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Noxon Rapids Reservoir Fishing Report

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

Montana’s bass reservoir: Noxon Rapids grows smallmouth and largemouth on the Clark Fork.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
8,380 cfs
Air / High
59 / 63 F
Wind
WSW 1 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 12389000, 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.

Noxon Rapids Reservoir sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. The river is running 8,380 cfs, steady over the week. Today brings clear skies, wind WSW around 1 mph, steady pressure near 1015 hPa and a high of 63. Water sits around 73 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

Smallmouth bassGood

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Rainbow troutGood

Prime dry-fly and hopper season. Match the hatch morning and evening; nymph the seams midday.

Largemouth bassFair

Prime chasing season. Work moving baits on points and pockets: spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and squarebills, with a stick worm behind for followers.

CrappieSlow

Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

Tomorrow: Warmer at 72 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 Clark Fork near Plains (inflow).

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 12389000.

8,2558,7109,1658,380 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp59 F
High / Low63 / 49 F
WindWSW 1-7 mph
Pressure1014.9 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain23% cloud, 55%
Sunrise / Sunset07:05 / 20:17
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~73 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 63/49 F, wind 5 mph, rain 55%

Fair or better. Cloud and a rain chance can stretch the morning bite well past breakfast: keep moving baits tied on.

Species guide

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

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: spring and fall

The headline act on most American reservoirs. Relates to cover: docks, brush, grass edges and points. Prime chasing season. Work moving baits on points and pockets: spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and squarebills, with a stick worm behind for followers.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Prime dry-fly and hopper season. Match the hatch morning and evening; nymph the seams midday.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

When to come: the Noxon Rapids Reservoir 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
Largemouth bass
Smallmouth bass
Rainbow trout
Crappie
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 73 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~73 F now

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 Noxon Rapids Reservoir today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 64 F, wind to 10 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 65 F, wind to 7 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 86 F, wind to 11 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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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. Bass and pike limits per current FWP regulations; bull trout are protected and must be released.

Access

Ramps and access points along Highway 200 near Noxon and Trout Creek.

About this water

A 7,900-acre hydropower reservoir on the lower Clark Fork River, Sanders County, Montana.

Fishing Noxon Rapids Reservoir: the full guide

Bass in trout country

Noxon Rapids Reservoir stretches about 7,900 acres along the lower Clark Fork River in northwestern Montana, and it is the state’s most unlikely fishery: a genuine bass lake in a state defined by trout. Smallmouth and largemouth bass thrive in the flooded timber and rocky shorelines, joined by northern pike, rainbow trout, bull trout (protected) and perch.

Smallmouth and largemouth

Smallmouth work the rocky points, riprap and submerged wood throughout the reservoir, taking tubes, jerkbaits and crankbaits. Largemouth hold the weedier bays and flooded brush in the upper reaches. Montana has hosted bass tournaments here, and the fishery is strong enough that visiting anglers regularly out-fish their expectations.

Pike, trout and the rules

Northern pike patrol the weedy bays and reach good size, with Montana encouraging harvest in many waters to protect native species. Rainbow trout hold the colder water and the river inflows. Bull trout are native and protected: release them immediately. Water levels fluctuate with hydropower operations, sometimes daily.

Sanders County logistics

Ramps and access points serve the reservoir along Highway 200, with Noxon and Trout Creek the local villages and Thompson Falls downstream. Services are limited. The Clark Fork valley setting is genuinely beautiful, and the fishery sees a fraction of the pressure Montana’s trout rivers absorb.

Common questions

Bass fishing in Montana?

Yes: Noxon Rapids is the state’s best bass water, with smallmouth and largemouth in flooded timber and rock.

Are bull trout catchable?

They are present but protected: release any immediately and learn the identification before fishing.

Does the level change?

Yes, with hydropower operations, sometimes daily: check conditions and watch for changing shoreline.

Is fishing good at Noxon Rapids Reservoir 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

Kootenai River38 miLake Pend Oreille42 miSaint Joe River51 miCoeur d Alene Lake61 miFlathead Lake69 miNorth Fork Clearwater River73 mi
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