Fishing Season: Year Round (Prime: June 1 - October 31)

Kootenai River - MT

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

Water Temp:

57

Linehan Outfitting's Tip of the Week

Big bugs and droppers are still in play. If they're not looking up, fish a nymph two and half to three feet below the dry.

Directions open in app

Map of Kootenai River

Water Flow Data

Orvis-Endorsed guides nearby

Linehan Outfitting Company

5-Day Outlook as of 9/15/25

Expect showers and daytime temps in the 60s through Tuesday. Then the sky will blow open again and partly sunny conditions will return with daytime temps in the e70s-80s. We are experiencing a bit of haze from fires in ID and WA.

Techniques & Tips as of 9/15/25

Dry fly or die. Dry/dropper is super solid throughout entire day.

Local Species Available Year Round (Prime: June 1 - October 31)

  • Fish Icon

    rainbow

  • Fish Icon

    westlope cutthroat

  • Fish Icon

    bull trout

  • Fish Icon

    mountain whitefish

Linehan Outfitting's Recommended Fly Patterns

"Must-have" fly fishing patterns in descending order of importance:

Name: Colors: Size(s):
Skilton Quick Sight Ant black 16
Schroeder's Hi-Vis Hopper tan 12
Sparkle Dun pmd 14
Royal Wulff standard 14
chubbies purple 12
pats rubber legged black 18
TH Duracell Jig standard 14,16,18
Tunghead Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail standard 16
big bunny streamers white, red, black 6
white circus peanut white 6

Skilton Quick Sight Ant

Image Not Found

Item #0128

Buy Now

Linehan Outfitting's Recommended Gear

Description: About Kootenai River

Linehan Outfitting Company and the Kootenai River are located in the far Northwest corner of Montana. The Kootenai River runs through the towns of Libby and Troy before heading into Idaho where it turns north and flows back into Canada. This is not typical big sky country. Instead this is a place where the Pacific rainforest ecosystem crashes into the spine of the northern Rockies. It's a place still off the beaten path and a place where you can stand in a riffle at dark and have the whole place to yourself. The Kootenai is a big tailwater fishery and below Libby Dam we have about thirty miles of fishable water. Rainbows averaging 12"-16" on dry flies are pretty much the name of the game here throughout the season as well as the possibility of a huge bull trout if you feel like throwing bugs bunny all day. The Kootenai is big and broad and most efficiently fished from a drift boat in classic float/wade style and access to mid-stream islands and riffles provides easy wading in prime locations.

Nearest Airport:

Missoula, MT, Kalispell, MT, or Spokane, WA

Hatches:

pmds, caddis, nocturnal stoneflies, ants, hoppers

Best Time to Fish:

During daylight hours

Best Stretch:

The entire river is good shape and all stretches are fishing well.

Best Access:

All access points and launches are in great shape.