Lion Lake is a small reservoir of about 39 acres on the Flathead National Forest, managed by the Hungry Horse-Glacier View Ranger District, a couple of kilometers south of the town of Hungry Horse. It sits in timber between town and Hungry Horse Dam. The Bureau of Reclamation built its earthen dam in the late 1940s to supply water to the government camp that housed workers building Hungry Horse Dam, and the dam was later handed to the Forest Service. The Forest Service runs two day-use areas on the shore, North Lion Lake Picnic Site and South Lion Lake Picnic Site, and lists swimming at both.

To get there, leave US Highway 2 in Hungry Horse and follow Hungry Horse Dam Road (the West Side Road) south toward the dam. The turnoffs for Lion Lake come up after a short drive, well before you reach the reservoir. The north site is at the northwest end of the lake near a small dike and has two free parking lots. The south site is at the opposite end beside the main dam, with paved access, picnic tables and an accessible vault toilet. This listing is pinned at the south site, but the water and the rules are the same at both.

Swimming is off the shore from the picnic areas. There is no designated buoyed beach on record and no lifeguards; the Flathead National Forest says plainly that none of its sites are guarded. The lake is small and ringed by forest, so it is usually sheltered from wind, but it is fed by mountain country and the water stays cold well into early summer. Plan on swimming from July through early September and keep children within arm's reach, since there is no roped shallow area. The Forest Service lists non-motorized boating at both sites, so a canoe, kayak or paddleboard is a good way to reach quieter parts of the shoreline.

Both sites are free. The Forest Service lists them as day use only, open sunrise to sunset, with no fee and no camping. Each has a vault toilet, but there is no potable water at either one, so bring your own drinking water. For current conditions, call the Hungry Horse-Glacier View Ranger Station at 406-387-3800, which is open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Know a few things before you go. Leakage was found in the old dam, and the Forest Service held the lake about 3 feet below normal while it studied the problem and then repaired the outlet works and earthen embankment; that project is now listed as completed, and the ranger station is the place to ask if the water level looks off. Black bears are seen along the West Side Road right by the lake, so keep food in your vehicle when you are away from your table. The water is shared with anglers, so watch for fishing lines near the shore.

Fishing is the other big draw. The lake is stocked with rainbow trout and is known as a good place for kids to catch their first fish, and anglers also report yellow perch, northern pike, largemouth bass and crappie. In winter the lake freezes and hosts a family ice-fishing derby under a Forest Service permit. Footpaths run along parts of the shoreline from both picnic areas, and Hungry Horse Dam, its visitor center and the campgrounds on Hungry Horse Reservoir are a few minutes farther up the road.