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[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

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

The park offers stocked trout fishing, boating with two boat ramps, picnicking facilities, and a 26-site campground.[2][9]

Fish species within the lake

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

1. "Ackley Lake State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
2. "Ackley Lake State Park". Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
3. "Park Origin by Date". Montana State Parks. 2014. Archived from the original on January 1, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
4. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (May 6, 2024). "2023 Montana State Parks Annual Visitation Report" (PDF). fwp.mt.gov. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
5. 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.
6. Aarstad, Rich; et al. (2009). Montana Place Names from Alzada to Zortman. Helena, Montana: Montana Historical Society Press. ISBN 9780975919613. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
7. "Ackley Lake Dam" (PDF). Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
8. Dettmer, Sarah. "Ackley Lake to remain state park for another 5 years". Great Falls Tribune. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
9. "FISHMT :: Waterbody Details". myfwp.mt.gov. Retrieved June 13, 2022.

External links

• Ackley Lake State Park Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks