When asked if CSKT would consider putting such an agreement into writing in order to alleviate some stress for property and business owners around the lake, he said there are too many unpredictable weather and environmental factors that could impact such an agreement. August is the hottest month for Flathead County with an average high temperature of 79.7°, which ranks it as one of the coolest places in Montana. Share. I personally enjoy cooler waters, so have swam in many of the lakes and streams. The lakes scattered throughout the Flathead Valley are generally warmer than the lakes in Glacier. https://www.visitmt.com/listings/general/lake/flathead-lake.html. The lake is a remnant of the ancient, massive glacial dammed lake, Lake Missoula of the era of the last interglacial. Privacy Policy popular with young children and teenagers. He said some years the lake may be held closer to 2,982 than 2,983 feet during the peak months, but it always falls within that range. Explore destinations near Flathead Lake. August is the month with the highest water temperature at 70.3°F / 21.3°C. A drought had plagued Northwest Montana, as well as the majority of the Pacific Northwest area, and the lake level that year began dropping to the 2,982-foot mark in early August. Other stakeholders include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which operates the Hungry Horse Dam. Bathrooms are … Spend summer vacation at one of the top lakes in the U.S. As one of the largest freshwater lakes on the West Coast and clearest lakes in the U.S., Flathead Lake is an ideal spot for sailing, speed boating, and fishing. No exceptions,” said Schile, who is also the president of Shore, a nonprofit dedicated to watchdogging over the water levels at Flathead. If you're near the west shore, be sure to explore Wildhorse Island. Visitors on the southern part of the lake need to buy a tribal recreation permit, however, as this half of the water lies on Flathead Reservation boundary. The temperatures is measured at the intake pipes about 1500 feet offshore at a approximate depth of 35 feet. According to Togo, there is no law or contractual agreement that requires CSKT to hold the lake at a specified depth throughout the summer — something he emphasized predates tribal ownership. Helpful. “In the spring when we begin to fill the lake, a lot of that has to do with the snowpack that we saw during the winter time. Flathead Lake's current water temperature is 70°F.Today's forecast is: Overcast throughout the day., with a high around 39°F and a low around 31°F.Winds are out of the SSW at 8 mph with gusts of 24 mph. “That contract in no way, shape or form determines how we maintain the natural resource,” Togo said. “We manage this resource for multiple public purposes. Strongest 24 May, 2017 23mph WSW; Average 2010–Present 6.8mph There is a nice public beach area there. While the waters don't quite match the park moniker in temperature, they are definitely "refreshing". Terms of Use | km. It’s not used only for recreation, it’s used for flood risk management, fisheries, irrigation and a whole host of different things,” he said. Schile and others question whether profits from dam hydropower play a role in when CSKT decides to drop lake levels. “When fewer people are boating, these businesses on Flathead start hurting.”. One such person is Wayne Schile, who for decades has pushed for “90 days, full pool.” Schile is a longtime Flathead Lake property owner and argues the lake should be as close as possible to the 2,983-foot mark from June 15 to Sept. 15. Schile pointed to earlier this year when the tribes entered into a 15-year contract with Puget Sound Energy Inc. in Washington state. Flathead Lake, Polson: Address, Flathead Lake Reviews: 5/5. As one of the measurements in the Flathead Lake environmental data suite, temperature is reported every 15 minutes. Unless you like your water COLD, the effective swimming season is June through September. Average water temps in June are in the 60s, 70s in July and August, and then back down again in September. Water temperatures on the lake soon followed, reaching the 60s. In July, the water temperature peaks at about 21ºC, but by early September, autumn’s chill has already begun to set in. At 35 miles in length, weather down in Polson can sometimes be much different than what’s happening in Bigfork. Togo said CSKT has managed Flathead Lake levels similarly year after year since the tribe purchased the dam. Nothing out of the ordinary is occurring.”. At the bay and around the state, it feels more like July than June. As one of the measurements in the Flathead Lake environmental data suite, temperature is reported every 15 minutes. NOAA National Weather Service National Weather Service. The amount of water flowing annually through the lake varies from 80 to 120,000,000 cu. 41.3 °F at 11:15 PM on 12/19/2020 The Flathead Lake surface water temperature reading is measured at the end of Yellow Bay Point. After Labor Day Weekend, the public can expect the lake to steadily drop to at least 2,981 feet by the end of October. Flathead Lake's current water temperature is 32°. Kalispell, MT 59901 At that depth, businesses and property owners from Polson to Bigfork Bay are able to utilize the lake for recreation without worry of shallow water. At 28 miles long and 15 miles wide, Flathead Lake is the largest, natural, freshwater lake in the Western United States. Foys Lake, just a couple of miles west of Kalispell, is normally the warmest. Not surprisingly, the highest water temperatures recorded by the Flathead Basin Commission occurred in the hottest summers - fiery ones such as 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2007. Data from the United States Geological Survey shows Flathead Lake’s water level has been dipping close to the 2,982-foot mark since the beginning of September … The sprawling blue jewel of Flathead Lake with nearly 200 square miles (500 square kilometers) of surface area and more than 160 miles (260 kilometers) of shoreline is the largest natural freshwater lake in the contiguous U.S. west of the Mississippi River. With a record setting 25 closed transactions yielding $37.5M in total sales volume, the month surpassed several annual sales marks posted since the recession low point in 2009. september 2020- kootenay lake fishing report. 406-755-7000. Flathead Events provides information on upcoming events, from sports to music to art, for the Flathead Montana area. Spawning begins when water temperatures fall to 10°C (50°F) and lower. The outflow is regulated by the Séliš Ksanka Ql’ispé Dam, formerly Kerr Dam, located near Polson in the Lower Flathead River. Togo said while certain aspects of the contractual agreement are confidential, he said the dam is “beyond capable” of providing that power while also keeping Flathead Lake within a foot of full pool for the bulk of summer. Lake trout are fall spawners and normally reproduce every second year from September to November in most parts of their range. “It’s an adaptive management situation and there are a lot of different variables.”. April, 1935 THE LIFE OF FLATHEAD LAKE, MONTANA 97 ous little headlands, and small islands, especially near the southern end of the lake. And according to Energy Keepers Chief Commercial Officer Travis Togo, this year will be no exception. While higher elevations are typically colder and valleys are typically warmer, it is not unusual to have a wintertime inversion that traps cold air in the valleys while the high a As of Friday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey’s website showed Flathead Lake levels are at 2,892.15 feet. At 51,000 hectare, Flathead Lake is the largest freshwater … Find Out More. If you need additional assistance, please contact us toll-free at 888-454-8825 or click here to submit a request for more guidance. Swim Guide shares the best information we have at the moment you ask for it. Thirteen public access points make it easy for you to get on the water from any direction. United States ; Montana ... All reviews big fork wild horse island beautiful drive state park clean water west side great area bald eagles family vacation beautiful scenery south end big sky country towns fishing mississippi cherry flathead ... September 2020. This was a revisit as the first time was a drive only on the east coming down from Glacier. Swimming is "allowed" in Glacier National Park in the legal sense, but the water temperatures often make that a moot point. When raising and lowering the water level, he said there are many competing interests the dam operators have to consider. The climate profile is taken from closest available data source to Flathead Lake. September of 2020 may ultimately be the monthly high water mark for Flathead Lake sales in this decade. Summer air temperatures average in the mid-70s to mid-80s. The dam, which generates enough electricity to supply at least 100,000 homes annually, came under CSKT ownership in 2015. The area of the basin drained through Flathead Lake, chiefly by Flathead River and its three forks, is 18,000 sq. Flathead Lake weather report, historic temperatures and climate info,… Searchable lists of Flathead Lake tourism offices and other helpful government agencies. WEATHER & CLIMATE July, August and June are the most pleasant months in Flathead County, while December and January are the least comfortable months. In Montana, the DEQ opted to pursue a site-specific standard for Lake Koocanusa and the Kootenai River, with the BER on Friday approving a standard of 0.8 micrograms per liter on the lake … Average high and low temperatures in degrees Fahrenheit are listed below for Lake Koocanusa. The tables give the normals for maximum and minimum yearly temperatures based on weather data collected from 1981 to 2010. Whitefish Lake has a great beach, esp. According to one article from the Associated Press, the dam will provide the company with 40 megawatts of power. Temperature, light, and wind are factors which contribute to the onset and duration of spawning activities. Please also visit Flathead Lake, Lake Historical Weather, Weather widget and Weather Charts pages. 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