The park’s AIS program will remain the same as it was last year, with one, possibly two changes. The changes being electric motors under 15 horse power will be allowed back on Bowman and Two Medicine Lakes with a same day inspection and permit, and it is likely, although not official yet that motorized boats will be allowed back on Two Medicine Lake by early July with the inspection and 30-day quarantine we require for motorized boats in Lake McDonald. Park waters will open for all boating Saturday, May 11th. Here is a refresher in the park’s boat inspection policies:
Trailered watercraft with gas-powered motors are permitted on Lake McDonald after an inspection and after being quarantined for 30 days prior to launch. Boats will be sealed to the trailer after inspection and seals will be removed by park personnel following the 30-day drying time. Non-motorized watercraft, and non-trailered electric motorized watercraft will also be permitted, and do not require the quarantine period.
Non-motorized watercraft and non-trailered electric motorized watercraft are permitted same day launch on Lake McDonald, Bowman Lake, Two Medicine Lake, St. Mary Lake, and Swiftcurrent Lake, after inspection and permit issuance by NPS staff. They will not require a 30-day dry time because the motors are not water-cooled and therefore are classified as lower risk, similar to hand-propelled water-craft.
Kintla Lake is open to hand-propelled watercraft, after inspection. All boat Inspections for the North Fork area of the park (Bowman and Kintla Lakes) are performed at the Apgar Village permit station.
*Boat inspections are not available in the North Fork area.
You may want to get a hold of Amy Secrest to find out more about the proposed plan to use Rotenone to kill off non-native fish in the Camas drainage starting this August, because she is the one who wrote it… but here is an MTPR article that summarizes the plan nicely:
https://www.mtpr.org/post/glacier-park-plan-would-give-native-fish-boost
Credit: Julie Nelson, Glacier Park Service