Tobacco Valley Country
2000 Visitor's Guide
Lake Koocanusa casts spell on avid fishermenAs soon as the ice melts off of Lake Koocanusa, fisherman begin launching their boats into the 90 mile reservoir anticipating yet another great fishing season. If you like the sport and are visiting the Tobacco Valley, don’t miss out on a Lake Koocanusa experience. Launch sites along the lake include Rexford Bench, Mariners Haven, Peck Gulch, Rocky Gorge and Koocanusa Marina. If you’re lucky, the locals might let you in on some smaller access sights to avoid the crowds.
The species of fish most sought after in Lake Koocanusa are the kokanee salmon, kamloop rainbow trout and the cutthroat trout. Murray Springs Fish Hatchery raises over 700,000 fish annually, mainly westslope cutthroat and rainbow trout, stocking Lake Koocanusa and other nearby waters. Kamloops begin running in the spring while the salmon have their big run in the fall.
Fishing regulations vary in the Tobacco Valley and visitors are encouraged to get copies of these at local sporting goods stores or the Fish and Game Department. you need both a conservation and fishing license, which you can purchase at local vendors.
Summer of course, is the busiest time for fishing locally. Lake Koocanusa draws a large number of out-of-state as well as local fisherman every year from may to September. The Koocanusa Klassic Fishing Derby at Mariner’s Haven near Rexford has become a popular fishing event. the two-day derby takes place Aug. 5-6 this year and will offer cash prizes in both salmon and trout categories. All raffle proceeds support the local search and rescue organization.
Fowler Charter Service is operated our of Mariners Haven marina and offers boat rentals, fishing tours and cruises on the reservoir.
Kootenai River sports record rainbow trout
Originating at the Kootenai Lakes in Canada and dumping into the Columbia River Basin, The Kootenai River is one of Montana’s best kept secrets. A common sight along its banks are drift boats, rafts, canoes, even fancy inner tubes, overflowing with fisherman, fly boxes, rods and reels. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch the picturesque silhouette of a fly fisherman casting out to the lazy current against the sinking western sunset.
The Kootenai River, as of September 1997 is the origin of the world record for freshwater trout. Jack Housel of Libby wrestled a 33 pound rainbow trout out of the river late in the day. The fish spent the night in his bathtub on ice until it could be officially weighed the next morning.
Further downstream, below Kootenai Falls, another big fish story got underway. Herb Stout Jr. caught a 98 pound, six foot, three inch sturgeon in 1968 - still the state record for that species. Stout caught the fish with a night crawler on a deep-sea pole after a 30 minute wrestling match.
Sturgeon can get quite girthy and have been reported to get up to 400 pounds. Some folks say that the unlucky fish, on their voyage through the Libby Dam turbines, get chopped, sliced and diced and are easy calories for the feeding fish below the dam. These feeding fish aren’t exactly working very hard for their meal and tend to get bigger.
In addition to record-size rainbows and sturgeon, people are fishing for whitefish, cutthroat trout and kokanee salmon. If you happen to snag a bull trout, put it back. It was placed on the endangered species list in 1994 and is therefore illegal to keep.
A conservation and fishing license is required to fish on the Kootenai River (or anywhere in Montana) and costs $17. Visitors are encouraged to get copies of fishing regulations at local sporting goods stores or the Fish and Game Department
