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LakeQuality

Lost Loon Lake

Flathead County, MontanaView mapDirections

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

Phosphorus
10.1 µg/L
Typical for Montana
Measured by Montana DEQ
Chlorophyll-a
2.6 µg/L
Typical for Montana
Measured by Montana DEQ
Trend
Worsening
12 years of samples
  • Limited data

Lost Loon Lake in Flathead County, Montana has water-quality measurements published by Montana DEQ, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 10.1 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.6 µg/L.

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Lost Loon Lake is a lake in Flathead County, Montana. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Montana DEQ, last sampled 2023-08-07. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

Swimming conditions

No reading

Limited data

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

Whether Lost Loon 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 Lost Loon Lake

These are the measurements Montana DEQ publishes for Lost Loon 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 10.1 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.6 µg/L. TSI 39.

Water quality readings
MeasureReadingWhere it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)No reading

How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.

Total phosphorus10.1µg/LMeasured, not scored

The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential.

Chlorophyll-a (algae)2.6µg/LMeasured, not scored

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.39Oligotrophic
OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.

Ask about Lost Loon Lake

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

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Stays near Lost Loon Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lost Loon 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.

Top-rated places to stay near Lost Loon Lake

Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

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Fishing Lost Loon Lake

Based on 12 years of monitoring (2012–2023).

  • Water clarity

    Stable

    3 years

  • Phosphorus

    Worsening

    +0.32 µg/L/yr11 years

  • Chlorophyll-a

    Worsening

    +0.04 µg/L/yr12 years

See year-by-year chart →

Nearby Lakes in Flathead County

Frequently asked questions about Lost Loon Lake

Where is Lost Loon Lake?

Lost Loon 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 Lost Loon Lake?

Lost Loon Lake in Flathead County, Montana has water-quality measurements published by Montana DEQ, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 10.1 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.6 µg/L.

Measurements on this page ↑

Is Lost Loon Lake safe to swim in?

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

Swimming on this page ↑

Planning a trip around Glacier?

Lost Loon Lake is about 32 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 →

Where this data comes from

6 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Montana WatershedMTWTRSHD_WQX6 samples · 2022–2023

Analytical methods

  • Phosphorus by Colorimetry
  • 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
  • 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.