All waters · Montana · Flathead Lake
Flathead Lake, MT
Lake in Lake County, Montana. At roughly 122,000 acres, the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi, set against the Mission and Swan ranges in northwest Montana. The cold, clear water is dominated by lake trout (mackinaw) and lake whitefish, with northern pike and yellow perch in the weedy bays. Lake trout fishing is encouraged year-round through the Mack Days incentive program to protect native bull trout and cutthroat. Best mackinaw action is spring and fall when fish move shallower. Elevation roughly 2,890 ft.
Overall bite score
Scored 22 min ago · recomputed every 30 minutes
Each instrument reads 0 to 100. The score is their weighted blend, tuned for lakes and reservoirs. No black box: every reading names its source.
What swims here
7 tracked species in Flathead Lake, with the months each fishes best.
Water facts
Numerous state-park and FWP ramps ring the lake (Polson, Big Arm, Yellow Bay, Wayfarers near Bigfork). The USGS gauge is on the Flathead River at the lake outlet near Polson and reports flow plus water temperature. Bull trout are catch-and-release only and must be released unharmed. A Montana license is required, and the lake's south half lies within the Flathead Reservation (a separate tribal permit applies there).
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