Troy, MT Fishing Report: Kootenai, Koocanusa & Yaak — Week of November 12, 2026

Here in Troy and across Lincoln County, the Kootenai River has settled down after last week’s big pulse from Libby Dam. The Corps of Engineers stepped outflow back down to 4,000 cfs on November 6 and has held it there since, and the USGS gauge below the dam has read a steady 4,220 to 4,300 cfs all week, with about 4,280 cfs early Thursday morning, November 12. Downstream at the Leonia gauge near the Idaho line, the river is running about 4,750 cfs, and the water has cooled to roughly 48 to 52 degrees this week. Lake Koocanusa’s drawdown has slowed to a crawl: the pool was at 2,441.89 feet early November 12, about 17 feet below full pool, and it has dropped only a few hundredths of a foot a day since November 6, so ramp conditions should look much like they did last weekend. The Yaak River near Troy came up this week, from about 90 cfs over the weekend to a peak near 157 cfs on November 11, and was easing back to about 138 cfs Thursday morning. Lake Creek near Troy is open all year, and the stretch from 150 yards above Keeler Creek down to the Chase Cutoff Bridge reopened November 1 after its summer closure. Bull Lake and the other Lincoln County lakes stay open all year, but the Yaak and other Western District streams close after November 30. If you head to the Thompson Chain of Lakes, FWP says fuels-reduction logging is underway in the state park through the winter, so watch for posted work areas. The National Weather Service forecast for Troy calls for patchy morning fog, highs in the low to mid 50s through the weekend, a chance of rain Friday night and Saturday, rain likely Sunday night into Monday, and cooler highs in the upper 40s by midweek with lows near freezing.

With the dam holding steady, the Kootenai should fish more predictably than it did last week. House of Fly’s November 5 Kootenai report said nymphing has been producing the most fish, streamers the bigger ones, and that a short dry-fly window can still show up in the warmest part of the day. A few Kootenai rules worth remembering: from Libby Dam to the Highway 37 bridge near the Fisher River, the river is open through February 28 with single-point hooks only and a one-rainbow limit with a 28-inch minimum. Below that bridge to the Idaho line the river is open all year, with four rainbows daily (three under 13 inches and only one over 18). Bull trout may not be targeted in the Kootenai and must be released right away, and any brown trout caught between Libby Dam and Kootenai Falls must be kept, reported to FWP at 406-752-5501 within 24 hours, and turned in to an FWP office within 10 days. Kokanee snagging stays open through November 30 from Kootenai Falls to 0.8 miles below the Swinging Bridge, and on Lake Creek below the Troy Dam. On Koocanusa, bull trout are catch-and-release only and you need the free Lake Koocanusa catch card to fish for them; the kokanee limit is 50 daily and 100 in possession.

Statewide, FWP reminds anglers that Western District rivers and streams close after November 30 unless an exception keeps them open, while lakes and reservoirs stay open year-round. Over near Missoula, Rock Creek stays closed to fishing from boats through November 30. On the Sun River, the emergency closure 500 feet above and below the Sun River (Pishkun Road) Bridge for bridge construction runs through Sunday, November 15. Over on Flathead Lake, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes report that this fall’s Mack Days set a record with 21,985 lake trout turned in over nine weeks. Your 2026 license and the current regulations are good through the end of February 2027.

Heading out on the Kootenai, Koocanusa or the Yaak this week? Stop by Booze ‘N Bait in Troy and stock up on fishing bait and tackle, and check our Best Fishing Days calendar to plan your trip.