Troy, MT Fishing Report: Kootenai, Koocanusa & Yaak — Week of October 29, 2026

The last week of October is a good time to fish around Troy and Lincoln County. Below Libby Dam, the Kootenai River has settled at about 4,250 cfs and is wade-friendly, and Libby guides say dry flies are still taking fish. The Yaak River got a small bump in flow this week, and the most recent Lake Koocanusa report has the rainbow bite picking up. Here’s what dated reports from local shops, USGS gauges and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks are saying for northwest Montana (Region 1).

Kootenai River (Libby Dam to Troy): USGS gauge 12301933 below Libby Dam read 4,260 cfs at 6:00 AM MDT on October 29, 2026 (provisional). Releases ran about 4,510 to 4,550 cfs on October 22 and 23, then stepped down to about 4,220 to 4,240 cfs from October 24 through 28. That’s just above the 25th percentile (4,180 cfs) for this date, so there’s lots of good wading water. Linehan Outfitting’s Kootenai report dated October 25 says the river is in good shape and still fishing well, and flows are expected to hold steady through the end of the month and into November. Mornings are chilly and often foggy. They’re still fishing mostly a single dry fly: size 12 Chubbies, Stimulators and Water Walkers are finding fish, and if fish won’t take the big bugs, a #16 Purple Haze or Parachute Adams does the job. Perdigon droppers, especially Uke’s brown, keep producing. There’s little need to nymph unless you want to get down into a bucket, and swinging streamers for a couple of hours a day is the best bet for one solid fish. Expect more baetis hatches as November weather rolls in.

Downstream toward Idaho: the USGS gauge at Leonia read about 4,600 cfs and 51.6°F (10.9°C) early on October 29. Remember that the Leonia ramp closed for the season on October 15, as it does every year, and reopens June 1, 2027 (House of Fly).

Yaak River: USGS gauge 12304500 near Troy read 135 cfs at 6:45 AM on October 29, 2026 (provisional). That’s up from 81 to 87 cfs between October 22 and 27, with the rise starting on October 28. It’s now just above the 25th percentile (130 cfs) but still under the median (174 cfs) for the date, so the water is still on the low side. We didn’t find a newer published conditions report for the Yaak this week, so ask at the counter what local anglers are seeing.

Lake Koocanusa: we didn’t find a newer published report this week. The most recent one, Chancy’s Fish Camp’s October 16 report (carried by Montana Outdoor on October 20), said the rainbow bite was picking up on PlugIt Handcrafted Tackle plugs trolled off planer boards and on big flies, and that darker colors work well in the fall.

Bull Lake and other Lincoln County lakes: we didn’t find a dated published report for Bull Lake or the smaller Lincoln County lakes this week. Stop in and we’ll pass along what folks are telling us.

Flathead area: Fall Mack Days on Flathead Lake wrapped up Week 7, and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes report 18,899 lake trout turned in so far. The event runs through November 8, and the $10,000 tagged fish is still out there. Chancy’s October 16 report expected Flathead Lake lake trout to move onto rocky shorelines in 15 to 30 feet from Halloween to Thanksgiving, with whitefish on the Flathead River building toward a mid-November peak.

Statewide notes

Blackfoot River (BlueStreamFly.com via Montana Outdoor, October 29): The Blackfoot read about 690 cfs at the Bonner gauge with water near 43.9°F as of the evening of October 28. Fish the banks and inside seams with blue-winged olive, sculpin and leech patterns. A construction-related floating restriction remains in place from the Weigh Station Fishing Access Site down to the I-90 crossing, so check FWP before you go.

Helena-area reservoirs (FWP, report of October 26): Canyon Ferry rainbow fishing has been really good from shore and boat, especially around the Silos, Duck Creek and Confederate. The walleye bite has slowed way down. Hauser shore anglers are doing well at the Causeway with plain crawlers or a black leech under a bobber, and Holter rainbows are biting from shore at Departure Point, Black Beach and Gates of the Mountains. Docks have been pulled for the season, and Helena Valley Regulating Reservoir kokanee snagging ends October 31.

Fort Peck (Don Wilkins, October 23): Smallmouth are on rocky structure in 8 to 25 feet and are hitting minnows on deadsticks and slip bobbers. Pike slowed a bit in wind-stained weed beds, and lake trout are starting to move up into 35 to 50 feet, with jigs and plastics working. Water temperatures were 55 to 57°F. FWP also reported on October 23 that Fort Peck’s Chinook salmon spawn produced about 763,000 eggs, from some of the biggest salmon since spawning operations began. Females averaged 20.2 pounds, compared with 15.1 pounds in 2025.

Regulations: Always check current rules at fwp.mt.gov/fish/regulations before you go.

Heading out? Stop by Booze ‘N Bait in Troy for bait and tackle (boozenbait.com/fishing-bait-supplies/), and check our Best Fishing Days calendar (boozenbait.com/best-fishing-days/) to plan your trip.

Sources: USGS 12301933 Kootenai River below Libby Dam; USGS 12305000 Kootenai River at Leonia; USGS 12304500 Yaak River near Troy; Linehan Outfitting Kootenai River report, Oct. 25, 2026 (fishmontana.com); House of Fly Kootenai River report, Oct. 15, 2026; Montana Outdoor, Chancy’s Fish Camp report, Oct. 20, 2026; CSKT 2026 Fall Mack Days Week 7 results, Oct. 26; Montana Outdoor, Blackfoot River report, Oct. 29; FWP Helena Area Reservoirs Report 10.26.26; Don Wilkins’ Fort Peck report 10.23.26; FWP Salmon Spawn Wrap-Up 10.23.26. Conditions change fast, so treat this as a snapshot, not a guarantee.