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Lake Koocanusa

The rule for this water, with the receipt.

Special regulations for Lake Koocanusa, as the state words them

Lincoln County · Lake · MT

Has its own special rules
How to read this page:Official text quoted regulationParsed fields from the ruleDerived calculated from rulesContext conditions, not a ruleAdvice our suggestion

Today's rule hereParsed

Season
Not captured yet - consult the statewide regulations
Gear
Not captured yet - consult the statewide regulations
Bait
Not captured yet - consult the statewide regulations
Poles
Not captured yet - consult the statewide regulations
SpeciesDaily limitSize
Brook Trout
Varies by water: limit 10 daily and in possession. (Eastern District)
20 daily and in possession.-Statewide
Lake Trout
Varies by water: limit 20 daily and 40 in possession. (Western District); limit 3 daily and 6 in possession. (Eastern District)
3 daily and in possession.-Statewide
Bass
5 daily and in possession.-Statewide
Burbot (Ling)
Varies by water: limit 2 daily and in possession. (Western District)
5 daily and in possession.-Statewide
Channel Catfish
Varies by water: limit 10 daily and 20 in possession. (Eastern District)
10 daily and in possession.-Statewide
Crappie
Varies by water: limit No limit. (Western District)
15 daily and 30 in possession.-Statewide
Northern Pike
Varies by water: limit 15 daily, no possession limit. (Western District); limit 15 daily and in possession. (Western Fishing District standard limits)
10 daily and in possession.-Statewide
Pallid Sturgeon
Varies by water: limit None - this is an endangered species and all fish must be released promptly, with little or no delay. (Eastern District, all waters)
None - this is an endangered species and all fish must be released immediately.-Statewide
Salmon (Kokanee & Chinook)
Varies by water: limit 5 daily and 10 in possession. (Eastern District)
10 daily and in possession.-Statewide
Sauger/Walleye
Varies by water: limit 5 daily and 10 in possession. (Eastern District)
5 daily, only 2 may be sauger. Possession limit is 10, only 4 may be sauger.-Statewide
Shovelnose Sturgeon
5 daily and in possession, none over 40 inches.min. none over 40 inchesStatewide
Tiger Muskie
1 daily and in possession, must be over 40 inches.min. must be over 40 inchesStatewide
Whitefish
20 daily and 40 in possession.-Statewide
Cutthroat Trout
Varies by water: noneover 12 inches, limit 3 daily and in possession, noneover 12 inches. (Western District, rivers/streams); No size limit. (Western Fishing District standard limits, lakes/reservoirs); None over 12 inches., limit 3 daily and in possession, none over 12 inches. (Western Fishing District standard limits, rivers/streams)
3 daily and in possession, no sizelimit.min. no sizelimitStatewide
Largemouth Bass
Varies by water: Only 1 greater than 12 inches., limit 5 daily and in possession, only 1 greater than 12 inches. (Western Fishing District standard limits); Must be over 22 inches., limit 1 daily and in possession, must be over 22 inches. (Western Fishing District standard limits)
5 daily and in possession, only 1 greater than 12inches.min. only 1 greater than 12inchesStatewide
Smallmouth Bass
Varies by water: No size limit all year. (Western Fishing District standard limits)
15 daily and in possession, no size limit all year.min. no size limit all yearStatewide
Kokanee Salmon
50 daily and 100 in possession.-This water
Sturgeon
0 - All waters are closed to angling for sturgeon.-Statewide
Paddlefish
1 per season and in possession.-Statewide
Shortnose Gar
3 per season and in possession.-Statewide

The official text, verbatimOfficial text

Straight from MT's official regulations. Rules in force today lead; out-of-season rows are dimmed. Nothing is paraphrased. Not legal advice: verify the posted rules at the water.

Whole water
  • Rainbow Trout
    Adipose clipped fish less than 22 inches must be released.
  • Bull Trout
    Catch-and-release only (all Bull Trout must be released immediately). A Lake Koocanusa Bull Trout Catch Card must be in possession when fishing for Bull Trout. It is unlawful to possess a live Bull Trout for any reason.
  • Kokanee Salmon
    Daily limit 50 daily and 100 in possession.

How this answer was assembled

  1. StatewideStatewide lake rules are the base layer: default season, gear, bait, and limits.
  2. This waterSpecial rules written for this exact water replace the statewide defaults where they speak.
  3. Emergency orderEmergency orders in effect today override everything else. They sync quietly when the phone has coverage and never lock you out of the app.

Where this rule applies

This water is not yet drawn on the map. Its rules are captured and receipted; the geometry ledger records exactly why it is not drawn (an ambiguous name match or a gap in the source data), and it will never ship as a guess. Each rule above describes in the state's own words where it applies, and those written descriptions are the authoritative boundaries.

What are you fishing for here?Advice

Pick from the species named in Lake Koocanusa's rules. Setups are checked against the gear rules in force today, and your picks are remembered on this device only. These are rule-aware suggestions, not a claim about what is biting; advice, not law, and the rules above govern.

Receipts

Statewide rules
Statewide
Checked against this official source on July 12, 2026.
Special rules - Lake Koocanusa
This water
Checked against this official source on July 12, 2026.

Local services near Lake Koocanusa

Tackle shops, guides, and boat launches that serve this water will appear here - a separate lane below the rules, so a local business can reach you without ever getting between you and the regulation.

Run a shop or guide service on Lake Koocanusa? Get listed.