Top lakes
LakeSaint Mary Lake
LakeAvalanche Lake
LakeLake McDonald
LakeQuake Lake
LakeSwiftcurrent Lake
LakeUpper Waterton Lake
LakeKintla Lake
LakeBowman Lake
LakeCameron Lake
LakeTwo Medicine Lake
LakeLake Josephine
LakeLogging Lake
Lakes by county
All lakes (42)
| Name | County | Elevation | Nearest town | Sky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Mary LakeGlacier | Glacier County | 1,368 m | North Browning | 1 |
| Avalanche LakeGlacier | Flathead County | 1,192 m | Columbia Falls | 1 |
| Lake McDonaldGlacier | Flathead County | 962 m | Columbia Falls | 1 |
| Quake Lake | Madison County | 1,948 m | West Yellowstone | 1 |
| Swiftcurrent LakeGlacier | Glacier County | 1,488 m | North Browning | 1 |
| Upper Waterton LakeGlacier | Glacier County | 1,280 m | Columbia Falls | 1 |
| Kintla LakeGlacier | Flathead County | 1,223 m | Eureka | 1 |
| Bowman LakeGlacier | Flathead County | 1,230 m | Whitefish | 1 |
| Cameron LakeGlacier | Glacier County | 1,661 m | Whitefish | 1 |
| Two Medicine LakeGlacier | Glacier County | 1,575 m | South Browning | 1 |
| Lake JosephineGlacier | Glacier County | 1,488 m | North Browning | 1 |
| Logging LakeGlacier | Flathead County | 1,163 m | Whitefish | 1 |
| Fort Peck Lake | Garfield County | — | Glasgow | 1 |
| Cosley LakeGlacier | Glacier County | 1,477 m | Columbia Falls | 1 |
| Buffalo Woman LakeGlacier | Flathead County | 1,858 m | South Browning | 1 |
| Middle Quartz LakeGlacier | Flathead County | 1,341 m | Whitefish | 1 |
| Cracker LakeGlacier | Glacier County | 1,803 m | North Browning | 1 |
| Oldman LakeGlacier | Glacier County | 2,027 m | South Browning | 1 |
| Pitamakan LakeGlacier | Glacier County | 2,076 m | South Browning | 1 |
| Pray LakeGlacier | Glacier County | 1,575 m | South Browning | 1 |
| Gunsight LakeGlacier | Glacier County | 1,631 m | Columbia Falls | 1 |
| Helen LakeGlacier | Glacier County | 1,551 m | Columbia Falls | 1 |
| Hidden LakeGlacier | Flathead County | 1,944 m | Columbia Falls | 1 |
| Glenns LakeGlacier | Glacier County | 1,483 m | Columbia Falls | 1 |
| Holland Lake | Missoula County | 1,230 m | Seeley Lake | 1 |
| Lake Ellen WilsonGlacier | Flathead County | 1,808 m | Columbia Falls | 1 |
| Lake FrancesGlacier | Glacier County | 1,603 m | Whitefish | 1 |
| Lower Two Medicine LakeGlacier | Glacier County | 1,489 m | South Browning | 1 |
| Upper Two Medicine LakeGlacier | Glacier County | 1,647 m | South Browning | 1 |
| Upper Grinnell LakeGlacier | Glacier County | 1,507 m | Columbia Falls | 1 |
| Stoney Indian LakeGlacier | Glacier County | 1,929 m | Columbia Falls | 1 |
| Upper Snyder LakeGlacier | Flathead County | 1,598 m | Columbia Falls | 1 |
| Iceberg LakeGlacier | Glacier County | 1,859 m | Columbia Falls | 1 |
| Swan Lake | Lake County | 936 m | Bigfork | 2 |
| Fishercap LakeGlacier | Glacier County | 1,507 m | North Browning | 1 |
| Fairy Lake | Gallatin County | 2,303 m | Belgrade | 2 |
| Gyrfalcon LakeGlacier | Flathead County | 2,214 m | Columbia Falls | 1 |
| Twin Lakes | Madison County | 2,094 m | Big Sky | 1 |
| Benton Lake | Cascade County | 1,105 m | Sun Prairie | 3 |
| Hebgen Lake | Gallatin County | — | West Yellowstone | 1 |
| Lake SherburneGlacier | Glacier County | — | North Browning | 1 |
| Lake Koocanusa | Lincoln County | — | Eureka | 1 |
Sky = estimated Bortle class (1 darkest – 9 brightest).
Map
How to photograph lakes
Lakes reflect best in calm air — usually the first hour after sunrise, before breezes ripple the surface.
- For mirror reflections, get low and close to the water; the reflection grows with a lower camera.
- A polarizer can remove reflections to show the lakebed — or keep them, depending on rotation.
- Mist often lifts off lakes on cold mornings after warm days, especially in autumn.
- Include shoreline rocks, reeds or a log as foreground to give the reflection depth.
- Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.
Season: Autumn mornings bring mist and fall color; high-elevation lakes are usually ice-free only from early summer to mid-autumn.