Smith River, Requires a recreational float permit, Cascade, Meagher Counties: Closed to all motorboats, South Sandstone Reservoir, Fallon County: Boats must travel at no-wake speed, Spook Lake, Missoula County: Manually powered or electric motors only, Spring Meadow Lake, Lewis & Clark County: Closed to all motorboats, Summit Lake, Missoula County: Manually powered or electric motors only. All recreational activities on Tribal owned lands require a non-member person over the age of 11 to purchase a Tribal Conservation Permit. Due to the state of emergency that exists on the Flathead Reservation as a result of the threat of extreme fire weather and upon advice from the Incident Management Team of the Boulder 2700 Fire to ensure public and firefighter safety, the Tribal Council of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes has passed Resolution 21-100, which is a temporary emergency closure on a portion of Flathead Lake. It is illegal as well as unsafe to overpower a boat. The closed portion is described as Boulder Creek to Station Creek beginning at the shore and extending half a mile out into Flathead Lake. Any resident of the Flathead Indian Reservation can request bear spray for $10 when purchasing a 2021 Tribal recreation, camping, or fishing/hunting permit from our Fish, Wildlife & Recreation Conservation office in Polson. A fire extinguisher is classified by the type of fire it is meant to extinguish and its size. Kalispell, MT. Montana's Flathead Lake comes with lots of statistics: With its 161-mile shoreline, it's the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi; one of the 300 largest lakes in the world; and it's more than 380 feet deep, just to name a few. A motorboat 16 to 26 feet long must carry some means of producing an efficient sound signal that is audible for one-half mile, such as a whistle or a horn. Always operate a vessel at a safe speed so that you are able to stop within the assured visible distance ahead or take proper and effective action to avoid collision. Platycephalidae. Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701. The closest access point to Wild Horse is Big Arm State Park on the western shore. The Great Salt Lake 6. Wood Lake, Lewis & Clark County: Closed to all motorboats. Missouri River(see also Canyon Ferry, Fort Peck, Hauser, and Holter Reservoirs), Gallatin, Broadwater, Lewis & Clark, Cascade Counties: Closed to all motorboats from the Burlington Northern Railway Bridge No. Homemade boats or boats manufactured before 1972 that require registration must first have a hull identification number. $125+ /hour. These restrictions apply to all rivers and streams in the counties. CAMPGROUND HOST. Montana requires at least two ventilation intake ducts fitted with cowls or their equivalent to vent bilges and fuel tank compartments. Privacy Policy The duct should not be located so that a normal accumulation of bilge water would obstruct it. It is unlawful to operate or be in actual physical control of a motorboat, sailboat, water skis, surfboard, or similar device attached to a motorboat while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Written permission from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is necessary to conduct a boating race, regatta or other marine event on Montana's waters. Similar to a temporary flight restriction for aircraft, the boating restriction creates a no-public-boating zone on the surface water in order to ensure public and firefighter safety during wildfire response. Elsina Lake, Missoula County: Manually powered or electric motors only. View listing photos, review sales history, and use our detailed real estate filters to find the perfect place. Boat Launch/Marina: No Marina. The catch and release restrictions are important to comply with. Excellent. If you keep these things in mind, you should have a good trip.". In addition, one U.S. Coast Guard-approved Type IV throwable device must be on board and be immediately available for use. Lake Las Vegas 18. Blanchard Lake, Blanchard Lake is on the Clearwater River, Missoula County: Closed to motorboats over 10 horsepower. Boats equipped with toilets or porta-potties must dispose of waste properly. Check your fuel tank before going out. In the evenings northern pike are landed in the northern part of Flathead. be painted on or attached to each side of the bow of the vessel; be vertical block letters at least 3 inches in height; be a color contrasting with the background color of the boat; be as high above the water line as practical and still be visible; contain a space or hyphen separating the "MT" from the number/letter suffix. Sailboats 12 feet long and longer and all motorboats and personal watercraft must be registered at the local county treasurers office. All parking regulations are listed on your current dockage lease. When overtaking another vessel, the boat being overtaken has the right of way and must hold course and speed. Frenchtown Pond, Missoula County: Closed to all motorboats. Validation decals may be obtained, free of charge, at any Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks regional/area officesor online: Orange validation decals will expire February 28, 2026. Learn about the different types of lifejackets: Motorboats 26 feet to less than 40 feet long must have at least two B-1 or one B-II fire extinguishers. There are several commercial outfitters that offer float trips. 2023 Boat Owners Association of The United States. Consider this: A recent state figure suggests there are 100 lake trout for every one bull trout. Rent a boat, pontoon, jet ski or canoe, paddle board or kayak from Boat Rentals and Rides on Flathead Lake, located at 44227 [] April Showers Posted April 24, 2019 July 27, 2020 mjsizzler@gmail.com Posted in Boat Rentals , Flathead Lake , Information One statistic that concerns everyone on Flathead Lake is the number of mackinaw trout, also called lake trout. 406-883-4343. It is this vision that has inspired us to establish a . The 2023 Sailing Convention for Women draws female sailors from different generations and backgrounds to share their knowledge, skills, and camaraderie. There is also a popular launch on Finley Point, a peninsula that is also part of Flathead Lake State Park. It is the second largest impoundment in Illinois. Now, he's already facing daily backlash about having it removed. York Bridge fishing access site within 300 feet of boat ramp and dock area as buoyed. The boat owner is responsible for permanently affixing the HIN number on the boat and having the boat inspected by a peace officer. Under MCA 61-3-321, all motorboats, personal watercraft, motorized pontoons and sailboats 12 in length and longer must be permanently registered. There can be several days of beautiful, calm, sunny weather and then a storm may come in from out of nowhere. Find First Available Date. Bag limit. But it gets tricky when strong east winds are blowing. The worst thing in the world is being far from shore with a fire on a boat and no way to put it out. Sailboard operators (wind-surfers) under 15 years of age must wear a life jacket at all times. Other dams not listed here may also be posted for restricted access. From Canyon Ferry Dam to Riverside boat ramp. PO BOX 1090 Flathead Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake in the western US (by surface area) outside of Alaska. Whitefish, Montana, US is the #1 House in Whitefish, United States Bighorn River, Big Horn County: Closed to all motorboats from Afterbay Dam to the Bighorn Fishing Acess Site. Flathead Lake, Flathead County: Boats must travel at no-wake speed from Bigfork Bay to 100 yards west of the Highway 35 bridge, and as buoyed. For the past eight years, the Salish and Kootenai tribes have sponsored "Mack Days" from mid- March to mid-May offering $100,000 in prize money to anglers who have the best 15-day average of fish landed to reduce the population. Lakes Greater than 35 Acres(PDF) The larger fixed-wing water scooper airplanes may at times also need to use a larger section of the lake. Near the south end of the lake, Finley Point is tucked into a conifer forest with camping, boat docks, and swimming. Polson, MT 59860 Like other traffic laws, they are legally binding on vessel operators. give his or her name, address and identification of the boat in writing to any person injured and to the owner of any damaged property. The following dams are closed to all boating, sailing, floating and swimming or closed to all public access as marked by boat restraining systems or signs. The Flathead River is divided into two distinct rivers separated by Flathead Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the Western United States. There are a lot of other reasons given and they can be found at Montana-Sucks.com. Boat owners should prepare their vessel for launching before parking at the boat ramp, should launch the vessel quickly, and move the tow vehicle so that others may use the area. Spokane Creek Bay within 500 feet from mouth of bay as buoyed. Located on the lake's northeast corner, Bigfork, Montana, has a population of 1,400 residents and is home to 50 shops,antique stores, restaurants, and more than a dozen art galleries. Swan River, Lake County: Boats must travel at no-wake speed from the mouth of Swan Lake upstream to Porcupine Bridge approximately 4.5 miles. Lakes 35 Acres or Less(PDF) When a fixed fire extinguishing system is installed and operational in the machinery space of a boat, one less B-1 fire extinguisher is required. Under MCA 61-3-321, all motorboats, personal watercraft, motorized pontoons and sailboats 12 in length and longer must be permanently registered. Leon Lake, Lincoln County: Boats must travel at no-wake speed, Lilly Pad Lake, Lilly Pad Lake is in the Thompson Chain of Lakes, Lincoln County: Boats must travel at no-wake speed, Little Loon Lake, Little McGregor Lake is in the Thompson Chain of Lakes, Lincoln County: Boats must travel at no-wake speed, Little McGregor Lake, Flathead County: Boats must travel at no-wake speed, Little Rainbow Lake, Little Rainbow Lake is in the Thompson Chain of Lakes, Lincoln County: Boats must travel at no-wake speed, Lost Lake, Lost Lake is in the Thompson Chain of Lakes, Lincoln County: Boats must travel at no-wake speed, Lower Carter Pond, Fergus County: Boats must travel at no-wake speed. Boaters must stay at least 200 feet away from a "diver down" flag. 600' above the dam to 700' below the dam. New listings: 45 Foot House Boat on Flathead Lake- Slip Also Available - $45 000 (Bigfork), Boat Slip for Rent - $3 995 (Bigfork Marina Cay) . When fishing the Middle Fork of the Flathead River from park lands or bridges, a Montana fishing license is required, and state regulations are applicable. You need to be observant of clouds and wind. Non-motorized sailboats less than 12 feet long and manually propelled boats, regardless of length, are exempt from registration and taxation. All operators and riders must wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket, or personal flotation device (PFD). 20 Popular Lakes And Their Boating Rules 1. Utah Lake 14. Anyone towed by a boat must wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket, or personal flotation device (PFD). Old Faithful Watersports is conveniently located at the northern tip of Flathead Lake, in beautiful Bigfork, Montana. It's a favorite place for fishing guide Mike Howe: "Big Arm State Park is perhaps the nicest and least utilized state park, especially for day users," he says. The area covers approximately 91,778 acres. Picnicing. Authorized officers of Montana Fish, Wildlife &Parks have peace officer status for enforcement of the boating regulations. More restrictive noise standards are in effect for Flathead Lake (Flathead and Lake Counties), Echo Lake (Flathead County) and Swan Lake (Lake County) because of population density and heavy recreational use. 150' above the dam to 900' below the dam. Boats will be allowed into the marina when the lake level is 2891.5 feet (1.5 feet below full pool) or above. This 32" fish was caught in South Woods Bay at a 160-ft depth and released to grow larger. This brings us to an even larger fish story: According to popular legend, there's the Flathead Monster, with more than 79 reported sightings since first being seen in 1889. Holland Lake, Missoula County: Boats must travel at no-wake speed in Holland Lake Lodge and the Bay Loop campground within 300 feet or as buoyed. The decision has left some. Exceptions:(1) Personal watercraft which must maintain a minimum operating speed to remain upright and maneuver in the water may travel at that minimum operating speed following the most direct route through the no-wake zone to and from shore. The exceptions include: All watercraft operating on public lakes and reservoirs in the western fishing district that are 35 acres or fewer of surface water are limited to a no-wake speed. . Beaver Lake (near Whitefish), Flathead County: Boats must travel at no-wake speed from 5 AM-10 AM and 7 PM-11 PM each day. While a spectacular game fish, it's also one of 15 nonnative fish whose population has increased to the point it threatens the 10 native species, including the bull trout, now considered a "threatened species." Generally, the 12-digit hull identification (HIN) number is on the exterior of the vessels transom in the upper-right corner. 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