Summertime is best enjoyed by the water, don’t you think? Other states may have the best oceanfront resorts and seaside spots in our country, but Montana has the lockdown on amazing lakes. We swim in them, fish them, camp next to them and truly appreciate them.

Here are ten good reasons why the Treasure State has the most amazing lakes in the country:

  1. They’re so perfectly pristine.

Jonathan C. Wheeler / Flickr The majority of Montana lakes have clear, shimmering water. We’ve got glacial lakes so amazing they look like they’ve been Photoshopped in pictures. Standing at Swiftcurrent Lake, for example, feels totally surreal.

  1. The majority of them are quite clean.

Troy Smith / Flickr Not all Montana lakes are safe for swimming, but you’ll find that most of them are. And unfortunately a clean lake is hard to find these days. Bowman Lake looks incredible, doesn’t it?

  1. They hold some seriously tasty fish.

Forest Service Northern Region / Flickr Rainbow trout. Sturgeon. Cutthroat trout. Bass. Our lakes are home to some great freshwater fish, and most Montanans love a nice day spent fishing on the water.

  1. Our lakes make our summers magical.

Always Shooting / Flickr Almost everyone has a story about a childhood trip to Flathead Lake (pictured here) or Seeley Lake. Everyone knows Glacier National Park’s lakes are part of what make it so amazing. And there’s nothing quite as peaceful as pitching a tent by a body of water and spending the night stargazing over it.

  1. They beautify our land.

Ryan McKee / Flickr Montana is gorgeous. But clearly the lakes are part of what makes it so visually stunning.

  1. They are the reason we have beaches.

Matt Simon / Flickr We’re pretty landlocked here. The ocean is a good 14 hour drive away (or more) for most Montanans. When we need some beach time, we’re glad we have places like Whitefish City Beach.

  1. They’re an important part of our history.

Kristina Wilding / Flickr Quake Lake is the result of a terrible 1959 earthquake, for one. Each of our beautiful lakes tell a story about the past.

  1. Without our lakes, we wouldn’t have our amazing lake towns.

PJ Johnson / Flickr How great are our lake towns? Lakeside, Whitefish, Seeley Lake, Bigfork and many others are all wonderful places to visit or live.

  1. They are constantly winning spots on “Best of” lists.

Eric Gross / Flickr You’d be hard-pressed to find a travel article with a list of “best lakes” or “best lake towns” and not see a place in Montana on it.

  1. Truly, our state wouldn’t be the same without them.

Lance Fisher / Flickr Try to imagine our landscape without lakes. Impossible, isn’t it?

Montana lakes are the best! Want to know more about the role our lakes play in our state history? Check out the story behind Quake Lake.

Jonathan C. Wheeler / Flickr

The majority of Montana lakes have clear, shimmering water. We’ve got glacial lakes so amazing they look like they’ve been Photoshopped in pictures. Standing at Swiftcurrent Lake, for example, feels totally surreal.

Troy Smith / Flickr

Not all Montana lakes are safe for swimming, but you’ll find that most of them are. And unfortunately a clean lake is hard to find these days. Bowman Lake looks incredible, doesn’t it?

Forest Service Northern Region / Flickr

Rainbow trout. Sturgeon. Cutthroat trout. Bass. Our lakes are home to some great freshwater fish, and most Montanans love a nice day spent fishing on the water.

Always Shooting / Flickr

Almost everyone has a story about a childhood trip to Flathead Lake (pictured here) or Seeley Lake. Everyone knows Glacier National Park’s lakes are part of what make it so amazing. And there’s nothing quite as peaceful as pitching a tent by a body of water and spending the night stargazing over it.

Ryan McKee / Flickr

Montana is gorgeous. But clearly the lakes are part of what makes it so visually stunning.

Matt Simon / Flickr

We’re pretty landlocked here. The ocean is a good 14 hour drive away (or more) for most Montanans. When we need some beach time, we’re glad we have places like Whitefish City Beach.

Kristina Wilding / Flickr

Quake Lake is the result of a terrible 1959 earthquake, for one. Each of our beautiful lakes tell a story about the past.

PJ Johnson / Flickr

How great are our lake towns? Lakeside, Whitefish, Seeley Lake, Bigfork and many others are all wonderful places to visit or live.

Eric Gross / Flickr

You’d be hard-pressed to find a travel article with a list of “best lakes” or “best lake towns” and not see a place in Montana on it.

Lance Fisher / Flickr

Try to imagine our landscape without lakes. Impossible, isn’t it?

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