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Whitefish Lake is a natural lake located in Montana.
Updated
Alerts are published by official agencies and shown verbatim. View the official alert source.
Wind Advisory issued October 9 at 11:38AM MDT until October 11 at 6:00AM MDT by NWS Missoula MT
Overall Poor (49/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Fishing (84/100).
How the score is calculated →Best good fishing window, averaging 84/100 across these hours. Wind 10 mph from the west. Dusk hours (18:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 65° | 63° | 57° | 52° | 50° | 47° | 45° | 43° | 41° | 40° | 39° | 38° | 36° | 36° | 35° | 34° | 36° | 40° | 43° | 45° | 47° | 48° | 49° | 48° |
| Wind (kts) | 11 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 23 | 23 |
| Direction | W | W | W | W | SW | SW | SW | S | S | S | SE | SE | E | NE | NE | NE | NE | E | E | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE |
| Gusts (kts) | 23 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 24 | 24 |
| Precip % | 4% | 35% | 26% | 11% | 7% | 8% | 6% | 9% | 8% | 3% | 4% | 4% | 7% | 16% | 18% | 25% | 22% | 23% | 30% | 12% | 14% | 11% | 4% | 1% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 5 PM MDT | 65°F | 13 mph WSW (248°) | 27 mph | 4% | 77% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 6 PM MDT | 63°F | 10 mph W (270°) | 24 mph | 35% | 86% | Chance Light Rain |
| Fri, 7 PM MDT | 57°F | 10 mph W (270°) | 24 mph | 26% | 92% | Chance Light Rain |
| Fri, 8 PM MDT | 52°F | 10 mph WSW (248°) | 24 mph | 11% | 86% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 9 PM MDT | 50°F | 9 mph SW (225°) | 24 mph | 7% | 87% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 10 PM MDT | 47°F | 9 mph SW (225°) | 23 mph | 8% | 80% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 11 PM MDT | 45°F | 9 mph SW (225°) | 20 mph | 6% | 82% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 12 AM MDT | 43°F | 5 mph S (180°) | 15 mph | 9% | 84% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 1 AM MDT | 41°F | 5 mph S (180°) | 13 mph | 8% | 87% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 2 AM MDT | 40°F | 5 mph S (180°) | 10 mph | 3% | 85% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 3 AM MDT | 39°F | 3 mph ESE (113°) | 7 mph | 4% | 79% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 4 AM MDT | 38°F | 2 mph ESE (113°) | 6 mph | 4% | 72% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 5 AM MDT | 36°F | 1 mph ENE (68°) | 5 mph | 7% | 74% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 6 AM MDT | 36°F | 10 mph NNE (23°) | 12 mph | 16% | 68% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| Sat, 7 AM MDT | 35°F | 10 mph NNE (23°) | 12 mph | 18% | 64% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| Sat, 8 AM MDT | 34°F | 10 mph NNE (23°) | 12 mph | 25% | 54% | Chance Light Rain |
| Sat, 9 AM MDT | 36°F | 2 mph NE (45°) | 27 mph | 22% | 66% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| Sat, 10 AM MDT | 40°F | 3 mph E (90°) | 27 mph | 23% | 73% | Slight Chance Light Rain |
| Sat, 11 AM MDT | 43°F | 7 mph E (90°) | 27 mph | 30% | 53% | Chance Light Rain |
| Sat, 12 PM MDT | 45°F | 15 mph NE (45°) | 24 mph | 12% | 57% | Partly Sunny |
| Sat, 1 PM MDT | 47°F | 15 mph NE (45°) | 24 mph | 14% | 54% | Partly Sunny |
| Sat, 2 PM MDT | 48°F | 15 mph NE (45°) | 24 mph | 11% | 78% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 3 PM MDT | 49°F | 26 mph NE (45°) | 28 mph | 4% | 60% | Partly Sunny |
| Sat, 4 PM MDT | 48°F | 26 mph NE (45°) | 28 mph | 1% | 68% | Partly Sunny |
| Sat, 5 PM MDT | 47°F | 26 mph NE (45°) | 28 mph | 0% | 56% | Partly 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 9, 2026 | Tonight 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 | Thursday October 15, 2026 | Thursday Night October 15, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 69° | 34° | 50° | 28° | 43° | 24° | 49° | 26° | 54° | 29° | 55° | 30° | 57° | 29° |
| Wind | WSW 15 mph | SSW 1 to 10 mph | ENE 2 to 26 mph | NE 12 to 26 mph | NE 7 to 12 mph | NE 5 to 8 mph | NNE 0 to 3 mph | E 1 mph | W 1 mph | E 1 mph | SW 2 mph | NW 1 mph | SSW 1 mph | 0 mph |
| Gusts | 28 mph | 24 mph | 28 mph | 31 mph | 18 mph | 18 mph | 6 mph | 5 mph | 7 mph | 4 mph | 9 mph | 5 mph | 6 mph | 4 mph |
| Precip % | 4% | 35% | 30% | 20% | 23% | 15% | 6% | 1% | 1% | 6% | 15% | 10% | 3% | 2% |
| Forecast |
Good for fishing (84/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 13 mph from the west-southwest. Afternoon hours (17:00 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.
Very Poor / Avoid for boating (30/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 13 mph from the west-southwest. 4% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Active moderate alert: Wind Advisory. Wind Advisory, Lake Wind Advisory are in effect for this lake. Boating scores are capped at 30. 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.
Very Poor / Avoid for sailing (30/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 13 mph from the WSW is in the preferred sailing range. 4% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Active moderate alert: Wind Advisory. Wind Advisory, Lake Wind Advisory are in effect for this lake. Sailing scores are capped at 30. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Very Poor / Avoid for kayaking (30/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 13 mph from the west-southwest. 4% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Active moderate alert: Wind Advisory. Wind Advisory, Lake Wind Advisory are in effect for this lake. Kayaking scores are capped at 30. 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.
Whitefish Lake stands as a well-regarded freshwater lake in MT, recognized for its rich fishery and accessible open-water recreation. The waterbody offers excellent conditions for troll fishing, drift casting, and pleasure boating. Shoreline access points and public park amenities are overseen by state and local natural resource agencies.
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 Mackinaw (Lake Trout), Brook Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Pumpkinseed Sunfish. 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 Whitefish 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 9, 5:13 PM MDT