Madison River

Madison River
The Madison River In Bear Trap Canyon Below Ennis, Montana
Madison River watershed (Interactive map)
Location
CountryUnited States
StateWyoming and Montana
Physical characteristics
SourceMadison Junction
 • locationYellowstone National Park, Wyoming
 • coordinates44°38′32″N 110°51′56″W / 44.64222°N 110.86556°W / 44.64222; -110.86556
MouthMissouri River
 • location
Three Forks, Montana
 • coordinates
45°55′39″N 111°30′29″W / 45.92750°N 111.50806°W / 45.92750; -111.50806
Length183 mi (295 km)
Discharge 
 • locationnear Three Forks
 • average1,647 cu ft/s (46.6 m3/s)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftFirehole River
 • 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

Madison River flowing through Yellowstone National Park at dusk

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.

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

Course of the Madison River into Hebgen Lake, with Yellowstone Airport on the right

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.

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.

Ecology

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

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

Fish Species

Bison tracks along the river bank

According to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, the Madison River supports many fish species, reflecting its varied aquatic habitats and long history of fisheries management. 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 name Scientific nameGroupWater TypeOrigin
Arctic Grayling Thymallus arcticusTroutColdwaterNative
Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalisTroutColdwaterIntroduced
Brown Trout Salmo truttaTroutColdwaterIntroduced
Common Carp Cyprinus carpioMinnowWarmwaterIntroduced
Longnose Dace Rhinichthys cataractaeMinnowWarmwaterNative
Longnose Sucker Catostomus catostomusSuckerWarmwaterNative
Mottled Sculpin Cottus bairdiiSculpinNative
Mountain Sucker Catostomus platyrhynchusSuckerNative
Mountain Whitefish Prosopium williamsoniTroutColdwaterNative
Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykissTroutColdwaterIntroduced
Stonecat Noturus flavusCatfishNative
Utah Chub Gila atrariaMinnowIntroduced
Westslope Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus lewisiTroutColdwaterNative
White Sucker Catostomus commersoniiSuckerWarmwaterNative
Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieriTroutColdwaterNative

See also

References

  1. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Madison River, USGS GNIS
  2. ↑ "USGS Surface Water data for Montana". USGS Surface-Water Annual Statistics. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Missouri Headwaters State Park on the Madison River". Montana Fish and Wildlife and Parks. Archived from the original on 21 May 2007. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  4. ↑ "Stream access in Montana". Montana Fish and Wildlife and Parks. Archived from the original on 10 March 2009. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  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 June 13, 2024.
  7. ↑ Savard, Lisa (December 9, 2019). "Madison River - The Upper River". Fly Fishing Waters. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Madison River". Western Rivers Conservancy. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
  9. 1 2 "Madison River data". Fishing guide. Montana Fish and Wildlife and Parks. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  10. ↑ Vanh, Hevenn (June 20, 2024). "Ranching group in Madison Valley working to reduce conflicts between grizzly bears and livestock". KBZK News. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Arctic Grayling - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Brook Trout - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Brown Trout - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Common Carp - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Longnose Dace - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Longnose Sucker - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Mottled Sculpin - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Plains Sucker - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Mountain Whitefish - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
  20. ↑ "Rainbow Trout - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
  21. ↑ "Stonecat - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
  22. ↑ "Utah Chub - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
  23. ↑ "Westslope Cutthroat Trout - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
  24. ↑ "White Sucker - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
  25. ↑ "Rocky Mountain Cutthroat Trout - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved May 12, 2025.

Sources