If you like to boat, kayak, paddle board, picnic, fish, ice fish, camp and/or relax, Ackley Lake is the place for you.
The lake, located southwest of Hobson with the Little Belt and Snowy Mountain ranges off in the distance, is a man-made reservoir. Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation ensures the lake’s safety as a water storage facility. To serve a a source of recreation in Central Montana, Ackley Lake is leased by Montana State Parks.
Roger Epkes is the Ackley Lake State Park’s caretaker with State Parks. Clint Smith, Lewistown-area fisheries biologist with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, keeps track of the fish population and stocks fish as needed.
Members of the Ackley Lake Club, all volunteers, keep the lake thriving by expanding and improving the campsites, hosting annual cleanup days, fundraising, installing a swim dock and hosting two annual fishing tournaments — the Summer Classic and Woodsy Cup.
The Woody Cup is an ice-fishing tournament. The 2025 Woodsy Cup on Feb. 1 was a success, with 87 contestants and over 40 ice huts. The 2025 winning trout in the general division ranged from in length from 17 inches to 18.5 inches, and weighed between 2.42 and 2.66 pounds.
“Rainbow trout numbers and catch rates have been good, with rainbows averaging about 13-inches last fall and rainbows up to 19-inches surveyed,” said Fisheries Biologist Smith. “The rainbows continue to be in good condition and are taking advantage of the prolific crayfish.”
While the trout population is looking strong, FWP has recorded an increase in the number of sucker fish beginning in 2022. In 2015, a total of 4,000 tiger muskie were introduced into Ackley Lake to eat the sucker fish.
“The fall 2024 surveys found abundances at the long-term average of sucker fish, meaning that the tiger muskie-induced sucker crash has recovered,” said Smith.
“Tiger muskie are still around, although getting to be fewer,” Smith added. “The 2015 cohort is providing some large, trophy fish.”
Another trophy fish opportunity at Ackley Lake is Brown Trout.
“Brown trout continue to provide a trophy opportunity with fish over 24-inches and 5-10 pounds occasionally caught,” Smith said.
Ackley is also scheduled to receive approximately 25,000 hatchery rainbow trout in 2025.
In 2023, a total of 200 additional tiger muskie were added to the lake. They will continue to grow and provide future trophy fish.
“The relatively few tiger muskies stocked in 2023 are a few years from reaching the legal size of 40-inches,” said Smith.
Next up, the Ackley Lake Club Summer Classic will be a two-day fishing derby on June 8 and 9.
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Melody Montgomery can be reached by email at mmontgomery@judithbasinpress.net, by calling 406-566-2471 extension 5, or at the Judith Basin Press Office in Stanford (79 Central Ave.).