Welcome to Whitefish Lake
Whitefish Lake Geologic History
If you were standing here 12,000 years ago, you would have been buried below an advancing glacier nearly 3,000 feet deep. Originating in Canada, this "Stillwater Glacier" flowed south-southeast into the Flathead Valley.
As the glacier moved forward, it deposited huge piles of sand, gravel, cobbles and boulders known as glacial till. As temperatures increased in the late ice age, the ice melted but continued moving forward at the same rate, which created the dam—or glacial moraine that impounds Whitefish Lake today.
When the area became ice free around 10,000 years ago, it revealed Whitefish Lake and the surrounding landscape. Since its formation, Whitefish Lake has been a cold, clear lake with very good water quality. European settlement around the lake began approximately 125 years ago, representing about 1% of the lake's geologic history. Ongoing recreation and development continues to place pressure on the lake and may compromise water quality.
From the marker