General Overview below Map
See also...
Regional Fly Shops and Guide Service
MM = Highway Mileage Marker Signs
Highway 2
MM 6.2: Yaak Campground, Boat Launch 44 campsites,
pull-throughs, water, toilets, fee area.
MM 7.8: Fishing access to the Kootenai River. The turn-around offers a jeep trail
which follows the river downstream.
MM 10: Fishing access, boat launch. Follow Forest Drive and
then Beachward Trail a half-mile to a nice boat launch.
MM 10: Kilbrennan Lake: 9.2 miles. Kilbrennan Lake is a 59-acre lake, and
is deep in the middle. At the far end of the lake is a non-fee campground and a
boat launch. The lake is full of perch and bullhead, but boat fishermen can
catch good numbers of brook trout on the side of the lake opposite the road.
Locals tend to fill up this campground Thursday through Sunday. Seven
campsites, toilets, non-fee.
MM 11.8: Bridge crossing.
MM 14: Troy, Montana: Kootenai River boat launch Turn on
Third Street and drive four-tenths of a mile, and then turn left on Riverside
Drive another four-tenths of a mile to the launch.
MM 15: Callahan Creek Road. Callahan Creek is not accessible in its lower reaches near
Troy, as the road climbs up the mountain for a number of miles. To fish this
creek, you will need to drive all the way back to the bridge by the south fork
and north fork. From this point you can fish the main stem of the creek or the
forks. The creek is boulder-strewn, however, so walking is tough for the young
and old. Fish for small cutthroats. The road is paved all the way with the
exception of the last mile and a half. From the highway to the bridge is 7.5
miles.
MM 21: Kootenai Falls Scenic Trail
MM 22.2: Fishing access along the railroad track.
MM 23: Fishing access (rapids).
MM 30: Libby, Montana.
Highway 37 Side Trip: Libby to Eureka Side Trip. Route 567 from Libby to Yaak following
Route 68 and Pipe Creek. Follow
California Street out of Libby and cross the Kootenai River (boat launch just
by the bridge). California Street changes to Route 567. Take Route 567 (also
called Pipe Creek Road) to Yaak, a distance of 37 miles. Pipe Creek gets fairly
small during the summer. Nonetheless, it offers good fishing for small trout.
The East Fork of Pipe Creek is a tiny, brushy creek holding small brookies. One
lake that is worth fishing is Rainbow Lake at mileage marker 22. Rainbow Lake
is reached on Road #4712. It is a bit bumpy and narrow, and a second-gear pull
in places. A little over 30 acres, the lake is a small circular lake with a
grassy-lined shoreline. You cannot drive to the lake. From the small parking
area, you have to follow a trail three minutes down to the lake. This is a
great lake for a canoe or belly boat. It offers fair catches of cutthroats.
(Side Trip continued) Vinal Lake (Road 746 MM 32.3) Vinal Lake is about eight
miles on Road 746 that forks north. You will need to hike a half-mile to the
lake. Easily fished from the shoreline, this 18-acre lake fishes well for
12-inch rainbows. Continuing on Route 68 to Yaak, the road follows the South
Fork of the Yaak River. The south fork is very small and posted. (End Side Trip)
Return to Highway 37. Highway 37 from Libby to Eureka, via Lake Koocanusa.
Highway 37 passes the Libby Dam via Lake Koocanusa 66
miles to Eureka and then into Canada on Highway 93 to Banff and Jasper National
Parks in British Columbia. Parallel to this highway is a paved road on the
other side of the lake that intersects with the highway at the Koocanusa
Bridge, a distance of 45 miles. Take California Street to the bridge crossing
and the city boat launch.
MM 1: Ranger Station Information.
MM 8.9: Boat launch on the Kootenai River.
MM
14: Junction with the Fisher River and the Fisher River Road #763 Fisher River
is more like a creek and has fair fishing.
Side Trip: The Fisher River Road offers shortcut to Highway 2 connecting Kalispell and Libby. The Fisher River
access is at mileage marker 14 on Highway 37 a few miles below the Libby Dam.
Side Trip: The Fisher River is only fair fishing for small
rainbows and whitefish. The road is paved and runs 24 miles to meet Highway 2.
The road is narrow in places. Primitive campsites may be found throughout the
Fisher River drainage.
(Side Trip) Howard Lake Loop. The loop follows Libby
Creek and Howard Lake and exits again on Highway 2 at MM 56.8. A small 34-acre
lake 14 miles from the highway, Howard Lake is a popular fishing lake for
rainbows from 8 to 14 inches. The lake has a popular campground with nine
campsites, water, toilets, small boat launch, and it is a fee area. Libby Creek
follows the highway a number of miles outside of Libby, but it offers only fair
fishing. The Howard Lake outlet creek is a tiny creek holding small rainbows.
MM 56.8: Howard Lake Loop. Taking the Silver Butte Road #148 will both lead you
to another fork of the Fisher River, which provides creek-type fishing as well
as a junction with Highway 200 near Trout Creek. The road is narrow and
winding. (End Side Trips)
Return to Highway 37: Libby to Eureka
MM 13: Dunn Creek Recreation Campground US Army Corps of
Engineers (non-fee) Alexander Creek Campground, Dunn Creek Flats Campground,
Blackwell Flats Campground.
MM 15: Libby Dam. The dam road can be crossed to Souse Gulch
adjacent to the dam, which provides picnicking as well as a boat launch. You
may follow this road downstream to Blackwell Flats Campground. Both Blackwell
and Dunn Creek Flats provide boat launches. Along Lake Koocanusa are a series
of campgrounds and marinas. Lake Koocanusa is a popular lake for boaters.
MM 23.8: Koocanusa Resort Public boat launch. Rocky Gorge
Campground 120 campsites, water, toilets, fully-developed boat launch, fee
area.
MM 48.8: Peck Gulch 75 camping sites, picnicking, boat
launch, water, toilets, fee area.
MM 61.5: Rexford, Montana; Rexford Bench Complex Campground
with 54 campsites, water, flush toilets, fee area, boating site with 33
campsites, water, flush toilets, fully-developed boat launch, fee area.
Kamloops Terrace: 50 campsites, water, flush toilets, fee area.
MM 64: Tobacco River access
MM 64.8: Eureka airport, Tetrault Lake, Sophie Lake, fishing
access on Lake Koocanusa. Tetrault is periodically stocked with Arlee rainbows
and is a popular lake with the locals. Bill Myra of Green Mountain Sports
reported that the lake was scheduled for poisoning sometime in 1998 so that the
lake could be managed as a trophy trout lake. Sophie Lake offers a full range
of fish species. This 200-acre lake has recently been stocked with kamloop
rainbows.
MM 66.8: Junction with Highway 93, a mile from Eureka.
