Canyon Ferry Lake – A Recreation Destination
About 15 miles south of Helena and a few miles north of Townsend sits one of Montana’s most popular water recreation areas. It is a rare sight to look out at Canyon Ferry Lake and not spot at least one fishing boat. Many anglers are drawn here by the opportunity to catch rainbow trout, perch, ling, and walleye.
Winter brings ice fishing, skating, and ice boat racing.
In the warmer months folks are also drawn by the beautiful views from the shore and out on the water of the Big Belt Mountains to the east and Elkhorns to the southwest. The Spokane Hills rise immediately from the lakes west side.
Although called a lake, Canyon Ferry is a reservoir on the Missouri River. It was formed in 1954 by the construction of the Canyon Ferry Dam. Since then, thousands of people count on it for irrigation, flood controls, and electricity. The reservoir has about 35,200 water surface acres and 76 miles of shoreline and is Montana’s third largest body of water.
Managed by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, a thriving wildlife management area sprawls at the south end of the reservoir and is home to a colony of terns and pelicans. The preserves upland areas provide habitat for Chesnut-collared Longspurs and Long-billed Curlews, as well as Pronghorn antelope, mule deer, and white tail deer.
