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Kootenai River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Montana’s big blue-ribbon tailwater: the Kootenai runs rainbows below Libby Dam in a canyon of its own.

3/5

Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Flow

6,760 cfs

Air / High

64 / 66 F

Wind

SW 4 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 12301933, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view

Friday

4

September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Kootenai River feels the season turning: shorter days, grouping fish. The river is running 6,760 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings a mixed sky, wind SW around 4 mph, rising pressure near 1015 hPa and a high of 66. Water sits around 54 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutGood

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutGood

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Warmer at 73 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Kootenai River below Libby Dam.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 12301933.

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp64 F

High / Low66 / 48 F

WindSW 4-9 mph

Pressure1014.9 hPa, rising

Sky / Rain36% cloud, 39%

Sunrise / Sunset07:03 / 20:16

MoonLast Quarter, 50%

Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 66/48 F, wind 6 mph, rain 39%

Fair or better. Calm and stable: plan around the solunar majors at dawn and dusk.

Species guide

The species that matter on Kootenai River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Kootenai River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J

F

M

A

M

J

J

A

S

O

N

D

Rainbow trout

Brown trout

SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Kootenai River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data

Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 66 F, wind to 8 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 71 F, wind to 7 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 88 F, wind to 9 mph.

Before you go

License

Montana requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Montana license. Trout limits per current FWP regulations; bull trout are protected and must be released.

Access

Access at Libby Dam, the town of Libby, Kootenai Falls and downstream points; guided floats available.

About this water

A large tailwater below Libby Dam in northwestern Montana, Lincoln County, flowing north into British Columbia.

Fishing Kootenai River: the full guide

A river of surprising size

The Kootenai River flows out of Canada through northwestern Montana and back north into British Columbia, and the reach below Libby Dam is one of the West’s more distinctive tailwaters: big water, cold releases and rainbow trout in numbers, with bull trout (protected) and westslope cutthroat sharing it. Kootenai Falls, one of the largest undammed falls in Montana, drops midway through.

Rainbows on big water

The river is wide and powerful, fished mostly from drift boats though wade access exists at several points. Nymphing with caddis and mayfly patterns produces year-round, with dry-fly windows during hatches and a strong streamer game. Fish average solid with genuine large rainbows present, grown on the stable tailwater conditions.

Flows and the dam

Libby Dam releases govern everything, and the river can change from wadeable to unfishable within hours: check the release schedule before every trip. The dam also affects temperature and clarity. Below the falls, the river continues toward Idaho with different character and less fishing pressure.

Lincoln County logistics

Access at the dam, Libby, Kootenai Falls and downstream points serves waders and boaters, with outfitters in Libby providing guided floats. Libby is the base town. The canyon setting and the falls make it worth the drive even on a slow fishing day, and pressure is light compared with Montana’s famous rivers.

Common questions

How big is the river?

Large and powerful: mostly float water, though wade access exists at several points below the dam.

Do releases matter?

Enormously: the river can go from wadeable to unfishable in hours. Check the Libby Dam schedule first.

Is it crowded?

Far less than Montana’s famous rivers: the northwest corner sees a fraction of the traffic.

Is fishing good at Kootenai River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Noxon Rapids Reservoir38 mi Flathead River52 mi Lake Pend Oreille55 mi Flathead Lake66 mi Priest Lake72 mi Saint Joe River89 mi

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