Swan Lake

Photo Use Guidelines

Swan Lake is a beautiful lake located in Northwest Montana. Relatively remote and isolated - it is a long way to the nearest large town from Swan lake - it sits surrounded by tall, heavily forested mountains. The water itself is extremely clear and is quite cold throughout the year. The small town of Swan Lake, MT, sits on its eastern shoreline. The lake is quite large, more than a mile wide and ten miles long, and is very deep.

During the summer Swan Lake receives lots of use - not from fisherman but from recreational boaters. On a nice, weekend day during the summer, numerous boats are out on the lake doing whatever. As a result, don't expect to hit Swan Lake and have it to yourself during the warmer months.

Photo Use Guidelines

The lake is a cold-water lake and is home to smaller rainbow and cutthroat trout. The best fly fishing for them will be subsurface using small nymphs and streamers. Using attractor dry lies also can work. Swan Lake really doesn't have any strong hatches that bring trout to the surface in large numbers.

Access to Swan Lake is excellent. Several boat ramps, primarily in Swan Lake, provide an easy way to launch a boat. Highway 83 follows Swan Lake along its entire western edge, allowing for easy road side access. The western side of the lake has no development on it of any kind. Several forests roads travel back in the woods away from the lake. For the more adventurous, you can locate these roads and then bushwhack your way down to the lake.

As Swan Lake is quite large, it can get windy on the lake. Because of this, a float tube should be used with care on Swan Lake. Use it to mainly stay near the shoreline. Don't plan on using a float tube to cross the lake.

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