Canyon Ferry Lake is Montana's third largest body of water. The lake is a popular outdoor
destination providing boating, fishing, wildlife habitat, and is nestled against the Big Belt
Mountains of the Rocky Mountains. Canyon Ferry Lake has also become a leading ice
boat venue for iceboat racing and iceboat world speed record attempts. The former town
of Canton lies beneath the lake, having been submerged following construction of the dam.
Canyon Ferry Dam impounds the Missouri River forming the Reservoir. The dam and roughly
one-quarter of the reservoir are located in Lewis and Clark County with the remainder of the
reservoir located in Broadwater County. Constructed between 1949-1954, the Canyon Ferry
Unit facilities include the dam, powerplant and reservoir. The reservoir has 33,500 water
surface acres at elevation 3797 feet, extending upstream about 19 miles from the dam to the
point the Missouri River enters the reservoir.
Canyon Ferry supports a diverse range of mammalian and avian life including white tail and
mule deer, badgers, ground squirrels, raptors, skunk, porcupine, raccoon, weasel, beaver,
muskrat, and a number of other small rodents. A host of migratory and non-migratory bird
species.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks provides overall fish and wildlife management and
enforcement of State hunting, fishing, boating at Canyon Ferry Reservoir. Three concessions
have agreements with Reclamation to operate commercial businesses and to provide
recreation opportunities for the public at the reservoir. These include Kim’s Marina, Yacht Basin
Marina, and Goose Bay Marina. Canyon Ferry also provides a diversity of recreational
opportunities through the management of 13 campgrounds and 9 day use areas. The remaining
lands are managed by Reclamation and are primarily used for outdoor recreation purposes and
open space. The Bureau of Land Management has jurisdiction over lands adjacent to
Reclamation lands primarily on the west side of the reservoir and north of Beaver Creek and
White Earth Recreation Area. The State of Montana has several parcels of land that border the
reservoir area. The U.S. Forest Service manages the nearby Helena National Forest. The
diversity of public lands in the area provide for a wealth of recreational opportunities.