Flathead Lake water level today 2893.06 ft, falling

Questions people ask about Flathead Lake

Answered from the same readings as the rest of this page. Where we have no basis for an answer, there is no entry — spot-by-spot local knowledge is not something we can claim for Flathead Lake.

Is it worth fishing Flathead Lake today?

5 out of 10 — picky. Work for it. The strongest stretch is 7:53 AM–9:53 AM. That number is worked out fresh each morning from the solunar windows, the pressure trend, the water level.

What time should you fish Flathead Lake?

Today's major windows run 7:53 AM–9:53 AM and 8:18 PM–10:18 PM, with minor windows at 11:51 PM–12:51 AM and 4:44 PM–5:44 PM. Sunrise is 7:20 AM and sunset 7:38 PM. A major landing on first or last light is the stretch worth setting an alarm for.

What is the water temperature at Flathead Lake?

No gauge on Flathead Lake measures it, so this is an estimate: roughly 53.4°F, worked out from the 7-day mean of air temperature at NOAA weather station KGPI (Kalispell, Glacier Park International Airport). Checked against the lakes that do have a thermometer, that method lands within about 4.5°F of the real reading and was off by 8.3°F at worst. Treat it as a ballpark, not a measurement — and note the bite index above ignores it entirely, because an error that size would move the verdict as often as it would fix it.

What is the water level at Flathead Lake right now?

2893.06 ft, read at 6:30 AM from USGS station 12371550. Over 24 hours it is down 0.02 ft.

Are water levels rising or falling at Flathead Lake?

Holding steady. The lake is down 0.02 ft in 24 hours and down 0.03 ft over the week. Over the last 8 days it has held between 2892.94 and 2893.23 ft. Every figure here is a difference between two gauge readings, not a forecast — what the level does next depends on rain and on what the dam releases.

Can you eat the fish you catch in Flathead Lake?

That is a health question, and it is answered officially rather than by us. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, with the health and environmental departments publishes the fish consumption advisory covering these waters, where issued as one statewide document rather than a searchable database, with 21 new or revised PFAS advisories in 2026. Read it before you keep a meal — we give no eating advice.

Montana FWP fish consumption advisory

Do you need a licence to fish Flathead Lake?

Yes. A Montana fishing license covers this water, required from age 12. FWP sets the rules and is the one that counts.

What a Montana license costs, and who is exempt

What size fish can you keep in Montana?

It depends on the species, and several have slot limits rather than a simple minimum. Open to harvest today: combined trout (brown, rainbow, golden, cutthroat and grayling), largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike. Seasons here change mid-year by agency order, so the status is re-checked every morning.

Combined trout (brown, rainbow, golden, cutthroat and grayling) limits · Largemouth bass limits · Smallmouth bass limits · Northern pike limits · Check a length against the rules