The 3 Kokanee Salmon Runs Near Kalispell, with Snagging Seasons
These are the 3 kokanee salmon runs within a morning's drive of Kalispell today, Nov 5, 2026, ranked by access, season and live conditions from verified reports.
Ranked by public access, whether a run is in season, and today's verdict; re-ranked every 15 minutes; ranked today at 12:25 am.
Typical run This year's run, from verified reports Legal season for the method Run on, season closed
| Run or event | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kokanee spawning color-up Lake Mary Ronan |
October: typical run |
Kootenai
| Run or event | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snagging allowed Sept 15 – Nov 30, downstream of Highway 93 to mouth Grave Creek, 1 h 25 min from Kalispell |
September: legal | October: legal | November: legal | |||||||||
| Snagging allowed Sept 15 – Nov 30 Tobacco River |
September: legal | October: legal | November: legal | |||||||||
| Kokanee run up from Lake Koocanusa Tobacco River, 1 h 25 min from Kalispell |
September: typical run | October: typical run | ||||||||||
| Snagging allowed Sept 15 – Nov 30, Kootenai Falls to 0.8 miles downstream of Swinging Bridge Kootenai River, 2 h from Kalispell |
September: legal | October: legal | November: legal | |||||||||
| Snagging allowed Sept 15 – Nov 30, downstream of Troy Dam Lake Creek, 2 h 10 min from Kalispell |
September: legal | October: legal | November: legal |
Blackfoot–Clearwater
| Run or event | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snagging allowed Sept 15 – Nov 30, Lake Alva outlet to Lake Inez inlet, and Lake Inez outlet to Seeley Lake inlet Clearwater River, 1 h 45 min from Kalispell |
September: legal | October: legal | November: legal | |||||||||
| Snagging allowed Oct 15 – Dec 31 Seeley Lake |
October: legal | November: legal | December: legal | |||||||||
| Kokanee spawning run, Clearwater chain Seeley Lake, 1 h 45 min from Kalispell |
October: typical run | November: typical run | ||||||||||
| Snagging allowed Oct 15 – Dec 31 Placid Lake, 2 h 5 min from Kalispell |
October: legal | November: legal | December: legal |
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1. Seeley Lake — Big Larch Campground, Seeley Lake
A lake on the Clearwater chain at the town of Seeley Lake; its kokanee run about a month behind the Tobacco's.
FAIR Today: Kokanee run: fair. 0 verified catches in 72 hours.
Species by season: Kokanee, Oct to Nov.
Access: bank, boat ramp; 1 h 50 min from Kalispell; parking yes, restroom yes (Forest Service).
Rules: Western Fishing District (FWP). Bull trout: closed; release any caught at once. Kokanee: 10 daily, 20 possession. Kokanee: snagging allowed Oct 15 – Dec 31, 20 daily, 40 possession.
Source: No gauge; reports only.
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2. Lake Mary Ronan — Lake Mary Ronan State Park, Dayton
A small lake west of Flathead Lake and the brood stock for Montana's kokanee egg take; perch and kokanee for families.
OFF Today: Kokanee run: off. 0 verified catches in 72 hours.
Species by season: Kokanee, Feb, Oct; largemouth bass; rainbow trout; westslope cutthroat trout; yellow perch.
Access: bank, boat ramp; 55 min from Kalispell; parking yes, restroom yes (Montana State Parks).
Rules: Western Fishing District (FWP). No snagging (Western District rule). Kokanee: 10 daily, 20 possession.
Source: No gauge; reports only. Lake Mary Ronan, live
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3. Tobacco River — Riverside Park, Eureka
Kokanee from Lake Koocanusa run up it each September; snagging opens Sept 15.
OFF Today: Kokanee run: off. 0 verified catches in 72 hours.
Species by season: Kokanee, Sept to Oct.
Last season: 2026: a poor run, peaked Sept 21–26, over by Sept 29.
Access: bank, carry-in; 1 h 25 min from Kalispell (city park).
Rules: Western Fishing District (FWP). Bull trout: closed; release any caught at once. Kokanee: snagging allowed Sept 15 – Nov 30, 20 daily, 40 possession.
Source: No gauge; reports only.
Also open to snagging
Legal seasons on waters with no run on record yet.
Grave Creek
Kootenai, 1 h 25 min from Kalispell.
- Bull trout: closed; release any caught at once. FWP 2026 Fishing Regulations, p. 23
- Downstream of Highway 93 to mouth: snagging allowed Sept 15 – Nov 30, 20 daily, 40 possession. FWP 2026 Fishing Regulations, p. 34
Kootenai River
Kootenai, 2 h from Kalispell.
- Bull trout: closed; release any caught at once. FWP 2026 Fishing Regulations, p. 35
- Kootenai Falls to 0.8 miles downstream of Swinging Bridge: snagging allowed Sept 15 – Nov 30, 20 daily, 40 possession (Western District standard limit). FWP 2026 Fishing Regulations, p. 35 (limit p. 23)
Lake Creek
Kootenai, 2 h 10 min from Kalispell.
- Bull trout: closed; release any caught at once. FWP 2026 Fishing Regulations, p. 23
- Downstream of Troy Dam: snagging allowed Sept 15 – Nov 30, 20 daily, 40 possession (Western District standard limit). FWP 2026 Fishing Regulations, p. 35 (limit p. 23)
Placid Lake
Blackfoot–Clearwater, 2 h 5 min from Kalispell.
- Bull trout: closed; release any caught at once. FWP 2026 Fishing Regulations, p. 23
- 10 daily, 20 possession. FWP 2026 Fishing Regulations, p. 39
- Snagging allowed Oct 15 – Dec 31, 20 daily, 40 possession. FWP 2026 Fishing Regulations, p. 39
Clearwater River
Blackfoot–Clearwater, 1 h 45 min from Kalispell.
- Seeley Lake outlet to Salmon Lake inlet: no snagging. FWP 2026 Fishing Regulations, p. 30
- Bull trout: closed; release any caught at once. FWP 2026 Fishing Regulations, p. 23
- Lake Alva outlet to Lake Inez inlet, and Lake Inez outlet to Seeley Lake inlet: snagging allowed Sept 15 – Nov 30, 20 daily, 40 possession (Western District standard limit). FWP 2026 Fishing Regulations, p. 30 (limit p. 23)
How this list works
A water is listed when it has a public access site on FWP's or Montana State Parks' list and live data here: a USGS gauge or a reviewed run window. Each entry's score is access (walk in 1.0, carry in 0.8, boat ramp 0.7) times season (run in its typical window 1.0, the month either side 0.6, otherwise 0.3) times today's verdict (ON 1.0, FAIR 0.8, NOT YET or LATE 0.6, OFF or NO DATA 0.4); ties go to the shorter drive. Verdicts come from gauges and verified reports at reach or lake level. Nothing finer than a public access site is ever shown.
Questions
How is this list ranked?
By public access, whether a run is in season and today's verdict, multiplied: each counts between 0.3 and 1.0. Today Seeley Lake leads with 0.80 of a possible 1.00, and the list re-ranks every 15 minutes.
When can you snag kokanee on the Tobacco River?
Snagging allowed Sept 15 – Nov 30, 20 daily, 40 possession (FWP 2026 Fishing Regulations, p. 42). The run is a separate thing: it usually arrives in mid-September.
Can you snag kokanee at Lake Mary Ronan?
No: Western District waters are closed to snagging unless the regulations list them, and Ronan is not listed. On hook and line the limit is 10 daily and 20 in possession.
Do I need a CSKT permit?
Yes, on the south half of Flathead Lake and other Flathead Reservation waters: the tribes sell their own license, and the 2026-27 one runs March 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027. The north half of the lake is FWP water.
Can I keep a bull trout?
No. Every Western District water is closed to angling for bull trout unless the regulations list it, and any caught must be released at once; only Lake Koocanusa, Hungry Horse Reservoir and part of the South Fork open, each with a free catch card (FWP 2026, pp. 13 and 23).