Print it. Bag it. Bring it.Phones die, screens crack, and most of this water has no signal. Print this map, fold it into a zip-top bag or dry bag with your license, and you have a backup your electronics can’t give you. Every marker is numbered so you can say exactly where you are.
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USGS gauge — Kootenai River at Leonia Station 12305000 | USGS gauge | 48.61688, -116.04919 | At the Montana line, the top of the Idaho reach. |
| 2 | The Hemlocks RV and Lodge Private · near Moyie Springs | Campsite | 48.70915, -116.12800 | |
| 3 | Bonners Ferry Gateway Visitor Center Boundary County | Agency / conservation office | 48.69747, -116.31071 | |
| 4 | Veterans Memorial Park City of Bonners Ferry · riverfront | Park / conservation area | 48.69611, -116.31021 | |
| 5 | Bonners Ferry City Launch Idaho Parks & Recreation inventory | Access / boat ramp | 48.69821, -116.31221 | The town ramp. The state inventory leaves the managing agency blank for every Kootenai ramp, so it is not asserted here. |
| 6 | Bonners Ferry Ranger District Idaho Panhandle National Forests | Agency / conservation office | 48.67217, -116.33745 | |
| 7 | Deep Creek Launch Idaho Parks & Recreation inventory | Access / boat ramp | 48.70710, -116.38455 | At the Riverside Street bridge over the Kootenai below town. |
| 8 | Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters US Fish & Wildlife Service | Agency / conservation office | 48.70700, -116.41491 | Refuge headquarters and visitor centre on the west side of the valley. |
| 9 | Copeland Launch Idaho Parks & Recreation inventory | Access / boat ramp | 48.90518, -116.40198 | At the County Road 45 crossing. |
| 10 | Porthill Launch Idaho Parks & Recreation inventory | Access / boat ramp | 48.99868, -116.50302 | The last Idaho ramp, right at the Canadian border. |
Gauge: USGS 12305000 — Kootenai River at Leonia, ID. Live flow on the web page.
Species: Bull Trout, Burbot, Mountain Whitefish, Rainbow Trout, Westslope Cutthroat Trout
Regulations: idfg.idaho.gov/rules/fish
Emergency: call 911 and give the number of the nearest point on this map plus its coordinates.
Leonia access at the Montana state line - upper Idaho reach access near the gauge.
Moyie Springs river access below the Moyie confluence - established launch and parking.
Bonners Ferry city boat launch - the main developed access on the middle river.
Twin Rivers area at the Moyie mouth - access to the confluence water and canyon reach.
Deep Creek confluence access - lower river access below Bonners Ferry.
Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge access points - lower valley bank and small-boat access.
Copeland and Highway 1 crossings - lowest Idaho access before the Canadian border.
Spring: high, cold water governed by dam operations, with fishing improving as flows stabilize into May and June.
Summer: the core season, cold releases keep the river fishing well through the hottest weeks, best worked from a boat.
Fall: excellent dry fly and streamer fishing as flows drop and pressure eases across the valley.
Winter: cold and low, with whitefish the most reliable target and limi