Madison River below Ennis Lake near McAllister
River flow & level · USGS gauge 06041000 · Montana · drains 2,213 sq mi
Latest reading Oct 26, 4:00 PM · streamflow
The Madison River at Ennis Lake near McAllister is running 1,250 cfs, 75% of the median flow for October 26 (1,660 cfs, 83 years). Gage height is 3.70 ft. Flow is down 5% from 24 hours ago.
Streamflow
cubic feet per secondReadingNormal range for the date (25th–75th pct.)Median for the date
Gage height & flood stages
ft above gauge datumReading
Madison River below Ennis Lake near McAllister fishing report & conditions
updated Oct 26, 6:49 PM ETWater 46°F, flow 75% of normal, flow steady, light S wind — good fall fishing day (7/10), best window 8:18 AM–9:18 AM (moonset near sunrise).
- Water temp46°Fmeasured Oct 26, 4:00 PM · this gauge
- Air temphigh 50°F / low 31°FSunny
- WindLight S6–10 mph 6 AM–6 PM, gusts to 22
- Flow75% of normalFlow steady (-5% in 24 h)
Official Montana fishing info: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks — Fishing info
Best fishing times today
Today is a good fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
7/10
Full moon · 99% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 7:58 AM · Sunset 6:22 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead12:10 AM–2:10 AM
- Moon underfoot12:38 PM–2:38 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset8:18 AM–9:18 AMSunrise
- Moonrise5:48 PM–6:48 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 26 | 7/10Good | Major 12:10 AM–2:10 AM · 12:38 PM–2:38 PM Minor 8:18 AM–9:18 AM · 5:48 PM–6:48 PM Light wind 6–10 mph |
|---|---|---|
| TueOct 27 | 4/10Fair | Major 1:07 AM–3:07 AM · 1:37 PM–3:37 PM Minor 9:41 AM–10:41 AM · 6:25 PM–7:25 PM Moderate wind 12–22 mph |
| WedOct 28 | 3/10Poor | Major 2:08 AM–4:08 AM · 2:40 PM–4:40 PM Minor 11:02 AM–12:02 PM · 7:14 PM–8:14 PM Moderate wind 10–22 mph |
| ThuOct 29 | 5/10Fair | Major 3:12 AM–5:12 AM · 3:44 PM–5:44 PM Minor 12:12 PM–1:12 PM · 8:17 PM–9:17 PM Light wind 1–6 mph |
| FriOct 30 | 3/10Poor | Major 4:16 AM–6:16 AM · 4:48 PM–6:48 PM Minor 1:09 PM–2:09 PM · 9:31 PM–10:31 PM Calm wind 0–2 mph |
| SatOct 31 | 4/10Fair | Major 5:18 AM–7:18 AM · 5:47 PM–7:47 PM Minor 1:52 PM–2:52 PM · 10:51 PM–11:51 PM Calm wind 0–2 mph |
| SunNov 1 | 4/10Fair | Major 5:15 AM–7:15 AM · 5:42 PM–7:42 PM Minor 1:24 PM–2:24 PM · 11:10 PM–12:10 AM Calm wind 2–4 mph |
How this rating works
Solunar theory says fish feed more when the moon is overhead or underfoot (major periods, about 2 hours) and around moonrise and moonset (minor periods, about 1 hour). On a lake or river there is no tide, so instead of tide changes we score the local conditions anglers watch: the barometric pressure trend, the wind, whether the river is steady, and the water temperature where it is measured.
| Base | every day starts at 1 | 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise / sunset | a period overlaps sunrise or sunset ±1 h: major +2, minor +1 (max 3) (Moonset × sunrise +1; Moonrise × sunset +1) | 2 |
| Moon phase | within 2 days of a new or full moon +2, within 4 days +1 (today: 0.5 days) | 2 |
| Local conditions | pressure 6 AM→6 PM: falling +2, steady or slowly rising +1, rising fast 0 · daytime wind 4–15 mph +1, over 20 mph (or gusts over 30) −1 · flow within ±15% in 24 h +1, rising over 25% −1 · water 55–75°F +1, below 45°F or above 85°F −1 (0 to 4 in total)
| 2 |
| Today | 7, rounded | 7/10 |
1–3 poor · 4–5 fair · 6–7 good · 8–10 excellent. Pressure and wind are the NOAA National Weather Service hourly forecast for this spot; the level/flow trend is the latest 24 hours of readings on this page; water temperature measured at this gauge. Days 2–7 score sun, moon, forecast pressure and forecast wind only (level and water temperature aren’t forecast). Solunar times are a rule of thumb, not a guarantee.
Solunar periods calculated for 45.49, -111.63 (moon times from astronomical equations, Madison River below Ennis Lake near McAllister local time).
Weather & wind at Madison River below Ennis Lake near McAllister
air temperature, not water3-day forecast
- This Afternoon50° / 31°SunnyWind S 9 mphRain 93%
- Tuesday44° / 28°Mostly SunnyWind SSW 12 to 22 mphRain 14%
- Wednesday45° / 26°SunnyWind SSW 10 to 22 mphRain 1%
NOAA National Weather Service forecast for 45.490, -111.635 (grid TFX), issued Oct 26, 4:11 PM local time. High / low are air temperatures; water temperature is in the fishing section above. The “Air temp & weather” tile at the top refreshes live.
October 26 in history
83 years of flow records- Today1,250 cfs
- Same date last year1,150 cfs2025
- Median1,660 cfs
- Normal range1,400 cfs – 2,290 cfs25th–75th percentile
- Highest since 19393,920 cfs1960
- Lowest since 1939710 cfs1942
Last 10 days
| Date | Mean flow (cfs) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Oct 26 (today) | 1,249 | -7% |
| Sun Oct 25 | 1,340 | -4% |
| Sat Oct 24 | 1,390 | +9% |
| Fri Oct 23 | 1,270 | +5% |
| Thu Oct 22 | 1,210 | +0% |
| Wed Oct 21 | 1,210 | +0% |
| Tue Oct 20 | 1,210 | +0% |
| Mon Oct 19 | 1,210 | -2% |
| Sun Oct 18 | 1,230 | -5% |
| Sat Oct 17 | 1,290 | +0% |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
About this data
- Gauge
- USGS 06041000 — Madison River bl Ennis Lake nr McAllister MT
- Location
- 45.4902, -111.6345 · Montana
- Drainage area
- 2,213 sq mi
- Measures
- Streamflow (discharge), cubic feet per second
- Daily statistics
- 1939–2026 (approved daily values)
- Latest reading
- Oct 26, 4:00 PM local time (provisional)
- Page built
- Oct 26, 2026 6:49 PM ET
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Water Data for the Nation (USGS monitoring location page). Readings every 15–60 minutes; the newest values are provisional. Percentiles compare today’s reading with every past year’s daily mean for the same calendar date. Weather: NOAA National Weather Service.