Flathead Lake, Montana – Crystal Clear Waters, Monster, and a Viral Photo

Flathead Lake is a very large freshwater lake located in the northwestern corner of Montana. The lake is actually a remnant of a massive inland sea – Lake Missoula – which covered much of the region during the last inter-glacial, some 13,000 years ago. The lake is relatively deep, with a maximum depth of 370 feet, and is known for its crystal clear waters.

In recent weeks, Flathead Lake has entered the public awareness as the result of a viral image showing the lake’s ‘crystal’ clear waters. The viral image shows a woman floating on an inflatable raft, above – seemingly – absolutely crystal clear waters. The text that accompanies the image is rather misleading though – stating that the water is so clear that it gives the illusion of being much more shallow than it really is. The text references the lake’s maximum depth of 370 feet, implying that that is the depth of the water in the image… In truth though, the image was very clearly taken near the lake’s shore, and the depth of the water in the image – by no means – even approaches 370 feet…