Fishing in NW MT
Almost every single gamefish Montana has to offer can be caught in northwest Montana with multiple state records coming from this area.
The town of Libby is perfectly located to pursue all these species. Libby offers many diverse environments to fish in, from high mountain lakes carved out by historic glaciers to large scenic rivers originating from water flowing from Canada and everything in between.
Fish Hawk Fly Shop specializes in traveling through all these environments to catch each targeted species in its natural habitat with a rod and a fly.
Rivers
There are many different freestone and tailwater rivers in and around Libby. Each one is unique and can be successfully fished with multiple techniques. The Kootenai River, which is considered our home water, is famous for holding the state record rainbow trout coming in at
33 pounds.
The Kootenai is a tailwater that originates below the dam of the Koocanusa
Reservoir, flows through Montana, into Idaho then Canada and then back down where it joins the Columbia River.
The most popular fish to target in these rivers are the different trout species, both native and nonnative.
Streams, Creeks, and Tributaries
The National Forest has countless small streams that flow through its mountains and most are full of hungry eager trout. While the size of these fish rarely gets above 12 inches, there are an abundance of them and a well placed dry fly during the summer months should produce a lot of rises.
High Mountain Lakes
There are numerous high mountain lakes, many of which are tucked away in the rugged, glacier-carved Cabinet Mountains Wilderness.
These remote lakes are known for their primitive nature and excellent fishing opportunities. They offer some of the best high-country trout
fishing in Montana.
Common species include westslope cutthroat trout, brook trout, and rainbow trout. Most of these lakes are accessible only via hiking trail, so having the lake to yourself is not uncommon.
Lakes and Reservoirs
Another fun and often underrated location for flyfishing around Libby are the many different
lakes and reservoirs.
There are trout species in a lot of these lakes, but what makes these lakes
fun and different than the other water bodies are the warm water species, primarily bass and
northern pike.
The experience of having one of these fish smash a streamer or popper is
unparalleled to their trout counterparts. It is a whole different ball game when targeting these
species and can be some of the most fun freshwater fish to catch on a fly rod.
