Ackley Lake State Park
| Ackley Lake State Park | |
|---|---|
  Location in Montana | |
| Location | Judith Basin County, Montana, United States |
| Nearest city | Hobson, Montana |
| Coordinates | 46°56′50″N 109°56′13″W / 46.94722°N 109.93694°W[1] |
| Area | 290 acres (120 ha)[2] |
| Elevation | 4,337 ft (1,322 m)[1] |
| Designation | Montana state park |
| Established | 1940[3] |
| Visitors | 27,428 (in 2023)[4] |
| Administrator | Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks |
| Website | Ackley Lake State Park |
Ackley Lake State Park is a public recreation area located four miles southwest of Hobson, Montana. The state park covers 290 acres (120 ha) centered around 160-acre (65 ha) Ackley Lake. The Little Belt Mountains and Snowy Mountains are visible on the horizon.[2] The park is operated by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks on land leased from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.[5]
History
[edit]The Ackley Lake was originally a 40-acre natural pond owned by Jean Acley.[6] It became a reservoir in 1938 with the completion of an earthen embankment dam measuring 51 feet high and 3,514 feet long. The reservoir is an off-stream storage project with a supply canal from the Judith River.[7] The site became Ackley State Park in 1940.[3] It was threatened with the loss of its status as a state park after the Montana State Parks and Recreation Board adopted a five-year strategic plan, "Charting a New Tomorrow," that proposed a rebranding of the parks in its system.[5] In 2017, the parks department renewed its lease with the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation for a further five years to the end 2021.[8]
Activities and amenities
[edit]The park offers stocked trout fishing, boating with two boat ramps, picnicking facilities, and a 26-site campground.[2][9]
| Species | Family | Class | Native to MT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brook Trout | Trout | Coldwater | Introduced |
| Brown Trout | Trout | Coldwater | Introduced |
| Kokanee | Trout | Coldwater | Introduced |
| Longnose Sucker | Sucker | Warmwater | Native |
| Mountain Whitefish | Trout | Coldwater | Native |
| Rainbow Trout | Trout | Coldwater | Introduced |
| White Sucker | Sucker | Warmwater | Native |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Ackley Lake State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ a b c "Ackley Lake State Park". Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
- ^ a b "Park Origin by Date". Montana State Parks. 2014. Archived from the original on January 1, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
- ^ Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (May 6, 2024). "2023 Montana State Parks Annual Visitation Report" (PDF). fwp.mt.gov. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ a b Frost, Mikenzie. "Future of Ackley Lake State Park in jeopardy". Helena, Mt.: KTVH. Archived from the original on August 18, 2016. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
- ^ Aarstad, Rich; et al. (2009). Montana Place Names from Alzada to Zortman. Helena, Montana: Montana Historical Society Press. ISBN 9780975919613. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
- ^ "Ackley Lake Dam" (PDF). Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
- ^ Dettmer, Sarah. "Ackley Lake to remain state park for another 5 years". Great Falls Tribune. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
- ^ "FISHMT :: Waterbody Details". myfwp.mt.gov. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
External links
[edit]- Ackley Lake State Park Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks