Turtle Lake, Montana
census-designated place in Lake County, Montana
Turtle Lake (Salish: čɫqq̓liʔ ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Lake County, Montana, United States. As of the 2020 census, Turtle Lake had a population of 251.
Geography
Turtle Lake is located in central Lake County. It is a residential community sited around Turtle Lake, a small water body that seasonally drains north to Flathead Lake. It is 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Polson, the Lake county seat.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the Turtle Lake CDP has a total area of 0.66 square miles (1.7 km2), of which 0.58 square miles (1.5 km2) are land and 0.077 square miles (0.2 km2), or 9.37%, are water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 194 people, 55 households, and 43 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 373.2 inhabitants per square mile (144.1/km2). There were 60 housing units at an average density of 115.4 per square mile (44.6/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 7.73% White, 89.18% Native American, and 3.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.09% of the population.
The public source identifies “Turtle Lake, Montana” as census-designated place in Lake County, Montana. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Turtle, Lake and Montana.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Turtle Lake, Montana”, the useful work is to connect “census-designated place in Lake County, Montana” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 15, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q955975. Authority coordinates are 47.673, -114.073. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2020 and 2000.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Turtle Lake, Montana”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Turtle Lake, Montana primary sources, Turtle Lake, Montana archive and Turtle research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Turtle Lake, Montana”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Turtle Lake, Montana” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.