Dangerous Wind and 4' Waves on Fort Peck Lake Thursday

Take caution if you are looking to head out onto Fort Peck Lake Thursday afternoon and evening. Gusty winds are creating serious 3' and 4' waves, and dangerous conditions for small boats.

Lake conditions for the rest of Thursday are complicated by the possibility of more thunderstorms in the Fort Peck Lake area.

As a wildly popular place to fish, Fort Peck Reservoir in Montana is known for its abundant walleye, northern pike, and smallmouth bass. It also supports populations of lake trout, chinook salmon, and paddlefish.

Fort Peck Lake covers a very large area in Montana. According to Visit Montana:

"The lake is about 134 miles in length and has a maximum depth of 220 feet when full. There are over 1,520 miles of shoreline, longer than the California coast."

A LAKE WIND ADVISORY IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM THIS EVENING.
WHAT...East winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.
WHERE...Fort Peck Lake.
WHEN...Until 8 PM this evening.
IMPACTS...Strong winds and rough waves on area lakes will create hazardous conditions for small craft.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Waves up to 4 feet are expected over Fort Peck Lake today.
Stronger wind gusts are possible in and near any thunderstorms that occur over the lake today.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Boaters on Fort Peck Lake should use extra caution since strong winds and rough waves can overturn small craft.

"Fort Peck Lake, or Lake Fort Peck, is a major reservoir in Montana, formed by the Fort Peck Dam on the Missouri River."

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LOOK: Montana's Most Beautiful Rivers

When you're looking for some of Montana's prettiest rivers, you don't have to look for - but you can certainly get off the beaten path, too.

The largest river in Montana by volume is the Clark Fork, but it's NOT the longest. The Clark Fork is considered the headwaters of the Columbia River Basin.

Gallery Credit: mwolfe