Kootenai River Montana Fishing Report & Options for Selecting Flies: Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
We have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes that make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Freestone/Tailwater
Species
Brown Trout
Rainbow Trout
Size
Large
Location
Northwestern Montana
Nearest Towns
Libby
Season
3rd Sat. May – Nov 30th
Access:
Access is great in most sections. The
lower section from Libby to Idaho has
private property areas.
Non-Resident License
State of Montana
Weather
National Weather Service Link
USGS Flows:
Below Libby Dam
Seasons:
Fly fishing the Kootenai River can be good any day of the season.
Spring:
Springtime is a good time for fly fishing the Kootenai River. The tailwater section is usually clear even during runoff.
Summer:
Summertime is the most popular time to fish the river.
Fall:
Fall is a good time to fish the tailwater section of the Kootenai River.
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
4, 5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 to 12 ft., 5 or 6X Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Supreme Four, Superb Five
or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 4/5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Copyright 2016 James Marsh
Fly Fishing The Kootenai River Montana
The Kootenai River is the Kootenay River in Canada. It is historically called the Flatbow River. It’s a major river in southeastern British Columbia and northwestern Montana. It’s a major tributary of the Columbia River.
The Kootenai River runs for about 485 miles from its origin in the Kootenay Ranges of the Canadian Rockies. It enters northwestern Montana and the northernmost part of the Idaho Panhandle and returns into Canada. It’s a glacier stream that flows through a rugged
landscape of mountains and valleys.
Fly fishing the Kootenai River is a real experience. It’s a big, fast river that can be dangerous to fish from a drift boat at times. Drifting the river is a boat is the best way
to fish it. It can only be waded when the water is low.
There’s yet another problem. A prime section of the Kootenai River is a tailwater and you have to watch the flow, especially if you wade it. Water from Libby Dam can change the flow in a heart beat. The Kootenai River holds the state of Montana’s rainbow trout record as well as its whitefish record. Both fish were caught below Libby Dam.
Fly fishing the Kootenai River can be difficult. It is usually running high and fast during the Summer. The tailwater section of the Kootenai River is seventeen miles long. The tailwater is wide and usually has fast flowing water. There are some braided areas along with runs and deep pools. Access to the tailwater section is great. There are several boat ramps. Highway #37 follows along the Kootenai River much of its length above Libby.
From Libby to the Idaho state line, the Kootenai River runs for about thirty miles. The best fishing in this area is above Kootenai Falls. This section of the Kootenai River has more riffles and pocket water than the section below the dam. Access is difficult on this section of the Kootenai River. It flows through private property. The Kootenai Falls area has some good access points. The Yaak River, a tributary stream, joins in on the flow at Libby. Fishing below Kootenai Falls is also possible but it’s not quite as good as the above two sections.
The Kootenai has lots of different aquatic insects and they vary from the freestone sections to the tailwater. The most plentiful mayflies are the Blue-winged olives
and Pale Morning duns but there are many more. The tailwaters have tricos. Caddisflies consist mostly of Spotted Sedges, Little Shorthorned sedges and October Caddis but again, there are others.
Sculpin are plentiful throughout the river in both sections and so are midges. Midges are very important in the tailwater.