Straddling the border with 48 miles in Montana and 42 miles in British Columbia, Lake Koocanusa was formed with the creation of the Libby Dam in 1971. Alice Beers of Rexford, Montana, coined the name for the lake. The name combines the first part of Kootenai, the second part "can" from Canada and the last three letters for "USA". The lake is immense and offers very marginal shore fishing. The principal draw is the prodigious numbers of kokanee salmon ranging from 11 to 14-inches. Large kamloop rainbows lure boat fishers from all around the region. Boaters will find plenty of water to fish with over 46,000 surface acres. Campground and boat launches are spread evenly around the lake.
Highway 37 from Libby to Eureka, via Lake Koocanusa
Highway 37 passes the Libby Dam via Lake Koocanusa, 66 miles to Eureka and then into Canada on Highway 93 to Banff and Jasper National Parks in British Columbia. Parallel to this highway is a paved road on the other side of the lake that intersects with the highway at the Koocanusa Bridge, a distance of 45 miles.