Upper Madison River fishing closure to be lifted Friday

A full fishing closure that was implemented in the upper Madison River will be lifted on Friday now that a gate at Hebgen Dam has been repaired and river flows are returning to normal.  

The closure was enacted on Tuesday after a malfunction at Hebgen Dam caused flows on the Madison River to drop, stranding fish on riffles and concentrating fish in deep water. Crews from NorthWestern Energy repaired the dam late Wednesday, and flows are gradually rising again throughout the upper Madison River. 

The impacts to the fishery from this period of reduced flows are still unclear.  

The fishing closure, which extended from Ennis Lake upstream to Hebgen Dam, will no longer be in effect starting Friday, Dec. 3.