Seventy and partly sunny today and not a better to be on the water.  Flows from Libby Dam continue to decrease and are presently 15,000cfs which is absolutely perfect.  The entire river is now in great shape.  Float fishing is awesome and there is now good wade access too.  Flows will continue to decrease 1000cfs each day for the next several days.  Double nymph rigs with a big prince and smaller pheasant tail or caddis pupa are sticking them good.  Dry, dropper rigs in the afternoon are the way to go with attractors on top and smaller beadheads or caddis pupa underneath.  Look for fish to start moving into riffles as flows approach the 12,000cfs range in the next few days.

It’s another lovely day in paradise and the Kootenai River is getting ready to fire.  With lots of sunshine the last several days the water temps will rise and the caddis will start to pop.  Here’s the full skinny on discharge from Libby Dam.  It’s only getting better every day!!!  Outflow from Libby Dam will continue to decrease throughout this week.  Outflow will be decreased 1,000 cfs per day (with the exception ofThursday, July 1 – 2,000 cfs) until Saturday evening (July 3), when outflow will be at 10,000 cfs.  Outflow will remain at 10,000 cfs until Wednesday, July 7, when outflow will be reduced to 9,000 cfs.  We still have availability throughout the season so give a shout anytime and let’s hit the water!!!

It’s another beautiful day here on the Kootenai River and the river and conditions are fantastic.  LOC guides had some pretty decent dry fly fishing yesterday and attractor patterns with bead head droppers moved fish all day.  It’s all here and it’s here right now.  Discharge from Libby Dam is down again and currently 17,000cfs making for great drift boat fishing.  Wade fishing is just around the corner and should happen by midweek when the river drops into the 15000cfs range.  Get ready and get out there.  Caddis will start to pop quickly what with three consecutive sunny and warm days.  The sweet spot we’ve been waiting for is right on time and it’s all good from here.  Kootenai tributaries and area lakes are also beginning to fish really well.  If you’re here and on the water in Kootenai country, it’s likely your rod is bent and your smile is wide.  And we like that!!!

It’s happening!!!  The Kootenai is dropping rapidly, conditions are great and discharge from Libby Dam will decrease from 18,000cfs to 17,000cfs on Sunday.  Basically this means the water line will now be just below the grass making for some of the best early season dry fly fishing yet.  Don’t be afraid to pitch big bugs to begin with.  The fish will be hungry and should start looking up.  Big attractors like royal Wulffs, trudes, even taratulas will move fish near the banks especially with dropper.  Nymphing with an idicator in four feet of water has been very productive.  Be aggressive, use split shot and get the flies down.  Pheasant tails, prince nymphs, pmd nymphs, brown stoneflies will all produce fish and for next couple weeks the takes will be aggressive and solid.  All Kootenai tributaries are also fishing well.  Pmd, golden stones, green drakes, and caddis are starting to pop especially in the evenings.  Water temps are on the rise, fish are becoming increasingly active and the season is now in full swing!

Finally a break in the weather and some sunshine!!!  The Kootenai is presently dropping.  Current discharge is 22,000 cfs and the sturgeon augmentation flow has officially ended.  Wade fishing is still not an option but as flows near 20,000, hopefully by Monday, drift boat fishing will be a good option.  Nymphing will be the game and be sure to get the bugs down.  Keep in mind the current at the surface is really fast adn it’s important to penetrate the first two feet of the water column.  Fish at least 7-9 feet to the indicator through most runs and pack on the split shot!  Dishcharge schedule for Libby Dam is continued decresase to approximately 10,000 cfs by first of July which is awesome!  So riVer will be dropping every couple days and gettting better and more fishable in immediate future.

The Kootenai River is currently huuuge and pretty much unfishable at the moment.  Libby Dam is presently releasing a pounding 34,000 cfs.  That’s right, 34,000.  But that is about to change.  Starting tomorrow flows will be decreasing.  As soon as flows reach 20,000cfs the Kootenai will start to fish although it’s pretty much a drift boat deal to begin with.  Wading opportunities will become available once the river hits approximately 15,000cfs which should be sometime around the end of the month.  Recent rain (it’s pouring right now) has bumped overall basin water levels which is terrific and we’re expecting a great season with average summer flows somewhere around 7000cfs.  Give a call anytime for more information.  Keep in mind local small streams and lakes are fishing well at the moment so get out there and hit the water.