Lake Five
Flathead County, MontanaView mapDirections
Montana DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Five. Here is what has been measured.
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Five in Flathead County, Montana has water-quality measurements published by Montana DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16 ft visibility.
Lake Five is a lake in Flathead County, Montana. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Montana DEQ, last sampled 2023-09-10. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Lake Five has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Lake Five, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Lake Five is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water16 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Five 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.
Water quality measurements for Lake Five
These are the measurements Montana DEQ publishes for Lake Five, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 16 ft down. TSI 37.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 16ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 37 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Lake Five
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
- Paul's MemorialPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Five
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Five 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake Five
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Lake Five → · more Montana lake trips
Follow Lake Five’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Lake Five
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 12 years of monitoring (2012–2023).
Water clarity
Worsening4 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.5 µg/L/yr11 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable+0.01 µg/L/yr12 years
Nearby Lakes in Flathead County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Five
Where is Lake Five?
- Lake Five 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 Lake Five?
- Lake Five in Flathead County, Montana has water-quality measurements published by Montana DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 16 ft visibility.
Is Lake Five safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Five?
- Lake Five has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Paul's Memorial. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Five?
- Lake Five has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Montana's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Lake Five across LakeQuality
Planning a trip around Glacier?
Lake Five is about 18 miles from Glacier National Park. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Glacier →More lakes in Montana
Other Lakes in Montana
Oligotrophic Lakes in Montana
Where this data comes from
16 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS16 samples · 2020–2023
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.
Other records on this page
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory