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LakeQuality

Foys Lake

Flathead County, MontanaView mapDirections

Montana DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Foys Lake. Here is what has been measured.

Phosphorus
15.8 µg/L
Measured by Montana DEQ
Chlorophyll-a
4.1 µg/L
Measured by Montana DEQ
Type
Mesotrophic
Trophic class
Trend
Declining
11 years of samples
  • Mesotrophic

Ask about Foys Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Foys Lake in Flathead County, Montana has water-quality measurements published by Montana DEQ, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 15.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.1 µg/L.

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Stays near Foys Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Foys Lake in Flathead County, Montana — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Foys Lake are listed below.

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Foys Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Flathead County, Montana. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 43 other monitored lakes in Flathead County, Foys Lake ranks #38 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Montana DEQ, last sampled 2023-08-09. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

Swimming conditions

Readings only

Elevated nutrients

Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Foys Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.

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Water quality measurements for Foys Lake

These are the measurements Montana DEQ publishes for Foys Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.

No clarity data. Phosphorus 15.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.1 µg/L. TSI 44.

MetricValueEPA condition class
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)No recent samples
Phosphorus15.8 µg/LGood
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)4.1 µg/LPoor
Trophic State Index (TSI)44Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Fishing Foys Lake

Based on 11 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Declining-0.123 m/yr5
Phosphorus Declining+1.75 µg/L/yr10
Chlorophyll-a Improving-0.48 µg/L/yr11
See year-by-year chart →

Nearby Lakes in Flathead County

Frequently asked questions about Foys Lake

Where is Foys Lake?

Foys Lake is a lake in Flathead County, Montana. Its water-quality measurements are published by Montana DEQ and shown on this page as reported.

What is the water quality of Foys Lake?

Foys Lake in Flathead County, Montana has water-quality measurements published by Montana DEQ, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 15.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.1 µg/L.

Is Foys Lake safe to swim in?

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Where this data comes from

24 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Montana WatershedMTWTRSHD_WQX24 samples · 2012–2023

Analytical methods

  • Phosphorus by Colorimetry
  • 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
  • 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
  • 4500 N C ~ Persufate Method for Total Nitrogen
Monitoring station identifiers (1)

EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.