Army Corps reservoir

Fort Peck Lake

Valley, McCone, Garfield, Phillips, Petroleum & Fergus Counties, Montana

Fort Peck Lake is a huge Missouri River reservoir in remote northeast Montana. It is known for walleye, northern pike, lake trout and Chinook salmon.

Air temp in Jordan, MT Loading current temperature…

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Current air temperature at Fort Peck Lake (National Weather Service) ↗

Surface area246,000 acres

Max depth220 ft

Shoreline1520 mi

Boat motorsUnlimited horsepower

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Walleye●●●●●

Pull spinner and crawler harnesses on bottom bouncers once water tops 55 degrees.

Northern Pike●●●●○

Troll crankbaits in 25 to 35 feet or cast spoons near weeds.

Lake Trout●●●●○

Look for schools on deep flats around 105 to 125 feet in summer.

Chinook Salmon●●●●○

Troll flashers and flies 55 to 80 feet down at about 2 mph.

Sauger●●●○○

River current and deep holes. Jigs and minnows in cold water.

When they bite

Month-by-month activity for each target species.

	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Walleye
Northern Pike
Lake Trout
Chinook Salmon

SlowFairGoodHot

Boat launches

2 launch sites. Fees and hours change, so confirm before you go.

Hell Creek Recreation AreaPublic
Launch on the Hell Creek Arm; private marina with fuel and bait on siteDirections ↗
More public accessPublic
See Montana FWP or the lake manager's website for all ramps and feesDirections ↗

Size & creel limits

Minimum size and daily limit for each species in Fort Peck Lake are published by the state. Look up the current size and creel limits for this lake directly: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks ↗

Rules change, so confirm current limits with the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks before you fish.

Bait & tackle nearby

Closest shops to the lake and its boat launches. Call ahead for live bait and hours.

Hell Creek MarinaNearby
Hell Creek Recreation Area, Jordan, MT(406) 557-2345 Directions ↗
Lakeridge Lodging & Bait ShopNearby
5990 MT Highway 24 S, Glasgow, MT(406) 526-3597 Directions ↗

Search more bait shops near Fort Peck Lake ↗

Local tips

In spring, cast paddle-tail jigs on long main lake points for walleye.
Slow death hooks with crawlers work for summer walleye in 15 to 25 feet.
Water levels swing a lot, so check ramp status before a long drive.

Angler reports

Water temp, what's biting, and anything else other anglers should know about Fort Peck Lake.

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Zoom and pan on a street, satellite or terrain map. Red pins are boat launches.