| The Construction of Fort Peck Dam began during October of 1933 as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal Program. This public works project employed over 10,000 people during the peak of construction in 1936. Laborers were earning 50 cents per hour and skilled workers were earning $1.20 per hour.
The US Army Corps of Engineers built Fort Peck Dam for flood control, irrigation, navigation and domestic water supply. Hydroelectric power generation and recreation were authorized as uses of Fort Peck Lake after the dam was completed. Fort Peck Dam was constructed by hydraulic methods and is still the largest hydraulic earth filled dam in the world. Missouri River bottom sands, silts and clays were dredged by electrically operated dredge boats which were constricted at the Fort Peck boat yard during 1934. The dredge material was then pumped through 28 inch pipelines th the dam site. The majority of the dredge material was taken from the Missouri River which is covered by Fort Peck Lake today. During the construction years, 1933-1940, the population in the Fort Peck area was over 50,000. Eighteen construction boom towns sprang up within a few miles of the dam site. The November 1936 issue of Life Magazine featured Fort Peck Dam and one of these boom towns. The Missouri River was diverted through the four flood control tunnels on June 24, 1937, but Fort Peck Dam was not completed until 1940. A lake 130 miles long, 16 miles wide at its widest and 220 feet deep at the deepest spot was formed by the dam. Two hydroelectric power houses are located below Fort Peck Dam. A museum, featuring fossils and pioneer artifacts is located in one of the powerhouses. All of the lands around Fort Peck Lake are rich in fossils. In order to collect fossils, you must possess a Antiquities Permit. Any fossils that you find must be used for educational or scientific purposes. To obtain information of permits, contact the Fort Peck Lake Office at 406-526-3411. A nature trail is located between the Downstream Campground and the powerhouses. This self guided trail is about 1 mile long and meanders through a fresh water marsh. Bison, elk, and deer may be seen in the Wildlife Exhibition Pasture near the town of Fort Peck. The historic Fort Peck Theater features plays during the summer. You may obtain this season's schedule by writing to:
Eleven recreation areas are located around Fort Peck Lake. Many of these are primitive sites with vault toilets, campfire grills and picnic tables. Some of these sites also have shed shelters and boat ramps. Boat ramps are located at the following areas around Fort Peck Lake:
Two fee area campgrounds are located within a few miles of Fort Peck Dam. The Downstream Campground and the West Tent and Trailer Campground require a $6.00 per night minimum fee. A site with an electrical hookup is $8.00 per night. These campgrounds have electrical hookups, picnic tables, camp fire grills, water spigots, modern restrooms with showers and asphalt camping pads. A sewage dump station is located between these two campgrounds near the town of Fort Peck. Twenty-one sites in the Downstream Campground are available for reservation on a first payment/first priority basis. A $3.00 reservation fee for each site reserved is required when making the reservation. Reservations will be accepted after March 1 of each year by contacting:
A unique area near Fort Peck Lake is the Pines Recreation Area. The prairies quickly change to a forest of Ponderosa Pine. This area is located 30 miles from Fort Peck Dam on the North side of the lake. These Ponderosa Pines were the first evergreen trees seen by the Lewis and Clark Expedition as they traveled up the Missouri River from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean between 1803 and 1805.
Fishing in Fort Peck Lake and the Missouri River below Fort Peck Dam is excellent at certain times of the year. The best fishing for lake trout is after ice-out in the spring until June and again in the fall from October until freeze-up. Walleye and sauger fishing can be good during the summer in the colder, deeper waters. The most abundant game fish caught in the lake are walleye, sauger, lake trout, northern pike, and yellow perch. Several other warm and cold water species are caught at irregular intervals.  | |||||||||||||||
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