This large tailwater flows out of Lake Koocanusa, near Libby, MT. The Kootenai will average a flow of 15,000 cubic feet per second in midsummer, but there is no need to be intimidated. She is very angler friendly and offers beautiful scenery with plenty of wildlife opportunities.

Backed by a 90 mile long reservoir that stretches into Canada, the Kootenai is never short of cold, clean water. This is the sort of water that wild Rainbows and giant Bull Trout love. The Kootenai is home to the state record Rainbow which tipped the scales at more than 33 pounds! It is not uncommon to see large Bull Trout scurry under the boat or perhaps attack a small trout you have hooked.

An average Kootenai Rainbow or West slope Cutthroat averages about 10-15 inches, with multiple shots at larger fish likely. Pre-runoff fishing here can be fantastic. March through June presents BWO and March Brown hatches along with a large Carpenter Ant fall anytime in between. Consistent PMD and Caddis hatches are prevalent starting around July 1st through September.  Dry fly fishing is the main focus throughout the summer and using large terrestrial patterns with droppers can be an excellent technique.