Is Saint Mary Lake safe to swim?

As of July 20, 2026, Saint Mary Lake in Glacier County, Montana is clear to swim. Satellite imagery detected no blue-green algae bloom as of July 19, 2026. Rainfall over the past week totaled 0.1 in, which can wash bacteria and nutrients into the water.

How this read is built

Saint Mary Lake is a lake in Glacier County, Montana covering about 6.2 sq mi, the 15th-largest of the 124 lakes SwimZone monitors in Montana. Satellite imagery detected no blue-green algae bloom as of July 19, 2026. Larger, warmer waters like this can hold a bloom for weeks once nutrients and calm weather line up.

Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) blooms are most common from midsummer into early fall, when the water is warm, calm, and rich in nutrients from runoff. They can produce toxins that make people sick and can be rapidly fatal to dogs, so skip water that looks green, scummy, or like spilled paint, and keep children and pets out of it.

Over 7 summers of satellite monitoring since 2020, Saint Mary Lake has not reached a blue-green algae advisory level. Conditions can still change quickly, so check the current read before you swim.

Is it safe to swim in Saint Mary Lake right now?

Saint Mary Lake is clear to swim today. Satellite imagery detected no blue-green algae bloom as of July 19, 2026. Conditions can change quickly with wind, heat, and rain, so check the posted signs and look at the water before you get in.

Does Saint Mary Lake have blue-green algae (cyanobacteria)?

No blue-green algae bloom is detectable at Saint Mary Lake as of July 19, 2026 (below the satellite's roughly 10,000 cells/mL detection limit). Cyanobacteria can still appear within hours in warm, calm, nutrient-rich water, so look before you swim.

Can dogs swim in Saint Mary Lake?

No bloom is detected at Saint Mary Lake today, but dogs are much more vulnerable to blue-green algae than people, and blooms can form within hours. Always keep dogs away from water that looks green, scummy, or discolored, and rinse them off after swimming.

How often does Saint Mary Lake have blue-green algae blooms?

Over 7 summers of satellite monitoring since 2020, Saint Mary Lake has not reached a blue-green algae advisory level. Conditions can still change quickly, so check the current read before you swim.

How many Montana lakes and beaches are unsafe for swimming today?

Today, 19 Montana waters are above a safe-contact threshold and 2 more warrant caution, out of 135 monitored waters SwimZone tracks in the state.

How is Saint Mary Lake's water quality measured?

SwimZone builds this read from EPA CyAN satellite imagery for blue-green algae, official beach and fecal-bacteria advisories where a program monitors Saint Mary Lake, and a recent-rainfall overlay, all refreshed daily. It was last updated July 20, 2026.