fort peck reservoir

Fort Peck Lake is located right by the Rock Creek Marina and Campground. I fished right from the shore over a few days, which was not overly productive. Over many hours, I only caught 3 fish in total: a Northern Pike, Black Crappie and a Smallmouth bass. They were however 3 species I have never caught before in all my years of fishing. On my last day of fishing, as I was reeling in a smaller fish, a huge pike, which appeared to be 4 feet grabbed it and snapped my line swimming away with both my fish and my expensive Rat-L-Trap lure. Beautiful scenery, Beautiful lake, wish we could have stayed longer. I was surprised to see seagulls frequenting this freshwater lake far from any ocean.

Once upon a time, the US did some awesome projects. Fort Peck (and Lake Elwell!) is an example. The longest earth dam in the world. (So they claim! I thought Quebec's La Grande was the largest earth dam ever) Anyway, the dam on the Milk River created a huge reservoir and there are several campgrounds with dry toilets, tables where you can stay. We swam but many bring boats for fishing which seems to be great. So we enjoyed the vistas, the sunset, the sunrise, the desert, hot sunny days and cool nights. Good stuff!

In this little tiny town lies one of the nicest campgrounds! The sites are far enough apart that you don't feel you are in someone else's kitchen. There is a wide-open area for dogs and kids to run. Just a real peaceful, soul-inspiring place!

We rented the Group area of this campground which is located clear in the back in a great area. It is a nice campground with nice clean bathrooms and showers. However, it is advertised this area and bathroom/showers and area were for our use only. The camp host told us we could not shut the gate. Which allowed people to drive thru the campground all day and night. They also felt the need to come use our facilities. If you advertise private it should be so.

Beautiful view with this huge lake and the rolling landscape. But flies, gnats and Mosquitos love it too. Still nice place to visit for a few days.

Fort Peck was the largest earth filled dam in the world, with 1200 miles of shoreline. Most of the land around the Lake is part of the Charles M Russell National Wildlife Refuge. Get a map and more info here: http://www.fws.gov/refuge/charles_m_russell/ There are a few all weather road campgrounds and some that aren't all weather. Excellent fishing, world class walleye and catfish. Many scenic roads to drive. Boat ramps for hunters and anglers as well as skiers and water dogs. If you crave peace, nature and serenity...this is the lake for you. Termed the "jewel of the Northeast", it's a must see as is the interpretive center housing Pex Rex, tyrannasaurus found just south. The hotel in town is historic and also is must see. Friendly people too! Badlands for hiking surround the lake and much wildlife. Walleye milking in the summer!

We camped at Duck Creek Recreation and it was amazing. The views were spectacular and it was very quiet. It was like our own piece of paradise. I would highly recommend it!

This lake is fantastic. The weather was perfect and the fist were biting. As crowded as the parking lot was at the boat dock, we only saw a few boats out because it is so large and there are so many different coves and places to see and fish. We launched our boat from near the dam the first day, and from The Pines the second day. My husband was there a total of 8 days prior to my joining him for two days. He knew the lake well by the time I joined him. We are already talking about coming up again and camping. We caught a mess pf fish and just generally enjoyed boating on the lake. It was clean and the beaches and rocky areas were clean as well. I cannot wait to go back!

We stayed at the very nice downstream campground and visited both the reservoir's Interpretive Center and the hydroelectric power plant. The plant tour was interesting and showed the generation of hydro power up close. The Interpretive Center -- FREE -- was outstanding and well worth the visit. It covered the background and building of the dam (with more in the small museum at the power plant) but the dinosaur exhibit was the best and most substantial free exhibit we've ever seen. It was well worth nearly the hour we spent there.

We stayed in the downstream campground on our way through and it was a very nice stay. The spots were very large, clean and level. The bathrooms were clean and the showers worked well. We walked the nature trails below the interpretive center, both of which were very nice. I would definitely stay there again if I was traveling through.

We enjoyed our time at Fort Peck Reservoir. The lake is so clean, compared to those we have in our state. The shelter house (#1) was clean. It could have had a few more electrical outlets for our needs, but it worked out okay. Wish we could have spent a bit more time exploring the lake.

We've lived here for 12 years. If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of city living and get back into nature, this is a great place to go. We did a family reunion here one summer, with relatives coming from Alaska, Oregon, California (LA!) and Colorado. The historic Fort Peck Hotel hosted everyone with a smile on their faces and accommodated us for a last minute wedding celebration. The campgrounds that are run by the USACE is a great place as well with walking and biking trails that will keep you busy. There are fishing ponds nearby and the Interpretive Center and the Power House Tours are very interesting as well. From dinosaurs to building the planets 8th largest earth filled dam, there is something for everyone. Restaurants in the area include the Park Grove Bar, where you can get a cold one and a great meal. The Fort Peck hotel serves a top quality menu, and we've hosted several events there. The marina has new owners, and we look forward to enjoying a burger at the end of the day on the water when they are open. And, the favorite for everyone was the Gateway, "The Best Dam Bar by a Dam Site." It burned down a few years ago, but the new log cabin version going up now is beautiful, and we can't wait for it to open up Memorial Day Weekend 2013. The main attraction though is the lake itself. The shoreline is as long as a straight line from Fort Peck to Atlanta, GA. If you have a boat, bring it! There are various types of fishing, from deep bottom catching of salmon to less deep walleye fishing. You can spend the entire day in a back bay of the lake, and only see boats half a mile or more away moving down the main channel to get back to the marinas. The best days on the lake involve a packed cooler of food and drink, fishing gear, and if you have kids, water skies, tubes and knee boards. We generally park ourselves on a shore somewhere and spend the day letting our kids and all their friends run free. On the first day of school this year, we had a hot day yet. We brought the kids and their friends out to the lake for one last day of tubing and knee boarding. We generally hit the lake from June through September. We often times meet friends on the lake, sharing toys, food and camping space. It's only 16 miles from home, but it's a nice getaway. The main campgrounds are run by the USACE, but there are several areas around the lake that are first come, first serve, and you can stay for up to 14 days.

This lake still takes my breath away. We have been coming to the lake for 25 years or more. You would not believe what is in store for you when you drive over the hill and see this area. You drive for miles and miles [as in 100's] of nothing but farm land and just big expanse of nothing and out of nowhere is this gem. You can drive on the top of the dam, it is about 4-5 miles long. The prettiest 5 miles in NE Montana.The lake has more shore line than California does coast line! It is shaped kind of like a wishbone. One arm is about 50-55 miles long and the other is 1300-135 miles long. On all of this, there is only one paved road in, that is here at the dam. There are a total of 4 marinas. Depending on the water level, one may or may not be usable on the far west end.The dam and its story are fascinating. It is also on the trail of Lewis and Clark, so there is some more history to see and learn. The Interpretative Center has a life size dinosaur from the area, the dams history, the local wildlife and fisheries, and they have some good stuff for the kids. I am not sure if you can still go through the power house tour, but it is worth looking into [as at the center]. Of course there is fishing both the reservoir and the river. When the water warms the play boats are out. It does freeze over and some folks will ice fish. Oh, don't want to forget the theater. It runs on weekends through summer, with 4-5 different shows. Hopefully, you like to camp. Several camp areas, from a very nice maintained campground ]with water, power, showers, a walking path, play areas, and kids fishing ponds], to primitive camp spots next to the lake and other choices in between. As for the non-campers, well the historic Ft. Peck Hotel is well very historic. The other little motel is well, ok I will put it like this. We had some folks come for a fishing tournament and they had stayed there before [pulling a boat, sometimes you just don't have many choices], so this year she brought her own cleaning supplies and bedding. Heard it was up for sale, hoping to be able amend this review for you folks soon. Other than that you will have to stay in Glasgow, about 17 miles north.As for eateries. There is a restaurant being rebuilt after a fire, saying it will be done for 2013 season. The marina has a little kitchen, it has just been sold, so don't know what to tell you about that yet. Down the river are two little bars that serve food. Don't have anyplace for breakfast though.

true testament to man and the interperative center is a treat, we spent alot of time there with our dogs. the people are friendly and welcoming, and they are great about being considerate and enjoy for visitors to reciprocate

This is a marvel of engineering. Check out the visitors center/museum with its large aquariums and life size dioramas of local wildlife along side prehistoric fish and dinosaur skeletons