Sheriff’s Office patrols Flathead Lake
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POLSON — “It’s a big lake,” Lake County Deputy Glenn Miller said.
He and Deputy Nate Lundeen, a trainee on the Lake County Sheriff's Office 21-foot-boat, should know. They patrol Flathead Lake at least four days a week and “show the presence.” Their goal is to have a patrol on the water all seven days during heavy boat-use months.
The deputies vary their routes around the lake, but they “do a lot of cruising close to the shoreline on Wild Horse Island,” tie up and check the “haunted house” on Cedar Island on foot, cruise by the Painted Rocks area and other bays. They wave at all the boaters, make sure no one is camping where they shouldn’t be and look for boaters having problems. In addition, they note wildlife, such as eagles, wild horses and deer.
“On Sunday, the river is a busy area so we go down there,” Miller said.
During the spring, when boaters first launch onto the lake, Miller said the deputies towed a couple of boats a day. One day the Sheriff's Patrol came across a capsized catamaran and helped the owners flip the boat.
Constantly in touch with dispatch through their radios and cell phone, the deputies also note boat and swimming activity.
Miller said many boaters aren’t aware of the 200-foot wake rule on Flathead Lake. If boats are producing a wake, they should stay at least 200 feet from shore. Also, there are boat traffic rules. If two boats’ routes intersect, the boat on the right has the right of way. Boats towing water skiers, tubers and wakeboarders have the right of way, too, Miller explained. Their patrols are not a leisurely boat ride, however.
The deputies respond to calls reporting unsafe boating or jet skis and noise from cigarette boats. There are not many calls about drinking on boats, Miller said, although they did ticket some underage drinkers on a boat.
They go as quickly as possible across open water and do their best to keep boaters safe.
