Visit the most popular recreation area serving south central Montana featuring excellent walleye and rainbow trout fishing, boating, water-skiing and scenic mountain views.
Head to Cooney State Park's reservoir 40 minutes south of Billings to boat, play in the water, camp, and fish. This is the most popular recreation area serving south central Montana, and it's always a busy place in the summer!
The park features good walleye and rainbow trout fishing, abundant boating opportunities, and five campgrounds with 82 campsites and three group use areas available daily around the lake. Nineteen campsites with electricity are available.
The park offers three boat ramps with docks and a fish cleaning station at Red Lodge Arm.
Some amenities are seasonal. Check with the park for availability.
ADA Accessible
Boat Launch
Campsite
Camp Host
Dock
Electricity
Established Fire Pits
Grills/Fire Rings
Parking
Pets Allowed
Picnic Tables
Playground
Public Restroom
Shower
Toilets (Flush)
Toilets (Vault)
Trash Removal
Water
Seasons & Hours
Hours listed below are normal operating hours and may not apply when there is a special restriction or closure. Check Alerts and Closures in the tab below.
Park
Open 24 hours/day all year.
Electricity
Available
Drinking Water
Available May 15 - September 27.
Comfort Stations & Showers
Flush toilets available May 15 - September 27.
Metered showers available to all registered campers in Marshall Cove Campground. Requires 8 quarters for each shower.
Dec. 28, 2023 - The low temperatures at night have helped the reservoir at Cooney State Park freeze-over and ice fishing is in full swing.
Restrictions and Closures
See a current list of Restrictions and Closures on State Parks and other FWP lands that may be affected by floods, fire, drought or major maintenance activities.
Pets must be on a leash at all times.
Volunteer
Contact the park manager for open volunteer positions at Cooney State Park.
For complete position descriptions, application forms, and details about Montana State Parks volunteer programs, visit the Volunteers page.
Fees
Montana Residents
Montana residents who pay the $9 state parks fee with their annual vehicle registration have no daily entrance fees to state parks. For residents who don't include this in their vehicle registration, non-resident day use fees apply.
Nonresidents
Day use entrance fee with a vehicle: $8
Day use entrance fee as a walk-in, bicycle or bus passenger: $4
With a Nonresident Entrance Pass: Free
Campsites
Campsite fees range from $4-$34 per night, depending on season and available amenities.
AIS can be easily spread from one waterbody to the other. Anglers, boaters, construction workers, pond owners, gardeners, seaplane pilots, field workers - virtually anyone who works or plays in or around water can unknowingly transport these pests on their boats and equipment. It takes only one mistake to potentially infest a new water body.
During my time with the Department of Defense, I worked in an area called Morale, Welfare, and Recreation, basically all the quality-of-life programs in the military. My wife Gregrie and I lived all over the world: Bermuda, the Middle East, Japan, and Iceland. I’ve also been employed with city and county parks and recreation, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, and done consulting work for a nonprofit, forest-management organization. Gregrie and I always dreamed of living in Montana, and here we are…living the dream!
CONTACT INFO Mailing Address:
Cooney State Park
86 Lake Shore Road
Roberts, MT 59070
