48 miles
Montana · tailwater
48 miles
Intermediate · Wade / boat
August on the hatch chart — names and sizes, not a catch report.
Filled months are when that insect is on the chart. Best months for this river are lit.
| Insect | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midge (Chironomidae) | ||||||||||||
| Blue-winged Olive (Baetis) | ||||||||||||
| Pale Morning Dun (Ephemerella) | ||||||||||||
| Caddis (Trichoptera) | ||||||||||||
| Terrestrials | ||||||||||||
| October Caddis (Dicosmoecus) |
Hatch-chart nymphs, dries, and streamers for this river. Not a crowdsourced catch report.
Open the Kootenai River (below Libby Dam) fly list →2 listed points. Map is Vellum land and Teal water — a desk chart, not a satellite.
USACE Libby Dam project. Public downstream recreation and river access at the dam. Live USGS 12301933 Kootenai River bl Libby Dam nr Libby MT is at 48.40066389, -115.3187194. This is the start of the tailwater fishery.
Montana FWP WMA with about three miles of Kootenai River frontage downstream of Libby. FWP: 48.44793, -115.67621. About eight miles downstream from Libby via Highway 37 and Kootenai River Road.
Western Fishing District. Montana fishing license required. Kootenai River, Libby Dam to the Idaho border: closed to angling for bull trout; release promptly. Brown trout: no limit; all brown trout caught between Libby Dam and Kootenai Falls must be killed immediately, kept, and the entire fish presented to FWP; report brown trout caught upstream of Kootenai Falls to FWP within 24 hours (406-752-5501) and present the whole fish to an FWP office within 10 days. Libby Dam to Highway 37 Bridge near the Fisher River: open June 1 through February 28; rainbow trout 1 daily and in possession, 28-inch minimum; single-pointed hooks only. Highway 37 Bridge near the Fisher River to the Idaho border: open entire year; rainbow trout 4 daily and in possession, including 3 under 13 inches and only 1 over 18 inches; closed to angling June 1 through September 30 within 150 yards upstream and downstream of the Quartz Creek mouth unless posted farther. Kootenai Falls to 0.8 miles downstream of Swinging Bridge: snagging open for kokanee September 15 through November 30. Verify the current FWP booklet.
This page is the Montana Kootenai tailwater from Libby Dam to the Idaho border, about 48 Class I miles. It is not Lake Koocanusa and it is not the Canadian Kootenay. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates Libby Dam. Cold, clear releases grow large rainbow trout in the first miles below the dam.
The dam-to-Highway 37 Bridge reach (near the Fisher River) is the tightest regulation water: one rainbow, 28-inch minimum, single-pointed hooks, open June 1 through February 28. From Highway 37 to the Idaho line the river is open all year with a different rainbow slot limit.
Bull trout must be released. Brown trout between Libby Dam and Kootenai Falls are under a kill-and-present order. Live USGS gauge 12301933 sits on the Kootenai below Libby Dam. 12302055 is the Fisher River, not this tailwater. 12305000 is at Leonia, Idaho.
Named public access includes the USACE recreation area at the dam (USGS 12301933) and Kootenai Falls Wildlife Management Area. Confirm the current FWP Western District exceptions and any USACE site rules before you launch.
Tailwater
Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout
Freestone
Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout · Brook Trout
Tailwater
Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout
Freestone
Cutthroat Trout · Rainbow Trout · Brown Trout
Freestone
Rainbow Trout · Brown Trout · Westslope Cutthroat Trout
Freestone
Rainbow Trout · Brown Trout · Cutthroat Trout
If something here is thin or wrong, add what you know. It goes to review before it publishes.
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