Seeley-Swan Fishing below Map
See also...
Regional Fly Fishing Shops and Guide Service
Highway 83 from the Clearwater Junction to Big Fork,
Montana
MM = Highway Mileage Marker signs
Some anglers travel in packs and grudgingly compromise on
their fishing itinerary; others travel with loved ones and, to the chagrin of
family members, plan their family vacations not by destination resorts but by
river tributaries. For the fly fisher who cajoles and pleads and promises the
moon to his family in order to just wet a line on another river, the
Seeley-Swan promises something for everyone in the family. Nestled between the
Mission Mountains Wilderness and the Bob Marshall Wilderness, the Seeley Lake
recreation area and the Swan River basin offer summer recreation at its best.
Golfing, swimming, canoeing, jet skiing, water skiing,
trail riding and wilderness excursions provide just some of the many activities
for the entire family. Oh, but here is the dilemma for dad and his fishing
converts. Just what type of fish
to fish? The small creeks contain cutthroats and brookies, as do the mountain
lakes. The Clearwater River holds nice browns, and the Swan River is home to
both cutthroats and bull trout. The Seeley Lake chain offers kokanee salmon,
rainbows, cutthroats, yellow perch and the notorious pike. From Summit Lake
down to the town of Seeley, and then down to Clearwater Junction, the watershed
is a tributary of the Blackfoot River, which in turn is a tributary of the
Clark Fork.
At Summit Lake, Highway 83 crests on a small divide, which
begins the watershed for the Swan River that runs north to Flathead Lake.
Throughout this recreational wonderland are numerous forest service
campgrounds, Montana state park campgrounds and many unimproved camping sites
on both Plum Creek logging land and in the Lolo and Flathead National Forests.
Backpackers will find that the Bob Marshall Wilderness offers over a million
acres to explore. The Bob is 60 miles in length and joins the Scapegoat
Wilderness to the south and the Great Bear Wilderness to the north, which
reaches all the way up into Glacier National Park. On the eastern side of the
valley, the Mission Wilderness encompasses over 70,000 acres of jagged peaks,
small glaciers and many mountain lakes and streams.
All of this country is easily accessed from Highway 83,
and every mile marker beckons the fishermen to a new piece of water. Spin fishing anglers use ¼-ounce
Rooster Tail lures in the rainbow, chartreuse and brown trout colors as well as
1/8- and ¼ -ounce Panther Martin lures in all gold or silver. This country is where fly fishers and
night crawler fishermen co-exist in harmony. There is just so much variety to
choose from. In addition to the lures and spinners, one popular method of
fishing from a canoe is to simply troll with a bobber and a piece of night
crawler on a six-foot leader. For the fly fisher, nymph offerings work best,
unless they are rising to a hatch. I recommend a sinking tip with a Prince or a
bead-head pattern or an olive or black Wooly Bugger or leech pattern. When
fishing for kokanee, use a leaded line with cowbells, plus a three-foot leader
and a Wedding Ring with a piece of white corn or a night crawler. Expect to
catch kokanee from 8 to 13-inches.
Clearwater Lake, which is a walk-in lake, offers a chance
at some big cutthroats, but it is known for its inconsistency. When it is hot, it is hot. When it is not, it is not. Pack in a float tube and a lunch.
Seeley Lake is home to a Loch Ness Godzilla, the notorious
pike. Brought in by bucket biologists, the pike introduction is the bane of
trout fishers. But according to
some locals the pike explosion has been a boon to the Seeley area, as it draws
in pike fishers from all around the country. Prior to the pike fishing, Seeley
Lake was fair fishing for planted rainbows, sun fish, suckers and a few bass.
What most fishermen come to realize is that, unlike the pike up in Canada who
often feed on themselves due to the scarce food supply, Seeley Pike are not
aggressive feeders, as they have large numbers of sun fish and trash fish to
feed on. Preferred lures are one-ounce red and white Dare Devils, big buzz
baits, and large-jointed Rappalas. At the very minimum, use 12-pound line.
Other popular lures are Rappala Magnums, weedless rubber mice, Jaw Breakers and
spinner baits. If you fish the
lily pads, plan on actually landing about 10% of the fish you catch. Fly
fishers wishing to fish for pike should use wire leaders and deer-hair mice. If
you are fishing from a belly-boat or float tube, be sure to bring along a pair
of pliers and gloves. When releasing a pike, turn them belly up so that they
become motionless.
According to a number of knowledgeable sources, the pike
will peak in numbers and then decline. When this happens, they will move into
pike zones. Once this happens the
trout population will stabilize as well. The major detriment to the
introduction of pike has been the decline of kokanee salmon.
Highway 83 MM 0: Clearwater Junction to Bigfork.
Clearwater River: The
Clearwater River is the drainage river through the Seeley Valley from the
Seeley chain of lakes to the Blackfoot River. Connecting a number of lakes the river is more like a long
slough in places. As it moves through
the last few miles of its meandering course to the Blackfoot River, this small
stream cuts through impenetrable willows, downed debris and marsh, which makes
for tough fishing. I found it more
work than reward. However, many
sections between the lakes offer fun float fishing for a variety of warm water
species and trout.
MM 1: Harper's Lake and Blanchard Lake are right next to
each other. Both lakes are ¼ of a mile off the highway and provide access to
the Clearwater River and a nice campground, especially for a family who has
brought along a canoe. The campground is suitable for trailers and offers shade
and an ideal spot for family recreation. Harper's Lake prohibits boats with
motors. The lake is planted with trout each year, as well as some retired brood
stock. A small 18-acre pothole lake, Harper's Lake is separated from Blanchard
Lake by the access road. Blanchard Lake is a misnomer, as it is actually a
10-acre flooded oxbow of the Clearwater River. Blanchard Lake offers a
potpourri of small trout, perch, bass, whitefish and rough fish.
MM 6.5: Salmon Lake State Park Fee area. Salmon Lake State
Park campground has been updated and provides new lavatories with coin-operated
showers. The campground has a boat launch and a picnic area as well as an
amphitheater where they bring in guest speakers to talk about the wildlife, as
well as educational seminars sponsored by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
Native Americans also give presentations on their cultural heritage and
history. Salmon Lake is a popular lake for all of the trout species and kokanee
salmon. The Clearwater River above Salmon Lake is a popular fishing area for
browns. This short section to the Placid Lake turn-off is a challenge, however,
as it is braided swampland crowded with willow and tag alder.
MM 10.1: Placid Lake State Park: After you exit the highway, you will cross the Clearwater
River, which has a campsite and a fishing trail both upstream and downstream.
About a half-mile further are some nice unimproved Plum Creek campsites on Owl
Creek, the outlet creek for Placid Lake. Placid Lake State Park is three miles
from the highway and charges a fee. The park has recently been upgraded and
improved with coin-operated showers and handicapped-accessible rest rooms with
hot and cold water. Placid Lake also has a boat launch. Popular with water
skiers, the lake doesn't offer much for quality fishing, although it is loaded
with small kokanee. Owl Creek parallels the road and offers small cutthroats
and brookies. Bring plenty of mosquito repellant if you plan on fishing the
Clearwater River area where it is joined by Owl Creek.
Ignore the signs to Jocko Lakes. The road takes off from the
campground entrance. The lakes are high up in the Mission Mountains on the
Flathead Indian Reservation. They are closed to fishing. The outlet, the Jocko
River, is an excellent high-country stream. However, you will need a tribal
permit to fish so you would need to continue driving to Arlee, Montana. From
Highway 83 to the fishing area on the Jocko River is approximately 25 miles.
MM 14: Seeley Lake River Point Campground: Just after mile-marker 14, look for Boy
Scout Road on the left. The road swings around the east side of Seeley Lake and
rejoins Highway 83 above the town. River Point Campground is 2.1 miles from the
highway and offers 26 campsites, swimming and picnicking. It is a USFS fee
campground and provides lots of shade. Seeley Lake Campground is a fee
campground right on the lake.
Seeley Lake Campground, in Lolo National Forest, is 3.3 miles. Shaded by
larch, it also offers a nice concrete boat launch and a beach with a roped-in
swimming area. Public pay phones are available, but the campground does not
offer showers. 29 campsites. Flush toilets. Cold drinking water. Boat launch.
Seeley Lake provides lots of fishing opportunities for
perch, stocked rainbows, cutthroats and pike, not to mention some hefty 5- to
10-pound brood stock from the Arlee hatchery. Yellow perch are best caught with
a rubber jig with a piece of night crawler. The best pike fishing is found at
the outlet of the lake.
MM 15-16: Seeley Lake, Montana. Seeley Trailhead Campground,
Morrell Creek, Morrell Falls, Morrell Lake and Cottonwood Lakes (Road #477)
Just as you reach the outskirts of the town of Seeley, look for Morrell Creek
Road which heads east. Morrell Creek is first crossed two miles from the highway.
The creek offers small cutthroats, brookies and the occasional brown spawner in
the fall.
Cottonwood Lakes are 8.4 miles from Seeley Trailhead
Campground on the Morrell Falls Road (#477). There is only one real lake, which is the middle lake. The
other two lakes are shallow mud ponds. The middle lake is a narrow 15-acre
lake, and it is only fished out of a canoe or small boat. The lake is stocked
with Arlee rainbows, and it is a popular fishing lake for cutthroats and
brookies. The lake offers a number of unimproved campsites. This is "pack it in
- pack it out" country. Morrell Creek Road is actually a loop that comes out at
Kozy Korner three miles from Highway 83. Take Woodworth Road just past Salmon
Lake State Park.
MM 17.9: Seeley Lake Ranger Station.
MM 19.4: Boy Scout Road: This is the loop road which swings around the west side of
the lake and re-connects at mileage marker 14.
MM 20: Clearwater Lake Loop: Refer to Mileage Marker 28.
MM 22.5: Lake Inez:
293 acres with a maximum depth of 70 feet. Fishing is similar to Seeley
Lake. Lake Inez has USFS non-fee campgrounds running along the shore of the
lake right beneath the highway. Some of the sites are squeezed between the
water and the access road with the highway up above it.
MM 24: Lake Inez Campground access.
MM 25: West Fork of the Clearwater River, Marshall
Lake: As soon as you turn off the
highway, you will cross the Clearwater River. Right alongside the creek and the
road are two grassy unimproved campsites. The West Fork of the Clearwater River
is a brushy little creek with few fish. The road to Marshall Lake is 6.4 miles
and offers a stunning view of the valley. Narrow and bumpy in places, I would
recommend pulling only a tent trailer. When I got up to the lake, however, I was
surprised to see a 19-foot trailer. When I talked to the camper, he had a
harrowing tale about backing up his trailer on a windy cliff-side road when he
ran into a gate.
Marshall Lake has one campsite and a place to launch a boat,
although there are a couple of unimproved campsites on the creek about a
hundred yards from the lake. The road forks just above the campsite and follows
the side of the mountain up above the lake, where a gate blocks further travel.
Vandals had removed the warning sign. The father said that it had taken hours
to back the trailer down the narrow, windy road, and his two young sons were
terrified. Marshall Lake froze a number of years ago. All that was left were a
few five-inch cuts when I fished it. The creek also froze out and offers poor
fishing in the upper reaches. Check to see if the lake has been re-stocked.
MM 26: Lake Alva: Approximately 300 acres with a maximum
depth of 90 feet. Lake Alva is the most popular fishing lake among the locals.
Offering good catches of kokanee, trout and the occasional bull trout, the lake
also offers perch and pike. Similar to Lake Inez, Lake Alva has a non-fee USFS
campground that runs along the water's edge just short of mile marker 25, but
it is more suitable to tents and truck campers. Lake Alva Campground is a
self-serve fee campground with no showers. 41 campsites. Cold drinking water.
U.S. Fee Area.
During the ice-fishing season, a 27-pound pike was speared
in the lake. The campground has an excellent boat launch and a small beach with
a roped-off area for swimming.
MM 27: Rainy Lake is a 70-acre shallow lake. It is popular
fishing for 12-inch cutthroats. Rainy Lake has the largest population of bull
trout and is free of pike.
MM 28: Clearwater Lake Loop: The dirt road is surprisingly
smooth, and the view of the Bob Marshall Wilderness peaks are stunning.
Clearwater Lake is seven miles from the highway. You will find a parking spot
with a half-mile trail down to the lake (it seemed much shorter than a
half-mile). Don't waste your time trying to fish this lake from the shore. The
lake is extremely shallow around its entire length. The lake is rich in leeches
and freshwater shrimp with good hatches so the cutthroats are sometimes
uncooperative. The lake is best fished from a belly boat or a canoe. The best
fishing is in the northwest end of the lake. Use olive leeches, bead-head
nymphs and hoppers in August. The lake offers a number of pack-in camping
sites.
MM 31: Summit Lake is a small, brushy-lined lake that
freezes. It is rarely fished. The few rises that you see are smaller cutthroats
moving up or down from Bertha Creek. Bertha Creek is so overgrown it is not
worth the effort to fish it. Summit Lake is the dividing line for the
Clearwater that drains south to the Blackfoot River and the Swan River drainage
that flows north to Flathead Lake.
MM 34.3: Lindbergh Lake, Bunyon Lake, Meadow Lake, Crystal
Lake.
Lindbergh Lake is 725 acres with a maximum depth of 125
feet. Within a half-mile of exiting Highway 83, the road crosses the Swan
River. The campground is 4.5 miles from the highway and offers a few camping
sites, a picnic area and a boat launch. The lake is surrounded by summer homes.
The campground only offers four sites suitable for camping trailers. Halfway up
the road is a road to the right leading to Bunyon Lake, a distance of seven
miles. Bunyon Lake is a high-elevation lake with no camping facilities, unless
you are willing to pack your gear down to the lake, a distance of 200 yards.
This is not a road for trailers! Bunyon Lake fishes very well for small
cutthroats. For every four 6-inch fish that you catch, you'll land a 10- or
12-incher. This is a beautiful little lake a bit short of 10 acres. It would be
the perfect spot to launch a belly-boat and just cruise around catching hungry
little cuts.
Less than a mile away lies Meadow Lake. Meadow Lake is only
slightly bigger. Somewhat swampy, the lake is blocked by a gate so you must
walk a short distance to the lake for 8- to 12-inch cuts.
Crystal Lake (186 acres) may be reached from a trail at
Meadow Lake, the southern end of Lindbergh Lake, or a trailhead may be taken
from Beaver Creek Road, which is just above Summit Lake. A relatively large
lake, the lake is reportedly declining in both the numbers of fish and the size
of the fish.
MM 34.3:Glacier Lake:
In my sojourn through this country, I didn't get a chance to hike in and
fish Glacier Lake. However, when I hiked down to Bunyon Lake, I ran into a
family who had just fished Glacier Lake. It was their first choice from all the
lakes that they had fished. Although they never caught anything larger than 12
inches, they watched a lone fisherman pulling in some hefty 14-inch cuts, but
by the time he headed out, it was time for them to leave as well. Follow the
Glacier Creek Road. Plan on an hour's hike to reach the lake.
MM 35.6: Holland Lake is 416 acres with a maximum depth of
150 at the east end of the lake. Holland Lake offers two large USFS fee
campgrounds, a boat launch and a roped swimming area. Campsites line the shore
with spectacular views of the waterfall at the east end of the lake. Fishing is
generally good for cutthroats, rainbow trout, kokanee and a few bull trout. Be
prepared for lots of boating activity and jet skis. The outlet creek is good
fishing for small trout.
MM 43: Flathead National Forest Work Center
Swan River, originating out of Lindbergh Lake, rushes 35
miles to Swan Lake. Although not as fertile of a river as other rivers in
western Montana, the Swan River, nonetheless, produces good numbers of
westslope cutthroat, rainbow, bull trout and mountain whitefish. The great
advantage of the Swan is that it is relatively isolated with less fishing
pressure. The challenge is two-fold from Mother Nature. The mosquitoes and
flies feast on fly fishers who defy the tangled, dense foliage along the shore.
The greatest challenge, however, lies waiting for the rafters and canoeists.
Good luck!
Rafting the Swan is similar to rafting on Rock Creek. The
oarsman must be ever-vigilant, and their fly casters cannot be contemplative or
inaccurate in their casting ability. The water is especially swift in the early
summer and appears to be one long riffle, punctuated by occasional pools and
eddies to the lake with major log jams.
The best cover for the trout is under the logjams and downed
trees, and it is these obstacles which make the Swan River risky. After a
record rainfall for June 1998, I launched my one-man drift boat at Piper Creek
and floated down to my campsite at Cedar Creek Campground on the Fatty Creek
Road. I had received information on a large logjam, but I didn't listen
carefully. Left or right? I went right, and it was the wrong decision as I came
around a swift bend and encountered an incredible 20-yard logjam. If I had been
floating in a raft, I would have been faced with an extremely difficult
decision, as there was no going back upstream due to the fast current. Luckily
I found a narrow opening to follow, and I only had to drag my little boat over
two logs. Normally, I am fairly adept at floating while I am tying on a new
fly. Not so for the Swan. Because I wanted to fish Jim Lake that evening, I
just fished without stopping. What a rush it was for speed, scenery and
fishing. I started out with a size 12 Royal Humpy and went 100 yards without catching
a fish. Oh, oh, I thought. But then they started coming up to my fly, one after
another. I must have caught over 15 rainbows and cuts, all under 9 inches. Due
to the speed of the water, I knew I was missing good pocket water and sheltered
downfall. Rowing and casting without stopping is not the way to fish the Swan.
I switched to a girdle bug and didn't have another fish on for over an hour.
I thought to myself, Okay, you've caught the river's dinks,
now let's put on a Muddler and pull in some of those bigger guys. With about a
mile to go to my campsite, I tossed out an unweighted Muddler. The deer-hair
collar kept the large Muddler floating high and dry. One dink after another
rose to hit it even before I had a chance to strip it under the water. When I
got off the river, I walked up to Eric Bjorge, who is a river guide and owner
of the Two River Gear store in Bigfork. "Well, all I've caught is dinks today,"
I said. ?
"Pretty typical for the first day on the Swan," he replied.
"If you want the big guys, you've got to work a nymph."
"What can I expect from this river?" I asked.
"Twenty-four to 30 inchers," he retorted.
"Bull," I said.
"Yeah, bull trout, but I've caught a lot of 18- to 20-inch
rainbows in this river."
Swan River
trout average between 8 and 12 inches. In talking to Eric further, he suggested
that if you are going to fish the Swan, go big or go home. The Swan has a long and steady hatch of
Isoperla stoneflies so stimulators or large yellow Humpies will work well.
Access is restricted from Lindbergh Lake crossing all the way down to Cold
Creek. Many roads cross the river, but for the most part the property is posted
and there is no place to park. The following information was excerpted from the
pamphlet "Fishing Waters of the Swan Valley", a joint publication sponsored by
the United States Forest Service for the Flathead National Forest and the
Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
Upper Section: "From Lindbergh Lake Road to Condon the upper
river is relatively shallow and wadable, containing numerous riffles and runs.
Water temperatures warm by mid-summer and smaller brook trout and rainbow trout
favor the area. Floating is difficult due to low water, logjams and split
channels on the lower end. General stream regulations apply (see fishing regs).
Middle Section: The section from Condon to Piper Creek Road
is characterized by smaller flows, a diversity of channel conditions and pools
formed behind log jams and fallen trees. Good-sized rainbow trout are common
along with bull, cutthroat and brook trout and abundant mountain whitefish.
Logjams hamper floating above Cold Creek and skilled rafting is recommended
below this point. General stream regulations apply upstream from Piper Creek
Bridge (see fishing regs).
Lower Section: From Piper Creek Road to Porcupine Creek Road
this section contains the greatest diversity with respect to depth, cover and
water volume. Stream banks are fairly open after spring high water and there is
some channel splitting. Experienced canoeists and rafters navigate this
section, but caution must be exercised due to fallen trees and log jams.
Catch-and-release regulations for rainbow and cutthroat trout apply from Swan
Lake up to Piper Creek Bridge.
MM 46.7: Cold Creek Road Fishing Access for the Swan River
plus access to high-elevation lakes The Swan River access has good parking on
both sides of the bridge. Peck Lake is six miles; the trailhead to Cold Lakes
is seven miles; Jim Lake is 10 miles. Peck Lake Peck access is six miles from
the highway. Watch for the sign, as you will need to make a right turn. Peck
Lake can be accessed close to the road. The lake is a shallow, swampy lake with
stocked trout.
Upper and Lower Cold Lakes are nestled close to the Mission
Mountains divide, both lakes are reached within 2.5 miles from the trailhead,
and each have healthy populations of cutthroats from 12 to 16-inches. At 2.9
miles from the highway, the road to Cold Lakes and Jim Lakes turns to the
right. At 5.9 miles the road forks to the left for the Cold Lakes trailhead.
From the turn-off to Cold Lakes continue four miles to Jim Lake. The last four
miles is a second-gear pull; the road is bumpy and should be attempted only by
high-clearance vehicles. The Jim Lakes basin is a photographer's dream. Even in
July there were slivers and patches of snow on the mountain rims over looking
Jim Lakes.
Be forewarned that the narrow and bumpy entrance to the lake
is strictly for trucks. The primitive road jack-knifes down to three compact
camping sites on the lake. To make the turn I had to back up a few times, and I
was tempted to put my truck in four-wheel drive. The lake offers excellent
scenery and good fishing. Just after you cross the bridge over the outlet
creek, there is a turn-around and parking area for non-four-wheel-drive
vehicles. From that point to the lake is only a half-mile.
MM 50.8: Salmon Prairie Road: Good river access less than a
mile from the highway. Most floaters float to Fatty Creek. MM 52: Lion Creek
Road Lion Creek is closed to fishing.
MM 53.6: Piper Creek Road Access is three-tenths of a mile
from the highway, but has limited parking.
MM 54.5: Van Lake (Road #9882) is 58 acres with a maximum
depth of 40 feet. Van Lake is a popular local fishing lake, but you will need a
pick-up truck and a small boat, as the shoreline is difficult to fish. After
two miles, stay left. The lake has primitive camping sites.
MM 58.5: Fatty Creek Road Access to Metcalf Lake, Shay Lake,
Fatty Lake and Cedar Lake, Cedar Creek and Fatty Creek. The bridge is
three-tenths of a mile from the highway and offers a boat-launching access.
Across the river is Cedar Creek Campground, which provides drinking water and
toilets. On the far side of the bridge is a bumpy road which leads to a nice
picnic area with tables right on the river, about 100 yards down from the
bridge. Cedar Creek is crossed right after the campground, but it offers only
very small cutthroats. From the highway six-tenths of a mile, you will note a
fork to the left. This road will lead to Shay Lake. Caution: Shay Lake road
should be driven to only in a 4X4 rig that has already received abuse through
the years, as the road is overgrown in parts. If you have a new paint job, plan
on scratches! After 1.4 miles, the main road forks to the left.
Metcalf Lake is 2.2 miles from the Cedar Creek
Campground. Make the first right turn off of Fatty Creek Road, and then make
another right turn to the lake. There are no signs for the second right turn
except a Pack it in - pack it out! sign. The lake may be almost reached by a
car with a three-tenths-of-a-mile hike. Only a truck should attempt the last
section of the road. The lake is popular with local youth. They have built a
high swinging rope above the lake. The lake is shallow except for the small
portion by the swing. The lake is being managed for trophy trout.
Fatty Creek is crossed 3.6 miles from the highway. The Fatty
Creek Road to the Cedar Lake trailhead is exactly nine miles from the highway.
The road is an ear-popping second-gear climb high up in the Mission Mountains.
It can be rutted and very bumpy in places. Check with the forest service prior
to driving the road with a low-clearance vehicle. Cedar Lake trailhead has a
large turnaround. The lake is about a four-mile hike. Keep in mind that you are
in grizzly country, so if you are traveling alone or in a group, pepper spray
may be a prudent purchase. Camping at the lake is designated as no-impact
camping. Fatty Lake is accessed by a hunter's trail about 1.5 miles before the
trailhead. I could not find it.
Although it reportedly fishes well, I would recommend the
established trail to Cedar Lake, which has a healthy population of cutthroats.
Return to Highway 83 MM 63.5: Point Pleasant Campground. The
campground offers a boat access, but it is very overgrown and easily missed.
This is a beautiful non-fee campground right on the river.
MM 66.7: Road #10161 Easily missed, this site offers a great
access to the river as well as a take-out for rafters. Camping is allowed on a
pack it in - pack it out basis.
MM 68.2: Porcupine Creek Road. The Swan River is crossed one
mile from the highway. Access is good for wade fishers, but you will have to
drag your raft or canoe up a 15-foot bank to the road.
MM 71-72: Swan Lake, Montana.
MM 71.9: Swan Lake Campground USFS. 36 campsites for
trailers, RVs and tents. Fee area. Water available, vault-type toilets,
swimming beach, boat ramp.
MM 82.5: Junction Montana State Route 209 heads west five
miles to the town of Bigfork and Highway 35, which is the westside route along
Flathead Lake, beginning at Polson and ending at Kalispell.
MM 86: Echo Lake. The highway now turns due east. Follow the
signs to Echo Lake. The lake is popular for water skiing and summer homes, but
it does have fair fishing, nonetheless.
MM 88.6: Jewell Basin Hiking Area: The Jewell Basin Hiking Area is at the north end of the Swan
Mountain Range between Kalispell and Hungry Horse Reservoir. It is 17 miles
east of Kalispell and 18 miles southeast of Columbia Falls. To reach the Jewell
Basin hiking area, follow State Highway 83 to the Echo Lake Road; follow the
Echo Lake Road north approximately two miles to a T-intersection. Turn right.
This road leads to a junction with the Jewell Basin Road (#5392). Follow the
Jewell Basin Road approximately seven miles to the trailhead and parking area.
The last five miles are steep and contain drive-through drainage dips. Caution
is advised if traveling with low-clearance vehicles. Trailers are not
recommended. The Jewell Basin Hiking Area is a specially-designated
backcountry-use area consisting of 15,349 acres of high mountains. It includes
27 alpine lakes, many picturesque mountain streams, mountain meadows, rocky
peaks, sub-alpine timber and a variety of flowers. Elevations within the basin
range from 4,240 feet on Graves Creek to 7,542 feet on Big Hawk Mountain.
Thirty-five miles of trails connect most of the lakes. The
average hiker in good physical condition can travel two to three miles per
hour. Fishing is generally excellent in the lakes and creeks, although like all
fishing it is subject to the whims and fickleness of Mother Nature. Camping in
the Jewell Basin is on the basis of no impact. Be cautious, as this is grizzly
country. Bears are unpredictable and, in certain circumstances, can be very
dangerous. Additional information on how to camp in bear habitat is available
at any of the five District Offices or the Forest Supervisor's Office in
Kalispell.
For additional information contact: District Ranger Swan
Lake Ranger District Big Fork, MT 59911 (406) 837-5081 Forest Supervisor
Flathead National Forest Box 147 Kalispell, MT 59901 (406) 755-5401 MM 91:
Junction with Highway 35 You are two miles to Bigfork or 17 miles to Kalispell.
