A viral tweet claiming Montana’s Flathead Lake is the clearest lake in the world is making waves on social media, but is it true? We reached out to Flathead Lakers, The North American Lake Management Society and New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research to find out.

QUESTION: Is Flathead Lake in Montana the clearest water of any lake on Earth?

ANSWER: No, it’s not. According to Secchi disk readings at Flathead Lake from 1977 to 2018, readings were typically between 30 and 50 feet according to Flathead Lakers, a nonprofit that works to protect the water quality of the Flathead watershed. There are at least four lakes in the U.S. that are clearer than Flathead Lake -- ranging from a Secchi depth of 64 feet to as deep as 157 feet. But the clearest lake in the world is actually New Zealand’s Blue Lake, which researchers say has visibility similar to pure water and a Secchi reading between 230 and 262 feet.


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