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Whitefish Lake (MT) is a lake in Montana. The water surface spans about 3,315 acres, making it a mid-sized body of water. The page brings together an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. If you are planning a trip, Lake McDonald, Bowman Lake, and Flathead Lake are also nearby. Use the conditions and forecast on this page to decide when to go boating, fishing, or paddling at Whitefish Lake (MT).
Updated
Alerts are published by official agencies and shown verbatim. View the official alert source.
Lake Wind Advisory issued October 11 at 10:36AM MDT until October 12 at 6:00AM MDT by NWS Missoula MT
Overall Poor (47/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Fishing (77/100).
How the score is calculated →Best good fishing window, averaging 87/100 across these hours. Wind 1 mph from the south. Dusk hours (18:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 42° | 42° | 41° | 40° | 36° | 34° | 32° | 31° | 30° | 30° | 29° | 29° | 28° | 27° | 27° | 27° | 25° | 27° | 33° | 37° | 41° | 44° | 47° | 49° |
| Wind (kts) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Direction | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | N | — | — | — | — | — | S |
| Gusts (kts) | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 21 | 19 | 14 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Precip % | 5% | 6% | 11% | 16% | 20% | 19% | 17% | 14% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 5% | 6% | 5% | 2% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, 4 PM MDT | 42°F | 12 mph NE (45°) | 27 mph | 5% | 88% | Cloudy |
| Sun, 5 PM MDT | 42°F | 12 mph NE (45°) | 27 mph | 6% | 88% | Cloudy |
| Sun, 6 PM MDT | 41°F | 12 mph NE (45°) | 28 mph | 11% | 88% | Cloudy |
| Sun, 7 PM MDT | 40°F | 12 mph NE (45°) | 28 mph | 16% | 89% | Slight Chance Light Snow |
| Sun, 8 PM MDT | 36°F | 10 mph NE (45°) | 28 mph | 20% | 92% | Slight Chance Light Snow |
| Sun, 9 PM MDT | 34°F | 10 mph NE (45°) | 29 mph | 19% | 85% | Slight Chance Light Snow |
| Sun, 10 PM MDT | 32°F | 9 mph NE (45°) | 28 mph | 17% | 94% | Slight Chance Light Snow |
| Sun, 11 PM MDT | 31°F | 5 mph NE (45°) | 24 mph | 14% | 85% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Mon, 12 AM MDT | 30°F | 3 mph NNE (23°) | 22 mph | 7% | 81% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Mon, 1 AM MDT | 30°F | 3 mph NNE (23°) | 16 mph | 7% | 73% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Mon, 2 AM MDT | 29°F | 2 mph NNE (23°) | 16 mph | 7% | 70% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Mon, 3 AM MDT | 29°F | 3 mph NNE (23°) | 9 mph | 5% | 77% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Mon, 4 AM MDT | 28°F | 3 mph NNE (23°) | 9 mph | 6% | 82% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Mon, 5 AM MDT | 27°F | 3 mph NNE (23°) | 8 mph | 5% | 82% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Mon, 6 AM MDT | 27°F | 2 mph NNE (23°) | 6 mph | 2% | 83% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Mon, 7 AM MDT | 27°F | 2 mph NNE (23°) | 5 mph | 3% | 83% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Mon, 8 AM MDT | 25°F | 2 mph NNE (23°) | 5 mph | 3% | 78% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Mon, 9 AM MDT | 27°F | 2 mph N (0°) | 5 mph | 3% | 75% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Mon, 10 AM MDT | 33°F | Calm | 4 mph | 2% | 63% | Partly Sunny |
| Mon, 11 AM MDT | 37°F | Calm | 2 mph | 2% | 48% | Mostly Sunny |
| Mon, 12 PM MDT | 41°F | Calm | 2 mph | 1% | 36% | Mostly Sunny |
| Mon, 1 PM MDT | 44°F | Calm | 4 mph | 1% | 34% | Mostly Sunny |
| Mon, 2 PM MDT | 47°F | Calm | 5 mph | 1% | 37% | Mostly Sunny |
| Mon, 3 PM MDT | 49°F | 1 mph S (180°) | 6 mph | 1% | 19% | Sunny |
| Mon, 4 PM MDT | 50°F | 1 mph S (180°) | 7 mph | 1% | 8% | 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 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 42° | 42° | 25° | 50° | 24° | 54° | 27° | 57° | 29° | 60° | 31° | 61° | 34° | 65° |
| Wind | NE 13 mph | NE 12 mph | NE 2 to 12 mph | NNE 2 mph | W 1 mph | W 1 mph | 0 mph | W 2 mph | W 1 mph | NNE 1 mph | NNE 1 mph | S 2 mph | 0 mph | SSW 0 to 6 mph |
| Gusts | 28 mph | 27 mph | 29 mph | 7 mph | 6 mph | 6 mph | 4 mph | 9 mph | 5 mph | 5 mph | 4 mph | 7 mph | 2 mph | 16 mph |
| Precip % | 17% | 8% | 20% | 3% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Forecast |
Good for fishing (77/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 12 mph from the northeast. 5% chance of precipitation. 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 12 mph from the northeast. 5% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Active moderate alert: Lake Wind Advisory. Lake Wind Advisory is 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 12 mph from the NE is in the preferred sailing range. 5% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Active moderate alert: Lake Wind Advisory. Lake Wind Advisory is 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 12 mph from the northeast. 5% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Active moderate alert: Lake Wind Advisory. Lake Wind Advisory is 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 (MT) is a popular freshwater lake located in MT, providing great recreation for boaters, kayakers, and outdoor travelers. With public access points distributed along the water's edge, launching a boat or paddleboard is straightforward and convenient. Facilities and day-use grounds 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 Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Yellow Perch, Smallmouth Bass, Mackinaw (Lake 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 Whitefish Lake (MT) 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, 4:16 PM MDT