Water Safety in Montana

Montana's rivers and lakes are fed by snow and mountain springs, and they stay cold. Wear a life jacket whenever you float, fish from a boat or paddle, and keep your footing well back from fast streams and waterfalls. Montana's drowning rate is the third highest on CDC's state map, after Alaska and Hawaii.

Montana drowning and boating numbers

2.32 per 100,000

• Drowning: CDC puts Montana's average annual drowning death rate for 2018-2021 at 2.32 per 100,000 people (opens in a new tab).
• Boating: The U.S. Coast Guard counted 15 reportable recreational boating incidents in Montana in 2024, with 7 deaths and 5 injuries (opens in a new tab). Seven of the 15 incidents were fatal. Deaths by year: 7 in 2020, 5 in 2021, 8 in 2022, 3 in 2023 and 7 in 2024.
• Per registered boat: the 2024 rate was 13.1 deaths per 100,000 registered vessels, against 4.8 nationally. Montana registers motorized boats only, so rates are not strictly comparable between states.

CDC counts drowning deaths of residents; the Coast Guard counts boating incidents. See our Montana data page.

Cold water, all year

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) says many waterbodies in Montana are fed from high mountain springs and don't get above 65° even in the summer (opens in a new tab), making cold water a threat all year long. It explains that a sudden plunge into water of 65°F or less starts a series of incapacitating reflexes that raise the risk of drowning, and that one's swimming ability does not improve one's chances of survival (opens in a new tab).

FWP's advice if you end up in cold water:

• If you must enter the water, go in slowly. If cold shock hits, hold onto something until your breathing settles.
• Get out as soon as you can. Climb into the boat, or on top of it if it has flipped.
• Don't try to swim for shore, unless you are in a stream or river current.
• In a life jacket, pull your knees to your chest and hold your arms tight to your sides (the H.E.L.P. position).
• Keep your clothes on. They trap water warmed by your body.

See cold water shock and falling into cold water.

Streams, rivers and waterfalls

In Glacier National Park, the National Park Service says water is the number one cause of fatalities (opens in a new tab). Swift, cold glacial streams, moss-covered rocks and slippery logs have claimed children, photographers, boaters, rafters, swimmers and anglers. The park's rules apply across Montana's mountain country:

• Avoid wading in or fording swift streams.
• Never walk, play, or climb on slippery rocks and logs, especially around waterfalls (opens in a new tab).
• When boating, don't stand up or lean over the side, and always wear a life jacket.

Read swimming holes, creeks and waterfalls and river safety.

Montana boating rules

• Youth operators: FWP says youths 13 and 14 may operate a motorboat or personal watercraft with a motor over 10 horsepower only with a Montana motorboat operator's safety certificate, proof of another NASBLA-approved course, or someone 18 or older aboard. See FWP boating education (opens in a new tab).
• Alcohol: it is unlawful to operate a boat, or a device towed behind one, while under the influence. An alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more counts as under the influence (MCA 61-8-4).
• Children: federal law requires children under 13 to wear a life jacket on a moving boat (opens in a new tab).

This is a summary, not legal advice. Check FWP before you go.

What you can do today

• Wear a life jacket for every float, even on a warm day.
• Teach kids to stay off wet rocks and logs near streams and falls.
• Pack dry clothes and a warm layer in a dry bag for every trip.
• If your 13- or 14-year-old will drive a boat, sign them up for FWP's course.
• Learn the rescue rule: reach or throw, don't go.