Lake Five fishing access site opens soon

A fishing access site at Lake Five is now a reality. Signs went up this week on U.S. Highway 2, and the contractor was finishing up final construction at the site late last week. The site should open to the public late this month or early next month.

The site features a dock, a boat launch, eight parking spots for boats and trailers and a vault toilet. In busy summer months, the plan is to have a volunteer host oversee the facility, which will be open only in daylight hours. A large gate will block the access road at night.

The project has its genesis in tragedy. A public site at the lake became available when Elizabeth Taylor approached Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to provide public access to the lake to honor her deceased son, Paul Taylor.

Paul was shot to death on Dec. 9, 2002, near a Memphis convenience store. A local retired Forest Service employee, Paul was driving trucks at the time of his death.

As the Taylor family worked to create a public fishing access in Paul's name, the Edna Ridenour family approached FWP about selling a piece of property on the lake to provide public access, which was a request of Edna's late father.

Elizabeth Taylor purchased the land for a fishing access site and donated it to the FWP Foundation. The site is called Paul's Memorial Fishing Access Site.

A fishing access site on Lake Five was first proposed in 2004, but area residents protested and several brought a suit against FWP, delaying the project for years.

In 2010, area residents and FWP settled the dispute. As part of the settlement, personal watercraft are banned on the 151-acre lake and water skiers must travel in a counterclockwise direction on the lake. The size of the fishing access site was also limited under the agreement.

Lake Five is known for its fishery, particularly for salmon, and its excellent views of Glacier National Park.