What's In Store For Me At Lake Koocanusa?

[jestfishin']

I'm planning on fishing Lake Koocanusa in a couple of weeks. I've never fished there before and was wondering if anyone could help me by telling me of the better areas to fish and what to use. I'll be fishing for Kokanee and Rainbows.

 

[Neptune]

jest,

this time of year you can catch some Kokes, but the Rainbows are going to be a bit on the tough side. If you don't have downriggers you probably don't have much of a chance on getting the Kamloops. The best time for the BIG Rainbows on Koocanusa is starting in late October until the ice forces you off the lake, or in the spring as soon as Iceout starts to take place.

The Kokes will be found all over the lake. Do you know where you will be putting in? Are you going on a Charter? If you put in up at Rexford, just head north around the corner and fish the entire bay, you should find them from the surface to 60 feet most in the 15 to 40 ft range. Lures vary daily so bring the Kokanee takle box and try it all...variety is the spice of life!

And good luck!

 

[HoweAboutMontana]

"My guide up on Lake Koocanusa had 50 fish limits for the past 3 days on Lake Koocanusa. The kokanee range from 8 to 11″, nice fish and there are a lot of them. John has been fishing just up from the dam trolling with dick knight spoons and wedding rings. He says he is finding schools of kokanee a mile long and then just turning around and just keep catching them. The river below he dam is starting to drop and the fishing is staring to pick up. The best fishing below the dam for the big rainbows will be later in July and August".

Excerpted from www.mofisch.com report is about 4 weeks old, but I know they are still catching them up there.

PLEASE let us all know Howethumbsup you do!

 

[jestfishin']

Thanks guys. It's a start!

Thanks for the info guys. Never having fished the lake before your input at least provides me with a little informationon where to start. I'll be staying at the Koocanusa Resort and Marina for 4 days as a starting point, then hoping to work my way up the lake into Canada the following week. First time up there, so it'll be all experimental. I've got downriggers and my Kokanee gear is primarily west coast stuff like Sep's dodgers, small spoons, Apex Kokanee Killers, etc. I think I've got the gear, but just need a little shove in the right direction. Gotta be honest, driving 1000 miles to catch 6 to 11 inch Koke's doesn't exactly turn me on, so maybe I'll be targeting Rainbows a little more than I had planned on. Anyway I really appreciate the information and I'll let you know how I did.

 

[Kokhead]

I have been trying to talk my Kok fishing buds in to a trip up there also. I fished about 30 yrs ago for the monster Bows but I would love to stuff more jars w/ koks.

 

[jestfishin']

Hey yawl! Just returned and have the following to report. Don't know what to say about the Koke fishing. Caught two that were 12" long but most of the other hundred were between 8 and 10 inches. I've never made it a practice to keep fish this small but evidently there are a lot of people that love 'em that way. Truth is even when we switched gear to target Rainbows we were still getting hookups with Kokes. Most of the boats were using lead core and couldn't get down to them. We couldn't keep them off the hook at 60'! Wore out my arm bringing the downrigger in and out! Anything I used caught fish. The wife stuck with a #0 Fire Tiger Needlefish, 12" behind a silver Sep's dodger. She used both white and pink Pautski's Fire Corn with equal success and had no problem what-so-ever the entire 1 1/2 weeks catching Koke's. After catching about 60 Koke's in the first couple of days and giving them away to some friends we met, I decided to target Rainbows. I was told the best fishing for the bigger 'Bows was in October and earlier in the year, March and April, I believe. Using J11 and J13 jointed black and white Rapala's I was able to land and bring home 7, 6 1/2, 5 (2) and 3 1/2 (2) pound Rainbows in a week of fishing. All were caught in the 55 to 60 foot level and put up great fights on the light equipment I was using. I was glad I made the trip and thank you all for the information. I'll be back next year.

 

[Neptune]

That's awesome Jest! What part of the lake did you fish for Kamloops in? what part of the lake did you fish in general? I'm still trying to get in "tune" with the Kamloops up there. Fall from now until the ice forces you off the lake the rainbows just get better and better and they come to the surface...

 

[jestfishin']

Hey Neptune! I launched from Koocanusa Resort and Marina, located on the southeast side of the lake. From there I fished from just above Libby Dam to a about a mile beyond the 10 mile buoy. Caught small Koke's just about everywhere between those two points. Caught them in the middle of the lake as well as along the shoreline. I'm not sure the Rainbows I caught were Kamloops. None of them had that broad red stripe along their side that Kamloops normally have. They looked like just plain old Rainbows to me. Caught them all along the stretch between the dam and the buoy also. No specific "hot spot" for either the Koke's or the 'Bows. I heard the same thing about the fall fishing that you claim....just gets better and better until the ice forms. I'll have to try that next!