Fish Lakes
Fish Lakes Trail is a 1.9 miles trail in Kootenai National Forest, Montana. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking and snowmobile.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Kootenai National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 48.8668, -115.5843 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 48.8974, -115.5733 · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 2 segments.
The trail
| Length | 1.9 miles |
| Trail class | 3, developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| National designation | National Scenic or Historic Trail |
| Trail numbers | 397 |
| Forest | Kootenai National Forest (unit 0114) |
| States | Montana |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed 05/01 to 11/30 (month/day) |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed |
| Mountain biking | Allowed year-round |
| Snowmobile | Allowed 12/01 to 04/30 (month/day) |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Trailheads
The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.
Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date. The recreation page link goes to the Forest Service site, which may redirect to the forest's recreation index.
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Fire nearby
- WildfireUpper Smith
47 mi from the trail midpoint · 4,848 acres · 41% contained
- WildfireParker Lake
48 mi from the trail midpoint · 1,531 acres · 0% contained
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Fish Lakes Trail?
1.9 miles, the sum of the 2 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Kootenai National Forest.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Fish Lakes Trail?
hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking and snowmobile. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Fish Lakes Trail start?
The line begins at 48.8668, -115.5843 and ends at 48.8974, -115.5733. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Fish Lakes Trail in a wilderness area?
No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Where can I camp near the Fish Lakes Trail?
Upper Ford Cabin Rental (4 mi) and Caribou Campground (4.7 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Fish Lakes Trail?
Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Fish Lakes Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Fish Lakes Trail a national trail?
Yes. The record marks it as a National Scenic or Historic Trail.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Fish Lakes Trail?
Kootenai National Forest, Forest Service unit 0114. The trail is in Montana.
Is there a fire near the Fish Lakes Trail?
2 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Upper Smith at 47 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 2 segments named FISH LAKES in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0114. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.