Two weeks in Ennis, Montana…
Why we came…
To fish the Madison River.
“The Madison is Montana's river of superlatives, with a list including highest trout density, most consistent action, best dry fly fishing, and the most spectacular scenery.”
“The Madison River is frequently rated as the number one wild trout fishery in North America. This amazing river is one of the most consistent in Montana for producing trophy trout and high fish counts.”
Click the map for better detail / Madison River near Eight Mile Ford
Madison River near the McAtee Bridge
Madison River near the McAtee Bridge
Madison River near the Varney Bridge
The campground…
Riverside Motel and RV Park was ok. We chose it for it’s convenient location in town. Plus, they had nice cabins for Arleen’s Mom, Ellen, to stay.
There are 10 full hook-up sites. Five of the sites are short back-ins, and two are long back-ins wedged between two rental mobile homes. Once we got situated between the mobile homes, they blocked our view of the glorious mountains surrounding us. Wi-fi was weak and we occasionally got disconnected, but the Verizon signal was reliable data. Mature trees would block satellite in a couple of sites and there were no laundry facilities. $29 a night was reasonable, but we would have been much happier in the corner back-in site where we could see the mountains. Deer roamed the area most evenings and mornings, and we liked walking by the river and through town. Other than a little road noise during the day, it was peaceful. Unfortunately, Ellen was unable to visit, so Ennis RV Village, just 2 or 3 miles north of town, would have been a better option for us.
Wedged between two rental mobile homes. They blocked the view of surrounding mountains.
Ennis, population 840 and elevation 4,941 feet, is a quaint town with one small grocery store and 24 restaurants. Though “ranching” is listed as a primary economic resource, tourism associated with the Madison River seems most prevalent. There are three fly-fishing shops and a few additional outdoor outfitters. For a town with less than a thousand people, there are a disproportional number of restaurants and places to stay…definitely the mark of a tourist town. It’s quiet this time of year, but when the big bugs make the trout gluttonous during summer, fisher-people come in droves to experience some of the best fishing anywhere.
Fishing sculptures in Ennis, Montana
Adventures…
The Madison River is special. Not only are there tons of wild trout, but the scenery is amazing and there are also a bunch of critters. Nearly every time we went fishing, we saw a wide array of birds, deer, pronghorn, and elk. We also saw signs of porcupine and moose, but they stayed out of our sight.
We caught 15-30 fish each time we went out. Half were rainbow and brown trout, and the other half were mountain whitefish. Quite a few of the trout were 15-19 inches long and they were always strong. The biggest trout were Arleen’s 20 inch brown and my 20 inch rainbow. We also caught whitefish up to 20 inches long, but they weren’t nearly as strong as the trout.
We fished various parts of the river and were successful nearly everywhere. The sections we liked the most were just downstream of the Varney Bridge and the four channels below the Burnt Tree Hole.
I really enjoyed fishing the Madison River…the whole experience was great! It’s now one of my top three favorite trout streams: San Juan River, New Mexico, Green River below Flaming Gorge in Utah, and Madison River, Montana. I can’t wait to come back!
The Varney Bridge over the Madison River
One of our favorite spots on the Madison River downstream of the Varney Bridge
Fighting a trout
Sphinx Mountain / Brown trout
A good battle! / Brown trout
A colorful 16 inch long rainbow trout
A heavily spotted 17 inch long brown trout
Fishing a tricky spot upstream of the Ennis bridge / 18 inch long mountain whitefish
Fighting a trout downstream of the Burnt Tree Hole access
A big rainbow trout and an impressive brown trout
Our last brown trout from the Madison River on 29 April
Beautiful Wade Lake on 21 April
Wade and Cliff Lakes are roughly 45 miles south of Ennis. They are known for their clear aquamarine water and big trout.
There were no recent fishing reports so we weren’t sure what to expect. The lakes can be covered in ice into May, but we hoped to catch them partially ice-covered when the fishing can be hot.
There was zero ice! We were just a week or two past the prime time. Oh well, our hopes were still high when we saw the glass smooth, beautiful water.
Other than us, there was just one other fisherman, some eagles, geese, ducks, osprey, and loons. The bird watching was better than the fishing! It took us a couple of hours to find some trout and then they weren’t too cooperative. We hooked three or four and landed just two nice 15-17 inch rainbow trout. The haunting call of the loons was the highlight of the adventure…that always makes our day!
Loons at Wade Lake. They serenaded us with their majestic call!
Arleen’s Hike route near Sphinx Mountain / A huge grizzly bear track…yikes!
Arleen’s hike story…
My arm was a noodle and I had a sore shoulder from too much fishing, so I left Shawn at the river and headed to the hills for a hike.
As I fished, Sphinx Mountain and the Helmet summoned me each day, from their seats high atop the Madison Range. The 12 mile Bear Creek trail “snakes up between the saddle of the Helmet and the Sphinx, two of the most famous and fantastic mountains in the Madison Range. The peaks, composed of conglomerate rock, jut up and out of the surrounding forest unlike any other mountains in the wilderness.”
I had barely parked, hiked up the trail 200 yards, and stopped abruptly. I could hear Shawn’s voice in my head, “Woman, this is not good. You need to turn around now!”. It was several large grizzly bear prints! So I conversed with myself and reasoned that when the tracks were made, it had been wet mud and now it was dry. Unless I saw fresh tracks or scat, I would press on.
The trail meandered next to Bear Creek and up a steep gully hemmed by in by a spruce, Douglas, and pine forest. The trail crossed over the 10 foot wide creek a few times and had nice rocks spaced perfectly for easy steps and dry feet. As I hiked, the only sound I heard was the drumming of a distant mating grouse and the gurgle of the creek. About a half mile up the trail, it closed in with very little sunlight and the path became more ice covered than not. I hoped that as it climbed, it would open up and the ice would decrease. Sure enough about a mile and half up, the trail popped out into a nice meadow with my first glimpses of Sphinx and the Helmet, and then it switch-backed up to the pass. I turned around about half way up the switchbacks because I had to get back to the river to get “The Great White Fisherman”.
On my way back across the meadow, I noted a very large canine print in the soft mud. It was probably a wolf and chances were he had seen me, but I had only seen his prints. As I hit the gully and the icy sections again, I thought, “Lord willin’ and creek don’t rise, I won’t slip and fall”. Then I got to the creek. My crossing rocks were gone! The snow melting up high had added to the flow in the hours I had been on the trail. So I waded in, thankful that I had good water proof boots and only a mile to go. It was a wonderful hike and I vowed to come back with Shawn some day and do the whole loop.
Snow and ice on the first part of the trail / Sphinx Mountain / Still a nice trail at the turn-around point
The Helmet on the left and Sphinx Mountain on the right. The trail climbs to the saddle between the two peaks.
Arleen’s hike route on the Gold Butte trail / Snow on the trail
Another Arleen hike story…
Our last day in the Madison Valley and my arm and shoulder were worn out from fighting large trout. It was time to hike again.
I dropped Shawn off at the river and headed south to the West Fork area.
The Gold Butte trail immediately pitched up the side of the ridge offering views of the Madison Range between Ponderosa and Lodgepole pine, Douglas fir, and Aspen. At the two and half mile point, the trail flattened out and snow patches still lingered. The trail had climbed a thousand feet – a perfect workout! I always prefer to be on Mother Nature’s stair climber as opposed to a gym.
I did not spot any bear sign on this hike, only evidence of a recently deceased moose. Shawn was happy to see me safely return.
A rare peek of the mountains through the trees
Critters…
Pronghorns in the Madison Valley
Deer in the Madison Valley / This young deer was one of about 10 that roamed near campground
Elk in the Madison Valley
Momma goose and chick / Goose in an osprey nest?!? / Momma goose with three chicks
Mountain bluebirds
Ospreys
Great horned owl
A golden eagle being chased by a red-tailed hawk
Sandhill crane and geese
Sandhill crane harassing the geese with a deer onlooker
Virginia City…
“The spectacular gold deposit discovered in Alder Gulch on May 26, 1863, led to the rapid growth of the colorful and legendary gold camp town. Thousands of fortune seekers rushed to the area, and by 1864, the Virginia City area boasted 30,000 residents. Rough characters attracted by the gold rush gave Virginia City an unsavory reputation, but these were tempered by pioneers and their families who settled here and helped shape the new frontier. After the creation of the Territory of Montana, Virginia City became the territorial capital, 1865-1875, and the Madison County seat. As the gold played out, Virginia City’s population dwindled. False-fronted commercial structures, simple log cabins, and frame Victorian residences remained as testimony to transitory gold rush.”
Links with more info: 1 , 2 , 3
Click on the images for details
Here are panoramic pictures of the well-preserved historic town…
Numbers 2 and 3 on the map
5-8 on the map
10-17 on the map
40, 41, and 42 on the map
46-50 on the map
Misc…
“It was near midnight on August 17th, 1959 when an earthquake near the Madison River triggered a massive landslide. The slide moved at 100 mph and in less than 1 minute, over 80 million tons of rock crashed into the narrow canyon, blocking the Madison River and forming Earthquake Lake. This earth- changing event, known as the Hebgen Lake Earthquake, measured 7.5 on the Richter scale. At the time it was the second largest earthquake to occur in the lower 48 states in the 20th century. Twenty-eight people lost their lives in the event.”
Earthquake Lake and the landslide
Next…
We will spend five days in Billings, Montana and then three days in Hardin, Montana.
Parting shots…
The Madison Mountains about 10 miles south of Ennis, Montana
(78,100)