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Flathead Lake Montana
Flathead Lake Information
Besides being one of the most visually attractive lakes, Flathead
Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake in the western United
States, excluding Alaska. Here in Montana we are fortunate enough to
have one of the cleanest lakes of its size. Flathead Lake is located
in the Mission Valley, in the northwest region of Montana. The size
and unique terrain makes Flathead Lake a wonderful place to visit.
Affording each type of vacationer varied choices of recreation.
Flathead Lake Statistics
Flathead lake was created by the glacier’s that carved the area back
during the ice age. Due to the natural damning from a glacial
moraine, Flathead Lake is one of the few lakes of it’s size that was
created without man’s interference. It is true there are damns on
either side of the lake to take advantage of the power that can be
created, but Flathead Lake would be here without them. Flathead Lake
is more than 300 feet deep. It is 28 miles long and up to 15 miles
wide. With 200 square miles of surface. Flathead Lake’s main
tributaries are the Flathead River and the Swan River. The southern
half of Flathead Lake is part of the Flathead Indian Reservation.
Flathead Lake Islands
There are lots of small islands both privately and publicly owned. The
largest island in Flathead Lake is Wildhorse Island. For centuries, the
Salish-Kootenai people used the 2100 acre island to pasture horses and
keep them safe from other raiding tribes. Its colorful history reads like
a Montana based novel. With private developers battling special interest
groups and the tribes for rights to the owner of such a unique wilderness.
Wildhorse Island was sold several times. In 1910, a small group of
settlers tried to farm the island. Which is where it is told the apple and
pear orchards came from. Unfortunately the difficulty of reaching the
island, became to much of a hardship. Then Colonel Almond A. White became
the next owner who planned to build a boy’s school and a resort with the
world’s largest conservatory. White tried to sell the villa sites for
homes, but he died penniless in 1923. In 1931 Hiawatha Lodge was built.
The tragic drowning death of the owner, Reverend Robert Edgington, sent
his wife from the island allowing the lodge to fall into disrepair. You
can still see where the massive fireplace stood, and on stormy nights I
often wonder if the ghost of Mr. Edgington roams. It is now mostly state
park, with a few homesteads grandfathered in. Besides its colorful
history, Wildhorse Island offers hikers a paradise to visit. With wild
horses, badgers, big horned sheep, mule deer, water fowl, eagles and
osprey. You must reach the island by watercraft.
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