Big changes are coming to the Kootenai River. Beginning Monday evening, Libby Dam will rapidly ramp up outflows to full powerhouse capacity, jumping from 10,000 cfs to 25,000 cfs by midnight on Tuesday.
Key Takeaways:
- River Conditions: Expect tough fishing conditions for at least a week as fish adapt to new holding lies. At 25,000 cfs, the river is moving fast with compressed currents and whirlpools—wading is not possible and extreme caution is advised.
- Regulations: Reminder that the Kootenai River remains closed to fishing from Libby Dam to the Fisher River bridge until June 1.
- The Fishing Outlook: Despite chilly 40-degree water, daytime weather in the 60s–70s is kicking off spring hatches (midges, baetis, March browns, and caddis). Look for a short dry fly window between 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM. Nymphing remains your most consistent bet throughout the day—stick to soft, off-current water at least 5+ feet deep and skip the riffles. If you are hunting for a trophy, slow-fishing a streamer is a great way to move a larger fish.
- Shop Update: The new, updated Orvis Recon rods have officially launched, and Linehan Outfitting has them available along with the incredible new Orvis Helios rods.
- On a Personal Note: It’s a wild week in baseball—following a brutal start to the season and a major management shakeup (including the firing of manager Alex Cora), the Red Sox have bounced back with two straight wins against Baltimore. Go Sox!
Check out Linehan Outfitting’s full report from May 24, 2026 here:
In-flow from Lake Koocanusa: not available at this time
Flows from Libby Dam: 10,000 cfs
The following outflow changes are scheduled for Monday, May 25th :
-Outflows will increase from 10.0 kcfs to 12.5 kcfs at 2000 MDT.
-Outflows will increase from 12.5 kcfs to 15.0 kcfs at 2100 MDT.
-Outflows will increase from 15.0 kcfs to 17.5 kcfs at 2200 MDT.
-Outflows will increase from 17.5 kcfs to 20.0 kcfs at 2300 MDT.
The following outflow changes are scheduled for Tuesday, May 26th :
-Outflows will increase from 20.0 kcfs to 25.0 kcfs at 0000 MDT.
Hatches: midge, baetis, March browns, caddis
Water temperature at stilling basin below Libby Dam: approximately 40 degrees
patterns: zebra midge, Uke’s brown perdigon, wire worm, perdigons, smaller sparkle minnows, midge cluster, Pat’s stonefly, flashback pheasant tail nymph, hare’s ears, prince nymphs, circus peanuts, drunk and disorderlies, parachute Adams, purple haze, baetis sparkle dun, x-caddis, Bloom’s caddis
Flows from Libby Dam will be increasing to full power house capacity beginning on Monday. Don’t expect much in the way of good conditions for at least a week. When flows increase this dramatically, it takes fish a few days to find new holding lies.
While 25,000cfs is really big, after a few days fish will settle into soft areas, back eddies and long, slow runs. Be careful! At maximum flows the Kootenai is really moving and compressed currents, mini whirlpools and big standing waves should be avoided. There is no wading at 25,000 cfs.
