If you’ve ever cut into a Montana steak and noticed marbling that looks like a topographic map, you might be looking at some true 406 beef! That winding pattern is a nod to Fort Peck, the tallest of six major dams along the Missouri River. Sitting near Glasgow in northeastern Montana, the dam stretches over 21,000 feet long and towers more than 250 feet high, creating Fort Peck Lake, a massive reservoir over 130 miles long with 1,520 miles of shoreline (longer than California’s coast). The lake is located within the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge. It is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for hydroelectric power, flood control, and water quality purposes. But many know it best as one of Montana’s premier fishing spots where walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, and lake trout keep anglers coming back year after year. Whether it’s on your dinner plate or at the end of your fishing line, Fort Peck has a way of showing up in every true Montanan’s life!
Sources:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. (2023). Fort Peck Dam and Lake. https://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/Missions/Dam-and-Lake-Projects/Fort-Peck/
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. (2024). Fort Peck Reservoir Fishing Guide. https://fwp.mt.gov
Wikipedia contributors. (2024). Fort Peck Dam. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Peck_Dam
(Shout out to MORS follower, Glenn Siroky for sending this!)
