Salish Point - Flathead Lake

Managed by Flathead Lake Open Water Swimmers

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Our water testing is complete for the season. Thanks to Alpine Design, Glenn Malloy of UBS, the Great Polson Community Foundation, and the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes for their support this summer. Look for our work again in 2019.

Flathead Lake in northwest Montana is the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi; slightly larger than Lake Tahoe at 27.3 mi. long, 15.5 mi. wide, and max depth of 370.7 ft.

As one of the cleanest in the world, Flathead Lake is perfect for OPEN WATER SWIMMING! No sharks, no jellyfish, and no lane lanes...just clear, clean, and crisp water!

Salish Point is located on the lake's southern shore in Polson, MT. The park offers a very large, roped off swimming area between two fishing docks (about 250m apart) and stretching 30m out from the beach. In addition to a nice area for open water swimming, kids can be found during the summer months jumping and playing on the intermediate docks located within the swimming area.

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.

Summer air temperatures average in the mid-70s to mid-80s.

Bathrooms are available and parking is easy. There are no available concessions, so bring your own food and beverages.

Swim Guide shares the best information we have at the moment you ask for it. Always obey signs at the beach or advisories from official government agencies. Stay alert and check for other swimming hazards such as dangerous currents and tides. Please report your pollution concerns so Affiliates can help keep other beach-goers safe.

Beach conditions change constantly, and it is never wise to swim in open water up to 48-hours after a heavy rain. Please use caution!

WATER QUALITY

Passed water quality tests at least 95% of the time
Historical Status
This status is based on the latest sample, taken on . Flathead Lake Open Water Swimmers updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on at

For water quality icon legend, click:

Report Pollution

MONITORING FREQUENCY

SOURCE INFORMATION

Water at Flathead Lake's bathing beaches is not currently monitored for recreational water quality.

In 2017 FLOW Swimmers (Flathead Lake Open Water Swimmers) will launch a sampling program. FLOW Swimmers will collect water samples at 3 beaches on Flathead Lake. Water samples will be collected by FLOW Swimmers and processed by Flathead Lake Biological Research Station. The water at the bathing beaches will be tested for E.coli

Starting in 2017, FLOW Swimmers' monitoring program will run from July through to the end of August. Samples are collected weekly, for eight weeks. In addition to the Swim Guide, test results will be posted on FlowSwimmers.com and in the local newspaper (Valley Journal and Leader-Advertiser).

Monitoring Status
Montana follows federal guidelines for the monitoring of its recreational waters.
The guidelines for freshwater levels of E. coli are a geometric mean of 100 cfu per 100 mL and an STV of 320 cfu per 100 mL, measured using EPA Method 1603, or any other equivalent method that measures culturable E. coli.

E. coli
A beach is marked Green when two consecutive single sample results are under a geometric mean of 100 cfu per 100 mL and an STV of 320 cfu per 100 mL

A beach is marked Red when two consecutive single sample results are equal to or above a geometric mean of 100 cfu per 100 mL or aSTV of 320 cfu per 100 mL

A beach is marked Grey if there is no current results or no available information.

WATER QUALITY GRAPH