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Salmon Lake is a lake in Montana. Fish documented in the area include Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, and Brown Trout. The water surface spans about 650 acres, making it a modest body of water. The page brings together an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, fishing conditions, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Nearby alternatives include Placid Lake, Seeley Lake, and Gibson Reservoir. Current weather, wind, and activity conditions for Salmon Lake are updated throughout the day.
Updated
Alerts are published by official agencies and shown verbatim. View the official alert source.
Winter Weather Advisory issued October 10 at 11:42AM MDT until October 12 at 6:00AM MDT by NWS Missoula MT
Overall Fair (73/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Boating (76/100).
How the score is calculated →Best good fishing window, averaging 75/100 across these hours. Wind 5 mph from the east-northeast. Afternoon hours (17:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 39° | 40° | 41° | 41° | 39° | 36° | 32° | 31° | 30° | 28° | 28° | 27° | 26° | 25° | 24° | 22° | 22° | 21° | 20° | 24° | 29° | 33° | 37° | 41° |
| Wind (kts) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Direction | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | NE | N | N | NW | NW | NW | W | W | S | S | SE | E | E | E | SE | SE | SE |
| Gusts (kts) | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Precip % | 26% | 44% | 46% | 50% | 74% | 69% | 74% | 83% | 82% | 77% | 60% | 44% | 36% | 24% | 17% | 5% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 1% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, 2 PM MDT | 39°F | 5 mph ENE (68°) | 13 mph | 26% | 93% | Chance Light Snow |
| Sun, 3 PM MDT | 40°F | 5 mph ENE (68°) | 14 mph | 44% | 92% | Chance Light Snow |
| Sun, 4 PM MDT | 41°F | 5 mph ENE (68°) | 14 mph | 46% | 93% | Chance Light Snow |
| Sun, 5 PM MDT | 41°F | 5 mph ENE (68°) | 14 mph | 50% | 94% | Chance Light Snow |
| Sun, 6 PM MDT | 39°F | 5 mph ENE (68°) | 13 mph | 74% | 95% | Light Snow Likely |
| Sun, 7 PM MDT | 36°F | 2 mph ENE (68°) | 12 mph | 69% | 96% | Light Snow Likely |
| Sun, 8 PM MDT | 32°F | 2 mph ENE (68°) | 8 mph | 74% | 96% | Light Snow Likely |
| Sun, 9 PM MDT | 31°F | 2 mph NNE (23°) | 7 mph | 83% | 95% | Light Snow |
| Sun, 10 PM MDT | 30°F | 3 mph N (0°) | 7 mph | 82% | 94% | Light Snow |
| Sun, 11 PM MDT | 28°F | 3 mph NNW (338°) | 8 mph | 77% | 93% | Light Snow |
| Mon, 12 AM MDT | 28°F | 2 mph NW (315°) | 6 mph | 60% | 91% | Light Snow Likely |
| Mon, 1 AM MDT | 27°F | 1 mph NW (315°) | 6 mph | 44% | 95% | Chance Light Snow |
| Mon, 2 AM MDT | 26°F | 1 mph WNW (293°) | 5 mph | 36% | 94% | Chance Light Snow |
| Mon, 3 AM MDT | 25°F | 1 mph W (270°) | 5 mph | 24% | 90% | Patchy Fog |
| Mon, 4 AM MDT | 24°F | 2 mph WSW (248°) | 5 mph | 17% | 77% | Slight Chance Light Snow |
| Mon, 5 AM MDT | 22°F | 1 mph S (180°) | 5 mph | 5% | 75% | Patchy Fog |
| Mon, 6 AM MDT | 22°F | 2 mph SSE (158°) | 6 mph | 3% | 59% | Partly Sunny |
| Mon, 7 AM MDT | 21°F | 2 mph ESE (113°) | 6 mph | 3% | 73% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Mon, 8 AM MDT | 20°F | 2 mph ENE (68°) | 6 mph | 2% | 63% | Partly Sunny |
| Mon, 9 AM MDT | 24°F | 2 mph E (90°) | 5 mph | 2% | 51% | Partly Sunny |
| Mon, 10 AM MDT | 29°F | 2 mph E (90°) | 5 mph | 2% | 18% | Sunny |
| Mon, 11 AM MDT | 33°F | 2 mph ESE (113°) | 5 mph | 2% | 10% | Sunny |
| Mon, 12 PM MDT | 37°F | 2 mph SE (135°) | 6 mph | 1% | 24% | Sunny |
| Mon, 1 PM MDT | 41°F | 1 mph ESE (113°) | 5 mph | 1% | 31% | Mostly Sunny |
| Mon, 2 PM MDT | 43°F | 2 mph SE (135°) | 6 mph | 1% | 33% | Mostly Sunny |
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 | This Afternoon October 11, 2026 | Tonight 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 | Thursday October 15, 2026 | Thursday Night October 15, 2026 | Friday October 16, 2026 | Friday Night October 16, 2026 | Saturday October 17, 2026 | Saturday Night October 17, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 41° | 20° | 46° | 20° | 51° | 21° | 55° | 25° | 59° | 26° | 63° | 30° | 65° | 31° |
| Wind | ENE 5 mph | NNW 1 to 5 mph | ESE 2 mph | N 1 mph | W 2 mph | WNW 1 mph | SW 0 to 3 mph | WNW 2 mph | E 2 mph | SE 0 to 3 mph | SE 2 mph | 0 mph | SSW 1 to 5 mph | WSW 3 mph |
| Gusts | 14 mph | 13 mph | 6 mph | 5 mph | 7 mph | 5 mph | 9 mph | 8 mph | 7 mph | 8 mph | 6 mph | 4 mph | 13 mph | 9 mph |
| Precip % | 50% | 83% | 3% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% |
| Forecast |
No active USGS or USACE telemetry gauge is currently mapped to Salmon Lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake.
Good for fishing (75/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 5 mph from the east-northeast. 26% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Air temperature 39°F. 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.
Good for boating (76/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 5 mph from the east-northeast. Gusts to 13 mph. Working against it: Active moderate alert: Winter Weather Advisory. 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: Gusts exceed sustained wind by 8 mph, making the breeze puffy. 26% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Active moderate alert: Winter Weather Advisory. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Good for kayaking (75/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 5 mph from the east-northeast. Gusts to 13 mph. Working against it: Active moderate alert: Winter Weather Advisory. Air temperature 39°F. 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.
Nestled in MT, Salmon Lake is an attractive freshwater lake celebrated for its open water, scenic shoreline, and productive sport fishery. From spring pre-spawn fishing to peak summer watersports, the lake remains a popular regional destination. Keep watercraft clean, drained, and dry to safeguard this aquatic resource.
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 Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Brown 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 Salmon Lake 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 11, 2:21 PM MDT