Fun Montana Facts

What a genius idea!

Montana Lakes

We are pretty spoiled in Montana.

Montana has some of the world's most pristine and clean lakes. Our lakes are gorgeous, vibrant, and a fantastic way to cool off during a hot summer day.

Photo by Andres Gavino via Unsplash

Anywhere you go in Montana, you will find a lovely lake next to forests and mountains. It feels like you stepped into a postcard.

Flathead Lake, Lake McDonald, and Fairy Lake are some of the most popular spots in Montana.

Montana, conservation groups, towns, and others have gone to great lengths to keep our lakes beautiful and clean yearly.

One lake in Montana does something incredibly unique to protect spawning areas for fish, and you won't believe what they do.

Photo by Michael Bruder via Unsplash

Canyon Ferry Lake Christmas Trees

We know that headline looks weird, but it's true.

Canyon Ferry Lake near Helena is a popular fishing and boating spot.

Photo by Adam B via Unsplash

Locals and tourists head to Canyon Ferry for its incredible fishing, but state agencies have made a unique move to ensure it stays that way.

What do they do? They dump Christmas trees in the lake.

The Cowboy State Daily publishes why dumping Christmas trees by helicopter into the lake is so important.

When walleye was illegally introduced into Canyon Ferry Lake, this invasive fish species started to gobble up smaller fish species like Yellow Trout hatchlings and perch.

So, how did the state figure out how to protect these native fish species? Christmas Trees.

Perch and trout need vegetation to lay their eggs, and using old Christmas trees has become a massive lifeline for these fish.

The Montana FWP and the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation are behind this effort.

How does this work?

First, they must bore holes into the trees and chain them together. Then they finally weigh them down with cinder blocks, so they go to the bottom of the lake.

This plan gives ample areas for trout and perch to lay their eggs.

Plus, the limbs give new hatchlings areas to hide from walleyes.

This effort has been going strong since 2002 and has helped increase the fish populations of native species.

The groups are worried that the supply of old Christmas trees has declined because most locals have started buying fake trees during Christmas.

This news could be the perfect excuse to buy a real Christmas tree this year.