Madison River below Ennis Lake, near McAllister, MT
Southwest Montana (Madison & Gallatin) · USGS gauge 06041000 · Updated Oct 24, 2:37 PM PDT · USGS data, provisional
All 3 Madison River gauges in Montana
Reading time: Oct 24, 2:00 PM PDT · Provisional data
Flow is in a typical range for the date. Rivers are generally easiest to fish and float when they are near their normal flow, but this status says nothing about water clarity, hatches, hazards such as wood in the river, or dam releases.
- Vs. normal for this date
- 28th percentile
- Typical range (25th–75th)
- 1,370–2,310 cfs
- Median for this date
- 1,660 cfs
- 7-day low / high
- 1,200 / 1,420 cfs
Plain-language explanation
Madison River below Ennis Lake, near McAllister is flowing at 1,410 cubic feet per second (cfs) as of Oct 24, 2:00 PM PDT. That is in the normal range for this time of year: lower than about 72% of the daily flows this gauge has recorded for this date (give or take 7 days) over 84 years of record (1938–2026).
The middle half of those historical flows runs from 1,370 to 2,310 cfs, with a median of 1,660 cfs; the lowest 10% of days are at or below 1,190 cfs and the highest 10% at or above 2,740 cfs.
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (+6.8%). In the last 7 days it ranged from 1,200 to 1,420 cfs.
Regulated flow: upstream dams or diversions influence this gauge, so the “normal range” above reflects managed flows and can differ from natural river behavior.
Why this status: Flow is within the range this gauge normally sees at this time of year (or the deviation is too small in absolute terms to matter).
Quick answers
Is the Madison River below Ennis Lake, near McAllister fishable today?
Flowcast's status for the Madison River below Ennis Lake, near McAllister is “Fishable/Floatable”: flow is 1,410 cfs, within the range this gauge normally sees at this time of year, at the 28th percentile for this date (as of Oct 24, 2:00 PM PDT). That describes flow only. It says nothing about water clarity, temperature, fish activity, access or fishing regulations.
What is the current flow of the Madison River below Ennis Lake, near McAllister?
1,410 cubic feet per second at USGS gauge 06041000 as of Oct 24, 2:00 PM PDT, provisional data.
Is the Madison River below Ennis Lake, near McAllister too high or too low right now?
Neither: it is inside the typical range for the date (1,370 to 2,310 cfs).
Is the Madison River below Ennis Lake, near McAllister rising or falling?
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (+6.8%).
What is a normal flow for the Madison River below Ennis Lake, near McAllister in October?
For this date (give or take 7 days) the median is 1,660 cfs and the middle half of days runs 1,370 to 2,310 cfs, over 84 years of USGS record.
7-day trend
Hourly flow in cfs, Pacific time. The shaded band is the typical range (25th–75th percentile) for this date, shown when it falls within the chart.
| Day (Pacific) | Mean cfs | Percentile | Status that day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Oct 18 | 1,234 | 13th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Mon Oct 19 | 1,208 | 11th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Tue Oct 20 | 1,209 | 11th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Wed Oct 21 | 1,209 | 11th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Thu Oct 22 | 1,210 | 11th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Fri Oct 23 | 1,272 | 17th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Sat Oct 24 (so far) | 1,367 | 24th | Fishable/Floatable |
Seasonal context
Shaded band: 10th–90th percentile of daily flows through the year; dashed line: median. Log scale. Dot: today's flow. Based on 84 years of USGS daily data (1938–2026).
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Official resources
- USGS site page for gauge 06041000 (USGS: live readings, history, station details)
- Montana fishing regulations (FWP)
- Montana aquatic invasive species (FWP)
- Montana fishing access sites (FWP)
Links go to the agencies' own websites and were checked as working. Flowcast does not summarize fishing or boating rules: regulations and closures change, and the agency pages are the authority.
About this gauge
- USGS site
- USGS-06041000
- USGS name
- Madison River Bl Ennis Lake Nr Mcallister Mt
- Drainage area
- 2,213 sq mi
- Location
- 45.4902, -111.6345
- Record in this analysis
- 1938–2026
Nearby gauges
- Gallatin River near Gallatin Gateway, MT Fishable/Floatable 419 cfs · about 18 mi away (straight line)
- Madison River near Cameron, MT Fishable/Floatable 994 cfs · about 19 mi away (straight line)
- Gallatin River at Logan, MT Fishable/Floatable 756 cfs · about 29 mi away (straight line)
- Beaverhead River near Twin Bridges, MT Fishable/Floatable 290 cfs · about 40 mi away (straight line)
- Missouri River at Toston, MT Fishable/Floatable 3,720 cfs · about 47 mi away (straight line)
- Yellowstone River at Corwin Springs, MT Fishable/Floatable 1,250 cfs · about 49 mi away (straight line)
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