Fort Peck Lake
The lake seen from the Lewis and Clark Overlook east of the dam
Fort Peck Lake Show map of Montana Fort Peck Lake Show map of the United States
Location	Montana,  United States
Coordinates	47°46′41″N 106°40′53″W / 47.77806°N 106.68139°W / 47.77806; -106.68139[1]
Lake type	Reservoir
Primary inflows	Missouri River, Musselshell River, Fourchette Creek, Dry Creek
Primary outflows	Missouri River
Catchment area	57,500 sq mi (149,000 km2)[2]
Max. length	134 mi (216 km)[2]
Surface area	245,000 acres (99,000 ha)
Average depth	76.3 ft (23.3 m)
Max. depth	220 ft (67 m)[2]
Water volume	18,687,731 acre⋅ft (23.050977 km3)[2]
Surface elevation	2,250 feet (690 m)[2]
Frozen	Winter
Islands	York Island, others unnamed
Settlements	Fort Peck

Fort Peck Lake, or Lake Fort Peck, is a major reservoir in Montana, formed by the Fort Peck Dam on the Missouri River. The lake lies in the eastern prairie region of Montana approximately 140 miles (230 km) east of Great Falls and 120 miles (190 km) north of Billings, reaching into portions of six counties.^[1]

The dam and reservoir were built in the 1930s to enhance navigation on the Missouri River, supplying enough water downstream of the dam to provide for a 9-foot deep (2.7 m), 300-foot wide (91 m) navigation channel from Sioux City, Iowa, to the mouth of the Missouri just above St. Louis.^[3]

History

Following severe flooding along the Missouri River in 1943, which hampered the economic development of the Missouri River Valley and damaged production of military supplies for then-ongoing World War II, five additional dams were added when the federal government adopted the Pick-Sloan Plan, calling for a series of dams and reservoirs to be built along the Missouri and its tributaries.^[4] Fort Peck Dam was built from 1933 to 1940 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; water impoundment began in 1937 and the reservoir was first filled to capacity in 1947.^[5] The federal government forced out ranchers and farmers who lived in the valley bottom to prepare room for the lake.^[6]

Description

With a volume of 18,700,000 acre-feet (23.1 km³) when full, Fort Peck is the fifth largest artificial lake in the United States. It extends 134 miles (216 km) through central Montana, and its twisting, inlet-studded shoreline has a total length of some 1,520 miles (2,450 km).^[7] Along with the Missouri River, smaller tributaries such as the Musselshell River, Fourchette Creek, Timber Creek, Hell Creek and Dry Creek feed the reservoir; the latter forms the longest side arm of the reservoir, which reaches some 30 miles (48 km) southwards. The lake covers an area of 245,000 acres (99,000 ha), making it the largest in Montana by surface area, although Flathead Lake has a larger volume due to its greater depth.^[8][9]

The reservoir is also a tourist attraction, with 27 designated recreational sites bordering its shores.^[10] Bordering nearly the entire reservoir is the 1,719-square-mile (4,450 km²) Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, which has preserved much of the high prairie and hill country around the lake.^[11]

The lake is featured in the film Jurassic Park III, as part of an excavation.

Fishing

Fishing is popular at the reservoir and a large variety of fish have been introduced into the lake.^[12]