Kootenai River Fishing Report – July 19th-23rd, 2018 by Dave Blackburn’s Kootenai Angler
By angelamontana

Posted: July 23, 2018

Kootenai River Flow: 9,000 Cubic Feet per second, 8 foot visibility, 59 degrees

Yaak River Flow: 496 CFS

Fisher River Flow: 214 CFS

Hatches: Caddis, PMD’s, Little Blue Quills, Little Olive Stones, Midges, BWO, Grasshoppers and Large Carpenter Ants on warmer days.

Effective Patterns

Dry: Elk Hair Caddis, Parachute Adams, Purple Haze #16-20, Tan Stimulator #8 and 10, Griffiths Gnat, small Golden and Olive Stones, Standard Adams, Red Quill, Sunken Black Ants, Grasshoppers, Chubbies.

Nymph and Streamers: Da Bomb, Beadhead Prince, pheasant tail, stones and midge pupa. Black/Olive Conehead wooly buggers, kokanee killers, Thin Mint Buggers

Fishing Report: River is up to 59 degrees, and flows are down around 9k. Dry Flies are working well in the mornings and evenings with nymphing doing best during the heat of the day. The evenings have been host to spectacular hatches of caddis. PMD’s have been coming off in the mornings on overcast days. Grasshoppers are in full swing and working well. BWO and Little Blue Quills, Little Olive Stones and, Black Ants. Landing some big fish on streamers. Glacial silt is settling out, and fish are looking up… Summer is upon us! Yaak and other tributaries area at prime flows for wade fishing.

Check out Dave Blackburn’s Kootenai Angler online here.

New Podcast!

Riley's Meats - Butte Wild Game Processing