Flathead Lake in far northwestern Montana lays claim as one of the cleanest lake in the world. The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation cooperatively manage Flathead Lake. The Flathead Reservation wraps around Flathead Lake’s southern and southeastern shores, and MFWP takes care of the rest of the lake.
Why Is Flathead Lake so Clean?
The Flathead Lake Biological Station (FLBS) is a year-round University of Montana Center of Excellence. The FLBS whose scientists consistently find Flathead Lake’s clarity is primarily because its waters are significantly low in elements that prohibit algae growth, like phosphorus and nitrogen.
Other reasons for this crystal clear lake’s clean waters are the snow melt from glaciers, absence of pollutants, and its deep water prevents sediments from stirring around. The Flathead and Swan Rivers feed Flathead Lake,along with plentiful smaller streams flowing into it.
What Is Special About Flathead Lake?
One very special thing about Flathead Lake is the Flathead Reservation, home to what is left of the Salish, Pend d’Oreille, and the Kootenai Indian Tribes’ territories for thousands of years. The reservation comprises 1.2 million acres mostly in verdant valleys surrounded by majestic mountains. Lake trout certainly provide specialness for exciting Flathead Lake fishing.
Flathead Lake’s premier fishing tournament, Mack Days can bring in over 40,000 lake trout and up to $200,000 in prizes. The entire credit for Flathead Lake’s allure goes to its unparalleled eye candy of mountains, dense forests, sunrises and sunsets, pristine waters, and abundant wildlife.
Flathead Lake is full of rocks with vivid hues and curious textures because of the iron oxide trapped in their quartz and chert encasements. Cherries thrive on Flathead Lake’s east shore and grapes on its west shore, making its region a niche wine and cherry market. The Flathead Reservation preserves traditions from thousands of years gone by with its attractions.
How Deep Is Flathead Lake in Feet?
Flathead Lake’s interesting statistics include more than depth. Wild Horse Island is the lake’s largest island, comprised of 2,164 acres, and other smaller islands dot its surface. The FLBS operates one of the oldest biological stations in the U.S. and was established in 1899. The Flathead Lake depth does not measure as one of the deepest lakes in the U.S., but it is quite deep.
The FLBS states that Flathead Lake covers 122,560-acres with an average depth of 164.7-feet, a maximum depth of 370.7-feet, and 160-miles of shoreline. It is the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi River. Average surface temperatures of the Flathead Lake range from 36°F in mid-January to 56°F in mid-June to 68°F in mid-August.
Why Is Flathead Lake so Low in 2023?
Flathead Lake is so large, like the Great Lakes, that it experiences a phenomenon termed the Coriolis effect, which is typically observed in oceans. The Coriolis effect is the influence of the earth’s rotation on water currents. A significantly low water level can change the current’s actions.
The winter of 2022-2023 produced only 20% of the long-term average of winter snowfall in the Flathead Lake region. Then, much of the accumulated snowmelt evaporated exceptionally fast in May 2023. On August 9, 2023, the FLBS reported that,
“When he [Director Jim Elser] examined the total annual discharge of the mainstem Flathead River at Kalispell from January 1, 2023 to August 6, 2023, he found the 2023 discharge was only 60% of the 50-year (1969-2023) median discharge during those same months…relative to the median, the volume of the absent snowmelt water from January 1 through August 6 would have been enough to raise the level of Flathead Lake by one foot at least seventeen times.”
What is the Prettiest Part of Flathead Lake?
Nature lovers consider the Flathead Lake region a bucket list-must because of stunning landscapes. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder when it comes to what we think of as pretty. Approximately 340,000 people visit Flathead Lake each year, proving its magnetism as much more than pretty.
Diversity spans the Flathead Lake region in terms of birds, terrain, vegetation, and wildlife. Some of the most visited and scenic spots at Flathead Lake are the Bigfork Harbor area, Finley Point State Park, Lakeside, town of Polson, Somers, Wayfarer’s State Park, and Wild Horse Island State Park. Spectacular views abound all around Flathead Lake.
Visitors can find not only pretty, but sensational nature anywhere at or near Flathead Lake and much further beyond in the wilderness of western Montana. The Mission Mountain range flanks Flathead Lake eastern border. The western shore gives way to the lovely Flathead Valley.
Can You Swim at Flathead Lake?
The FLBS monitors Flathead Lake’s beaches for recreational water quality during the July 10th through September 12th swimming seasons each year. It tests the water samples taken from local swim beaches. Weather dictates when you swim, and Flathead Lake’s waters are on the cool side.
Yes, you can swim in Flathead Lake. It is open year-round for swimming and most Flathead Lake activities. The Flathead Lake Open Water Swimmers (FLOW Swimmers) recommend the Bird Island, Bull Island, Flathead River, Cedar and Shelter Islands, Salish Point, and Wild Horse Island beaches.
Has Anyone Swam Across Flathead Lake?
Flathead Lake is 27.3-miles long at its longest points and 15.5-miles at its widest points. Its broadest width spans from Elmo to Yellow Bay. The FLOW Swimmers hosts a yearly event called Taming the Monster. This event is a 28-mile swim journey, open to anyone, and only costs a $10 entrance fee. Laura Chenier recently stroked across Flathead Lake’s width for 10 hours and 19 minutes.
Yes! Six endurance swimmers have swum the length of Flathead Lake: Paul Stelter (1986), Ron Stevens (2005), Emily VonJentzen (2012), Sarah Thomas (2015), Craig Lenning (2015), and John Cole (2017).Laura Chenier from Kalispell, Montana, is the first known swimmer to swim its width on August 1, 2023.
Flossie, the Flathead Lake Monster
Since 1989, sightings of a 20 to 40-foot eel-shaped creature pop up one or two times a year. Flathead Lakers board member and retired fisheries biologist Laney Hanzel with Paul Fugleberg, a historian of monster sightings and a former editor of the Flathead Courier teamed up and reported 13 sightings in 1993.
Laney asks people to please call Flossie a creature, not a monster. Witness accounts vary. They report that Flossie sports different shapes, colors, and lengths. They also report many similarities in their assorted descriptions. Most say that Flossie is round, brown or blue-black, has steel black eyes, and is 5-feet, 10-feet, and 20-feet long or longer.
Visitors are advised to be extra aware of a Flossie sighting if in The Narrows, Skidoo Bay, and Polson Bay areas, or along West Shore Drive. Anglers, biologists, doctors, engineers, lawyers, mothers, and policemen have described their encounters and sightings of Flossie. Surely some of those people are reliable witnesses!
How Many Boats Have Sunk in Flathead Lake?
Before 1910, no roads existed at Flathead Lake. Steamboats provided passenger and freight travel across the lake. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, over 25 steamboats and barges regularly plied Flathead Lake’s waters. The boats ranged from small barges to massive ships, like the Klondike, which was 120-feet long with a capacity for 425 passengers.
According to the Northwest Montana History Museum in the former Central School building in Kalispell, at least six ships sank in Flathead Lake in stormy, tumultuous weather. You can still spot the old dock pilings used by the steamboats around Flathead Lake if you know what to look for.
The Pocahontas, a passenger steamboat, sunk near Melita Island in 1888 and is known as the Silver City Wreck and located near Bigfork Landing. Salvagers raised and rebuilt her. The steamer Helena, tied up at Holt, eventually sank and rotted. Kehoe’s Agate Shop displays Helena’s pilothouse outside of the shop.
Flathead Lake Fishing
Flathead supports 25 native fish species. By far, the most popular game species is mackinaw trout, also called lake trout. Macks are king, as evidenced by the fall and spring Mack Day tournaments at Flathead Lake. In spring 2023, 200 of the 615 registered anglers turned in a grand total of 33,297 Macks. The Mack Day record is the 2019 count of 40,362 lake trout.
Besides Macks, the other popular game fish in Flathead Lake are largemouth bass, yellow perch, northern pike, pumpkinseed, sunfish, and brook, cutthroat, and rainbow trout. Flathead Lake anglers fish from the shore and boats, and ice fishing is popular too.
Mackinaws are not biologically a trout, but a char. Char (Salvelinus namaycush) are a close cousin in another branch of the salmonid family. Macks can grow up to 40 pounds. They don olive-gray scales with vanilla spots and sport big teeth.
The Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Department provides over a dozen public access areas around the lake. Five marinas and plentiful campgrounds serve boating and camping visitors, both on and off the water. Fishing guides offer an array of fishing excursions.
Ice anglers wait until the ice is thick enough to support them. Flathead Lake rarely freezes over, but its bays do. Anglers can easily book ice fishing charters from the numerous guides at Flathead Lake. It is important to check out Montana Fishing Regulations for the current rules and buy the Tribal recreation permit and fishing license on the southern half of the lake.
Flathead Lake Camping
Flathead Lake State Park offers six campground units around the lake, Big Arm, Finley Point, Wayfarers, West Shore, and Yellow Bay. Wild Horse Island is day-use only. Seven private RV parks circle Flathead Lake’s shores. The MFWP manages these parks. The Flathead Reservation also offers camping and RV parks.
The Flathead National Forest offers another 31 designated camping areas close to Flathead Lake. Some of these campsites are quite basic, while others offer Wi-Fi, garbage services, and other amenities.
Flathead Lake Things to Do
Flathead Lake exists in wilderness. From clockwise on the north shore, the small towns of Somers, Big Fork, Woods Bay, Polson, Elmo, and Lakeside each offer a unique slice of western Montana. The other communities sprinkled around Flathead Lake are more sparsely populated.
Flathead Reservation
About 5,000 members of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) live on or near the Flathead Reservation. The members keep their traditions alive and offer glimpses into their traditions through attractions on their reservation.
The People’s Center
“The People’s Center” is a cultural center that tells the story of these tribes through a museum, an exhibit gallery, educational programs, and a gift shop.
The National Bison Range/Pablo National Wildlife Refuge
This bison refuge is also known as the CSKT Bison Range. Approximately 500 bison roam nearly 20,000 acres of natural grassland, along with antelope, deer, elk, and bighorn sheep on self-guided auto tours year-round. This refuge is 31 miles south of Polson, a town in the reservation.
St. Ignatius Mission
Native Americans built this Catholic mission in 1854. Brother Joseph Carignano arrived at St. Ignatius Mission in 1903 and painted 58 murals in the mission, which are displayed on the mission’s ceilings and walls. The mission is nestled into the backdrop of the western Mission Range ridge about 23 miles south of Polson.
Bigfork, Montana
Bigfork is ideal for dining, shopping, and strolling. In Bigfork you can choose from a selection of quirky small shops and terrific restaurants, cafes, and ice cream counters. Check out the Whistling Andy Distillery, the Flathead Ford Museum, and the Pocketstone Café, home to giant pancakes. Rent or buy outdoor adventure gear.
Wild Horse Island
The island’s bighorn sheep population is limited to 100 sheep to protect the fragile shortgrass prairie from overgrazing. There are few wild horses today. Wild Horse Island is a prime destination for swimming, sailing, hiking, and photography of osprey, bald eagles, mule deer, and coyotes. No camping or bicycles though.
Flathead Lake Lodge
Flathead Lake Lodge is an all-inclusive dude ranch featuring themed weekends and a long list of activity options, like horseback riding, mountain biking, and wakeboarding. Every Wednesday night, the lodge hosts a steak fry.
Painted Rock Petroglyphs
If you rent a boat or bring your own, you can visit the Painted Rock Petroglyphs. You can only see these scenic wonders by boat on the western shore near the community of Rollins. Historical sociologists believe early Native Americans considered petroglyph sites as sacred places.
Archeologists believe the Painted Rock Petroglyphs are about 3,000 years old, the Salish started adding to the pre-existing pictographs beginning about 700 to 800 years ago, and that the Salish made their last additions to them sometime between 1700 and1900.
The Eagle Bend Golf Club
Get a round in at the 27-hole championship course at the Eagle Bend Golf Club on the north shore of Flathead Lake. From the course, golfers encounter beautiful panoramic views of majestic mountains.
Summer Activities
In general, visitors find horseback-riding trips, fishing tours, guided hunting excursions, private boat tours, and wagon rides besides water sports. Winter activities include much more.
Winter Activities
Winter activities include ice fishing, cross-country and downhill skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling on 200 miles of trails in the surrounding valley. You can explore all over Flathead Valley. There are an additional 2,000 miles of Flathead National Forest roads just east of Flathead Lake.
