| Madison River | |
|---|---|
 The Madison River InBear Trap Canyon BelowEnnis, Montana | |
 Madison River watershed (Interactive map) | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Wyoming andMontana |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Madison Junction |
| • location | Yellowstone National Park,Wyoming |
| • coordinates | 44°38′32″N110°51′56″W / 44.64222°N 110.86556°W /44.64222; -110.86556[1] |
| Mouth | Missouri River |
• location | Three Forks,Montana |
• coordinates | 45°55′39″N111°30′29″W / 45.92750°N 111.50806°W /45.92750; -111.50806[1] |
| Length | 183 mi (295 km) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | nearThree Forks |
| • average | 1,647 cu ft/s (46.6 m3/s)[2] |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Firehole River |
| • right | Gibbon River |
TheMadison River is a headwatertributary of theMissouri River, approximately 183 miles (295 km) long, inWyoming andMontana. Itsconfluence with theJefferson andGallatin rivers nearThree Forks, Montana forms the Missouri River.
The Madison rises inTeton County in northwestern Wyoming at the confluence of theFirehole andGibbon rivers, a location inYellowstone National Park calledMadison Junction. It first flows west, then north through the mountains of southwestern Montana to join the Jefferson and the Gallatin rivers at Three Forks. TheMissouri River Headwaters State Park is located on the Madison at Three Forks.[3]In its upper reaches inGallatin County, Montana, theHebgen Dam formsHebgen Lake. In its middle reaches inMadison County, Montana, the Madison Dam formsEnnis Lake and provideshydroelectric power. In 1959, the1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake formedQuake Lake just downstream from Hebgen Dam. Downstream from Ennis, the Madison flows through Bear Trap Canyon, known for itsclass IV-Vwhitewater.[4] The Bear Trap Canyon section is part of theLee Metcalf Wilderness area.
The river was named in July 1805 byMeriwether Lewis at Three Forks. The central fork of the three, it was named for U.S. Secretary of StateJames Madison, who later succeededThomas Jefferson asPresident in 1809. The western fork, the largest, was named for President Jefferson and the east fork for Treasury SecretaryAlbert Gallatin.
The Madison is a class I river in Montana for the purposes ofaccess for recreational use.[5]
The Madison River is widely regarded as one of the finest trout fisheries in the world.[6][7][8] It is classified as ablue ribbon fishery in Montana, wherefly fisherman targetbrown trout,rainbow trout,cutthroat trout, andmountain whitefish.[9]
Grizzly bears andwolves reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park roam the river valley.[10]
Yellowstone National Park - Norris and Madison | ||
|---|---|---|
Geothermal features, historic structures and other attractions in theNorris and Madison Junction areas | ||
| Norris Geyser Basin |  | |
| Gibbon Geyser Basin | ||
| Structures and history | ||
| Geography and geology | ||
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