5 Interesting Facts About Bowman Lake
Discover Bowman Lake
Glacier National Park is home to many beautiful landscape views. Bowman Lake in Glacier National Park is no exception! Discover the breathtaking views of the lake, how to get there, and more.
How to Get to Bowman Lake
Bowman Lake is nestled in the Northwestern corner of Glacier National Park. You can either take the scenic route to Polebridge via Glacier (Camas Road) or you can take the scenic adventure up the North Fork (Hwy 486) from Columbia Falls. The route is shorter via Camas Road but both are beautiful. Both of these routes will lead you to a cute little town, Polebridge, MT. Bowman Lake lies within the Livingston Range and is a secluded oasis about 7 miles past Polebridge.
Polebridge is a rural summer HOT SPOT and must be on your Glacier bucket list. The infamous Huckleberry Bear Claws are baked daily here from the Polebridge Merch so make sure you stop in and grab one and/or some of their other delicious fresh baked items. The mercantile is also the last stop for any supplies you may need. The Northern Lights Saloon is also next door and they serve up some great pizza and cold beer after a day’s adventure as well. Heck there may even be some live local music for you to enjoy as well! Anyways, I digress and let’s hop back into all things Bowman Lake!
History, Formation, and Fun Facts About Bowman Lake
- Did you know that Bowman Lake is the 3rd largest lake in Glacier National Park? Bowman Lake sits at about a mile wide and stretches 8 miles long. It comes into 3rd place after Lake McDonald and St. Mary Lake.
- Bowman Lake is ENTIRELY fed by snowmelt and due to that reason it makes it too cold and too sterile to support significant populations of large fish!
- You can get your fish on at Bowman Lake via the shores or boat (as long as the motor is under 10HP). Some of the fish you can hope to find on the end of your line could be Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Kokanee Salmon, Brown Bullhead to name a few. (Just make sure you have your local fishing license. They are available in many many places in the Valley.)
- Bowman Lake is as crystal clear as the rest of the water in Glacier. The deepest point in the lake is 253’ deep.
- Bowman Lake also has some hiking opportunities as well. A couple of options are the Quartz Lake Loop (12.8 mile moderate hike) and Akokla Lake (5.8 mile easy hike).
Best Photo Opportunities of Bowman Lake
A bonus fun fact about Montana you just always need to have your cameras ready! You never know what you will see or find or want to snap a quick picture. We live in the backyard of so many different species of wildlife you just want to be ready at all times. Bowman Lake is accessible May- December but the best time to visit is May- end of September.
We hope you can get out to explore and enjoy all that Bowman lake has to offer or check out other amazing views in Glacier National Park!
If you’re looking for more adventure and family friendly activities near Glacier National Park, Glacier Highline is your one-stop aerial adventure park with ziplines, rock wall climbing and even an inflatable water slide for those hot Montana days.