Madison Valley Ranch

So I have been to a dozen different fishing lodges over the last 30 years. Madison Valley Ranch is by far the nicest most complete fishing experience I have enjoyed. I spent 6 nights with 5 days fishing, four of which were with Branden the guide. Getting there is a simple hour drive southwest of Bozeman, right near the banks of the Madison River just outside Ennis Montana. The room accommodations are spacious, clean and inviting with plenty of room to spread out and get comfortable. Mine had two queen beds, a sink and a small fridge with a great deck to watch the evening sun go down. The meals were tasty and plentiful. Fresh fruit and veggies for every meal along with meat and or fowl. (first time I've had stuffed quail) The lodge staff treated me like family and were very helpful. I struggle with Parkinsons, and they did everything they could to make my stay safe and enjoyable. The fishing guide they hooked me up with was a veteran guide, and knew every foot of the river. Some days I actually caught at least one of all five species of fish in the river. Coming from the Pacific Northwest, I can say I know good fishing and Madison Valley Ranch is an A+. I have already made my reservation for next year.

I returned recently from my 5th trip to the Madison Valley Ranch. I love going there each year to experience the very finest fly fishing for trout with world class guides that know each hole, eddy, riffle and drop off in the Madison. Not only do I get to enjoy the magnificent natural beauty of the river and the Madison Mountain Range, but I get to experience the unmatched hospitality of the Madison Valley Ranch staff. Manu and her staff exemplify the professional, yet personal, warmth of the entire staff. Matt is the executive chef who spoils guests each day with a four-course gourmet meal unmatched by any four-star restaurant. One cannot expect a more spectacular backdrop to a fly-fishing adventure in a top-notch lodge. I cannot overstate the joy I feel each year that I visit, experience the Madison Valley Ranch, and fish the Madison River.

Incredible! It was a great time.! They took care of everything and made us feel at home. The fishing experience with our guide Brandon was awesome. Brandon was well experienced and put us on fish within first 10 mins of fishing. Great guy for sure. |The lodge was first class and the food was amazing.|The staff were awesome and everyone made us feel so comfortable. Bobby and Amy were terrific. They were so helpful and phenomenal hosts. They made our trip truly a wonderful experience!!! |We can not wait until next year!!!!

I wanted a nice place for a father-daughter fly fishing experience. MVR delivered. The staff are all welcoming, friendly and super helpful. Great rooms. Exceptional food. Great guide. All gear provided. We were new to fly fishing but definitely hooked after our stay at MVR!

Exceeded our expectations, beautiful lodge, amazing people, and a great guide service partnered up with food, excellent, probably best place. For beginners and fly fishing to the most avid fly fisher

A terrific facility and a very warm, welcoming and service oriented staff. Good was terrific and the views and access to Madison River cannot be beaten. Our guide was also fabulous…. A memorable experience all around!

Update 9/4/25: My second stay was even better than the first experience. The lodge has so much to offer and building on the relationships with the team and guides made the experience feel like I was staying at a friend’s place. Incredible fishing, first class accommodations. I caught my first fish 18 minutes after being on the property. Our experience exceeded expectations. The location is incredible and easy to get to, the staff (Manu, Zach, and Parker) made us feel welcome and taken care of at every turn, the guides (Hannah and Brandon) were exceptional and had us on the fish all day, and the lodge, food, and drinks were first class. We caught so many beautiful fish and had a relaxing time doing so.

Our family of 30 (25 adults and five kids) needed lodging on rather short notice, as we gathered together in mid-March from across the country for two nights for our family matriarch's graveside service at a nearby cemetery. There aren't many options in the area that can accommodate that size of a group, and none of us live anywhere nearby. We are so thankful we found Madison Valley Ranch and that they had just enough room for our whole group, as it was their off-season. The manager, Manu, and the whole team were so helpful, gracious, and kind as we pulled the whole thing together in about ten days, including all meals. With all the details of bringing together our tribe, I was so grateful that their Chef Matt took our basic ideas and just ran with it; he came up with creative comfort food meals that were really special. We arrived late on Saturday after a full day, with the funeral in the morning and then driving about 6 hours to the graveside. The Channels Lodge's spacious kitchen and living area worked so well for all of us to comfortably gather, put our feet up and decompress, and enjoy a lovely charcuterie/veggie/fruit tray prepared by the MVR team. After the graveside service, we came back to Madison Valley Ranch for a larger gathering with about 45 of us; their dining room worked so well as family stayed and visited, shared stories, and reconnected. The staff learned our names, remembered who had what food sensitivities, shared helpful information and made us all feel so very welcome. The Madison Valley Team is an example of hospitality at its finest. Many great memories were shared and new, very special ones, were made. We are so thankful, and look forward to returning when we can just relax and enjoy some fly fishing in the area.