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Noxon Rapids Reservoir Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Noxon Rapids Reservoir: a 7,592-acre reservoir on the lower Clark Fork in Sanders County, behind Avista's Noxon Rapids Dam.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Flow
10,100 cfs
Air / High
50 / 60 F
Wind
NNE 1 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 12389000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 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.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Noxon Rapids Reservoir rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. The main inflow is running 10,100 cfs, steady over the week. Today brings cloud cover, wind NNE around 1 mph, falling pressure near 1010 hPa and a high of 60. Water sits around 62 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 10:20 AM-12:20 PM and 10:52 PM-12:52 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Largemouth bassExcellent

In spring, pre-spawn bass push shallow as the water climbs through the mid-50s; in fall they feed actively until the water cools into the low 50s, then drop back toward deeper structure.

Smallmouth bassExcellent

Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

WalleyeExcellent

Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

Tomorrow: Similar at 58 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made β†’

Before you go

Montana requires a fishing licence from age 12, from $31.00 for residents. What a Montana licence costs and where to buy it β†’

Chasing largemouth bass here? Check the size and bag limits with FWP before you keep anything. The season dates for Montana, read off the agency, are on the Montana seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings from Clark Fork near Plains (inflow).

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 12389000.

10,02210,21010,39910,100 cfs09/2310/0310/1310/23

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp50 F
High / Low60 / 44 F
WindNNE 1-4 mph
Pressure1010.1 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 45%
Sunrise / Sunset08:14 / 18:39
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~62 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish Noxon Rapids Reservoir this week

Today is the pick of the week on Noxon Rapids Reservoir, at 4 out of 5.

Best day this week: today, Oct 23 β€” good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 β€” Good

Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Solunar majors
10:20 AM-12:20 PM and 10:52 PM-12:52 AM
Minor period
4:46 AM-5:46 AM
Sun
08:14 to 18:39
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Showers, 8 mph
Rain chance
45%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

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: the spring pre-spawn and the fall feed

A warm-water sunfish of lakes, reservoirs, ponds and slow river backwaters that holds tight to cover: weeds, logs, rock ledges and docks. In Texas, TPWD surveys rank it "by far" the freshwater fish anglers most want to catch. In spring, pre-spawn bass push shallow as the water climbs through the mid-50s; in fall they feed actively until the water cools into the low 50s, then drop back toward deeper structure.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: spring and fall, when bigger fish come shallow

A bronze-brown black bass of clear, cool streams and rocky lakes, with dark vertical bars instead of a side stripe. Michigan DNR says its southeastern coast, from Port Huron to Lake Erie, is known nationally for both the size and the number of its smallmouth. Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: spring and late fall, around dawn, dusk and night

A cool-water perch of large lakes, reservoirs and rivers whose reflective eyes are built for low light, so it feeds most at night and in murky water. The Missouri Department of Conservation ranks it among the continent's most important freshwater game fish. Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

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
Walleye
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 62 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~62 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, Oct 22

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Largemouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 72 F, wind to 7 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Largemouth bass led the card at good. High of 70 F, wind to 6 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Largemouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 69 F, wind to 6 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 fishing license. FWP 2026 rules for the Clark Fork from Thompson Falls Dam to the Idaho border, including Noxon Rapids: open all year; standard lake limits for trout; cutthroat trout catch-and-release; bass 5 combined, but only 1 a day of at least 22 inches June 15-July 15; walleye no limit; 2 lines with up to 2 hooks or lures each. Intentional fishing for bull trout is closed.

Access

FWP notes a boat launch onto Noxon Rapids Reservoir at Thompson Falls State Park.

About this water

7,592 acres (FWP) on the lower Clark Fork, Sanders County, MT; Noxon Rapids Dam is owned by Avista. Flow on this page comes from USGS gauge 12389000, Clark Fork near Plains, upstream of Thompson Falls Dam.

Fishing Noxon Rapids Reservoir: the full guide

The reservoir

FWP lists Noxon Rapids Reservoir at 7,592 acres in the Western fishing district of Region 1, Sanders County; Avista owns Noxon Rapids Dam. Montana's regulations treat it as part of the Clark Fork from Thompson Falls Dam to the Idaho border, a reach that also takes in Cabinet Gorge Reservoir.

Bass rules

Under FWP's 2026 regulations, largemouth and smallmouth bass combined are 5 a day and in possession, except from June 15 through July 15, when only 1 bass a day may be kept and it must be at least 22 inches long.

Walleye and bull trout

FWP sets no walleye limit on this reach and does not require anglers to keep and report walleye here. Bull trout are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act; apart from the catch-card fisheries on Lake Koocanusa, Hungry Horse Reservoir and the South Fork Flathead, Montana closes all waters to intentional bull trout fishing, so release any you hook at once. Cutthroat trout are catch-and-release on this reach.

Common questions

Is there a bass size limit on Noxon Rapids?

Only in early summer: from June 15 through July 15 anglers may keep 1 bass a day, at least 22 inches. The rest of the year the limit is 5 largemouth and smallmouth combined with no size limit.

Can I fish for bull trout in Noxon Rapids?

No. Montana closes all waters except Lake Koocanusa, Hungry Horse Reservoir and the South Fork Flathead to intentional bull trout angling; release any bull trout immediately.

Is there a walleye limit on Noxon?

No. FWP sets no walleye limit on the Clark Fork from Thompson Falls Dam to the Idaho border.

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: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Lake Pend Oreille39 miKootenai River41 miSaint Joe River48 miCoeur d Alene Lake57 miPriest Lake72 miFlathead Lake73 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 12389000 β€” Clark Fork near Plains (inflow)
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-10-23 at 13:45 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 47.8891, -115.7083 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 8, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 8, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.