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Lake McDonald sits in Montana and is classified as a lake. Fish documented in the area include Bull Trout, Mountain Whitefish, Mackinaw (Lake Trout), and Brook Trout. It covers roughly 6,823 surface acres (about 11 square miles). Sitting at around 3,153 feet of elevation, it drops to a maximum depth near 469 feet. A nearby water gauge supplies level and temperature readings where available. For this location, LakeRadar tracks an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, water readings, fishing conditions, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Nearby alternatives include Lake McDonald, Hungry Horse Reservoir, and Saint Mary Lake. Use the conditions and forecast on this page to decide when to go boating, fishing, or paddling at Lake McDonald.
Updated
Latest source update is older than expected. Use caution and check the official source.
The last automated check (Oct 9, 5:11 AM MDT) found no active alerts for this lake, but that check is older than LakeRadar's alert freshness window, so the current alert status could not be confirmed.
Confirm before heading out: official alerts for this area or weather.gov/alerts. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
Overall Excellent (90/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Boating (99/100).
How the score is calculated →Best good fishing window, averaging 87/100 across these hours. Wind 1 mph from the south. Dawn hours (07:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 46° | 43° | 44° | 45° | 52° | 58° | 63° | 66° | 68° | 70° | 69° | 65° | 62° | 57° | 54° | 52° | 51° | 49° | 49° | 47° | 46° | 45° | 44° | 42° |
| Wind (kts) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Direction | S | S | S | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | W | W | W | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | — | — | — |
| Gusts (kts) | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 13 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 16 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 5% | 8% | 26% | 41% | 22% | 17% | 16% | 16% | 19% | 16% | 15% | 14% | 14% | 12% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 6 AM MDT | 46°F | 1 mph S (180°) | 7 mph | 0% | 36% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 7 AM MDT | 43°F | 1 mph S (180°) | 7 mph | 0% | 40% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 8 AM MDT | 44°F | 1 mph S (180°) | 7 mph | 0% | 28% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 9 AM MDT | 45°F | 5 mph SW (225°) | 8 mph | 0% | 12% | Sunny |
| Fri, 10 AM MDT | 52°F | 5 mph SW (225°) | 10 mph | 0% | 6% | Sunny |
| Fri, 11 AM MDT | 58°F | 5 mph SW (225°) | 15 mph | 0% | 11% | Sunny |
| Fri, 12 PM MDT | 63°F | 13 mph SW (225°) | 20 mph | 1% | 8% | Sunny |
| Fri, 1 PM MDT | 66°F | 13 mph SW (225°) | 23 mph | 1% | 10% | Sunny |
| Fri, 2 PM MDT | 68°F | 13 mph SW (225°) | 25 mph | 2% | 15% | Sunny |
| Fri, 3 PM MDT | 70°F | 14 mph SW (225°) | 25 mph | 2% | 36% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 4 PM MDT | 69°F | 13 mph WSW (248°) | 25 mph | 5% | 30% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 5 PM MDT | 65°F | 13 mph WSW (248°) | 25 mph | 8% | 64% | Partly Sunny |
| Fri, 6 PM MDT | 62°F | 10 mph WSW (248°) | 27 mph | 26% | 84% | Chance Light Rain |
| Fri, 7 PM MDT | 57°F | 9 mph SW (225°) | 27 mph | 41% | 85% | Chance Light Rain |
| Fri, 8 PM MDT | 54°F | 12 mph SW (225°) | 27 mph | 22% | 85% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| Fri, 9 PM MDT | 52°F | 10 mph SW (225°) | 25 mph | 17% | 81% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| Fri, 10 PM MDT | 51°F | 10 mph SW (225°) | 24 mph | 16% | 84% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| Fri, 11 PM MDT | 49°F | 10 mph SW (225°) | 18 mph | 16% | 63% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| Sat, 12 AM MDT | 49°F | 6 mph SW (225°) | 13 mph | 19% | 77% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| Sat, 1 AM MDT | 47°F | 6 mph SW (225°) | 10 mph | 16% | 58% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| Sat, 2 AM MDT | 46°F | 6 mph SW (225°) | 8 mph | 15% | 59% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| Sat, 3 AM MDT | 45°F | Calm | 6 mph | 14% | 63% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 4 AM MDT | 44°F | Calm | 5 mph | 14% | 50% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sat, 5 AM MDT | 42°F | Calm | 5 mph | 12% | 54% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 6 AM MDT | 41°F | 17 mph NNE (23°) | 18 mph | 29% | 61% | Chance Light Rain |
Official National Weather Service hourly forecast. Showing 10 of 25 hours. Wind arrows point the way the wind is blowing; the compass point and degrees show where it comes from.
| Period | Overnight October 9, 2026 | Overnight October 9, 2026 | Friday October 9, 2026 | Friday Night October 9, 2026 | Saturday October 10, 2026 | Saturday Night October 10, 2026 | Sunday October 11, 2026 | Sunday Night October 11, 2026 | Columbus Day October 12, 2026 | Monday Night October 12, 2026 | Tuesday October 13, 2026 | Tuesday Night October 13, 2026 | Wednesday October 14, 2026 | Wednesday Night October 14, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 43° | 43° | 70° | 37° | 49° | 30° | 42° | 28° | 53° | 31° | 56° | 33° | 54° | 34° |
| Wind | S 1 mph | S 1 mph | SSW 1 to 14 mph | SSW 0 to 12 mph | NE 5 to 28 mph | NE 7 to 25 mph | NE 3 to 7 mph | NE 1 to 5 mph | 0 mph | 0 mph | SW 2 mph | SSW 1 mph | SSW 2 mph | 0 mph |
| Gusts | 7 mph | 7 mph | 25 mph | 27 mph | 29 mph | 36 mph | 15 mph | 14 mph | 5 mph | 5 mph | 9 mph | 5 mph | 9 mph | 5 mph |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 8% | 41% | 45% | 42% | 31% | 8% | 6% | 5% | 3% | 9% | 40% | 49% |
| Forecast |
Excellent for fishing (92/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 1 mph from the south. Dawn hours (06:00 local). Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend, water temperature. Confidence is moderate (74%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Excellent for boating (99/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 1 mph from the south. Gusts to 7 mph. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility and conditions, verified water access. Confidence is moderate (84%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Fair for sailing (64/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. Gusts exceed sustained wind by 6 mph, making the breeze puffy. Working against it: Wind 1 mph is light; expect limited sailing. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Excellent for kayaking (96/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 1 mph from the south. Gusts to 7 mph. Confidence is high (90%).
Water temperature is not available from a verified source for this lake. No swimming score is shown without it.
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Individual boat ramp GPS coordinates are maintained under the jurisdiction of MT Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Widely appreciated across MT, Lake McDonald provides an engaging setting for all styles of freshwater watercraft and shore recreation. Anglers seek out structure-oriented fish, while families and boaters take advantage of designated recreation zones. Be sure to check seasonal gate hours and daily parking pass requirements.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) is required for anglers age 12+. Digital license on mobile is accepted.
Mandatory Clean, Drain & Dry inspection. Out-of-area craft require on-site Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS Quagga/Zebra) inspection or decontamination before launch. USCG life jackets required for all.
Public shoreline and boating access managed by State & Local Authorities. Verify seasonal gate hours, launch fees, and parking rules before travel.
High-speed motorboating, pontoon cruising, wakeboarding, and water skiing across main channels. Target gamefish include Bull Trout, Mountain Whitefish, Mackinaw (Lake Trout), Brook Trout. Morning hours typically provide optimal glassy conditions for kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) touring.
Warm water temperatures, peak swimming, active watersports, and open full-service campgrounds. Highest weekly attendance; plan early arrivals on summer weekends.
Spring pre-spawn and fall feeding transitions create prime trophy angling conditions. Cooler air, lower boat traffic, and vibrant seasonal shoreline foliage.
Northern cold winter conditions with freezing air temperatures and potential surface ice formation. Ramps and water systems may be winterized. Confirm open status before visiting.
No external source rows are cited by the data currently shown on this page.
Updated
Scores are heuristics, not safety guarantees. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
All telemetry for Lake McDonald is synchronized directly from authorized federal and state monitoring networks (USGS, NWS, NOAA, and state environmental authorities). Observations are strictly instrumented readings — unmonitored sensors are transparently disclosed rather than synthetic estimates.
Last source audit: Oct 9, 6:11 AM MDT