^ "Longnose Sucker - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  17. ^ "Mottled Sculpin - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  18. ^ "Plains Sucker - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  19. ^ "Mountain Whitefish - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  20. ^ "Rainbow Trout - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  21. ^ "Stonecat - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  22. ^ "Utah Chub - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  23. ^ "Westslope Cutthroat Trout - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  24. ^ "White Sucker - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  25. ^ "Rocky Mountain Cutthroat Trout - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved 2025-05-12.

Sources

  • Back, Howard (1938). The Waters of the Yellowstone with Rod and Fly. New York, NY: Dodd & Mead.
  • Parks, Richard (1998). Fishing Yellowstone National Park. Helena, MT: Falcon Press. ISBN 1-56044-625-0.
  • Brooks, Charles E. (1979). The Living River: A fisherman's intimate profile of the Madison River watershed – its history, ecology, lore, and angling opportunities. Garden City, NJ: Nick Lyons Books. ISBN 0-385-15655-3.
  • Mathews, Craig & Molinero, Clayton (1997). The Yellowstone Fly-Fishing Guide: A[n] authoritative guide to the waters of Yellowstone National Park. Guilford, CT: The Lyons Press. ISBN 1-55821-545-X.
  • Brooks, Charles E. (1984). Fishing Yellowstone Waters. Clinton, NJ: New Win Publishing Inc. ISBN 0-8329-0353-1.
  • Holt, John (1996). Montana Fly-Fishing Guide. Vol. East. Guilford, CT: The Lyons Press. ISBN 1-58574-529-4.
  • Holt, John (1993). River Journal. Vol. Madison. Portland, OR: Frank Amato Publications. ISBN 1-878175-27-0.
  • Staples, Bruce & Jacklin, Bob (2021). Fly Fishing West Yellowstone: A history and guide. Guilford, CT: Stackpole Books. ISBN 9780811738255.