Family Friendly Fishing Sites Near Missoula, Montana

Fishing with your kids is a great way to not only spend some quality time together, but it is also a great way to pass down a family tradition. However, while fishing can be a fun and exciting outing for families with young children, it is important to take precautions to ensure that the child is safe during the fun. One of the easiest ways to reduce the threat of drowning during a fishing trip when you have young children is to use still water fishing locations. Luckily, there are several great still water ponds and lakes in and around Missoula, Montana that are great for introducing your children to the fun sport of fishing.

Missoula Kid Friendly Fishing Location Number One – Frenchtown Pond

The first kid friendly fishing spot close to Missoula is the Frenchtown Pond. This state park offers a small contained recreation area with a spring fed pond, wildlife viewing areas, restrooms, potable water, and picnic areas. Another family friendly feature of this location is that there are no motorized boats allowed in the pond. This makes things safer for families with very young children.

This pond is home to several species of game and non-game fish including largemouth bass, bullhead, pumpkinseed, and pike. Occasionally Fish and Wildlife stock this pond with bass and other game fish. For more information about fishing limits and regulations please contact the Fish and Game Department.

Missoula Kid Friendly Fishing Location Number Two – Harpers Lake

Harper’s Lake is a 15 acre lake that is just a few miles from Clearwater Junction. It is one of many lakes in the Seeley Swan Valley, and it offers a recreation site that is family friendly. This lake, like the Frenchtown Pond allows boats in the water as long as they are not motorized. This recreation site also has restrooms and allows camping, but they don’t have potable water.

Harper’s Lake is home to many species of game and non-game fish. It offers the following game fish: rainbow trout, and westslope cutthroat trout. These are the only fish that you are allowed to keep after catching. If you catch any of the following fish, you will need to release them back into the lake: fathead minnow and yellow perch. To learn about other fishing restrictions for this fishing spot please contact the Fish and Game Department.

Missoula Kid Friendly Location Number Three – Salmon Lake

Salmon Lake is a good sized lake at just about 631 acres. It is about five miles north of the Clearwater Junction intersection, which is just about a 45 minute drive from Missoula, Montana. There are a couple of different state parks that visitors can use. The first park that you drive past will be the day park. It is on the left side of the road. This park has a boat launch, picnic areas, BBQ pits, beach area, hiking trails, restrooms, and potable water. This is a great park for families as it offers several accessible fishing spots, as well as a protected swimming area for kids that is roped off with floaters. The second state park that is on Salmon Lake is the overnight park. This site has campsites, showers, restrooms, potable water, a dock, hiking trails, lake access, and a beaver dam.

This lake is host to a good selection of fish. It is home to the following game fish: brown trout, kokanee, mountain whitefish, northern pike, rainbow trout, westslope cutthroat trout, and yellow perch. It also is home to these other species of fish: bull trout, largescale sucker, longnose sucker, northern pike minnow, peamouth, and sucker. For fishing rules and regulations for this fishing site please contact the Fish and Game Department.