Stained Glass Mountain Scene – Authentic Montana Flathead Lake Vista, National Park Inspired Journey

Flathead Lake: A Natural Wonder and Historical Misnomer in Montana’s Scenic Landscape

Flathead Lake (Salish: člq̓etkʷ) is a large natural lake in northwest Montana and is the largest natural freshwater lake by surface area that is west of the source of the Missouri River in the contiguous United States.

Once known as “Salish Lake”, this body of water was named for the Salish Indians. Early European Americans called them the Flathead Indians because of a misinterpretation of early Native American sign language. A common misconception is that the name is derived from a practice of head flattening more common among tribes such as the Chinook. There is no evidence to show that the Salish ever had this custom.

The lake is a remnant of the ancient, massive glacial dammed lake, Lake Missoula, of the last interglacial era. Flathead Lake is a natural lake along the mainline of the Flathead River. It was dammed in 1930 by Kerr Dam at its outlet on Polson Bay, and the lake level was raised by 10 feet (3.0 m). It is one of the cleanest lakes in the populated world for its size and type.