Cooney State Park sits along the shores of Cooney Reservoir in Carbon County, Montana, offering 309 acres of high-plains water recreation against a backdrop of the Beartooth Mountains. The reservoir, fed by Red Lodge Creek, is the main draw — a warm-water fishery stocked with rainbow trout and home to healthy populations of walleye, yellow perch, and brown trout that keep anglers coming back season after season.

Water activities dominate the experience here. Boating is popular on the reservoir’s open water, with a boat ramp providing easy access for motorboats, pontoons, and kayaks alike. When summer temperatures climb, the reservoir becomes a go-to swimming spot for families from nearby Red Lodge and Billings. Ice fishing draws a dedicated crowd in winter, with perch and walleye biting through the frozen surface.

The park offers both tent and RV camping sites along the reservoir’s edge, many with direct water views. Facilities are straightforward — vault toilets, fire rings, and picnic tables — but the setting more than compensates. Evenings at camp are quiet, with wide-open skies that make for impressive stargazing.

The best time to visit is June through September, when the reservoir is warm enough for swimming and the fishing is most productive. Spring runoff can muddy the water into May, and by late October the park begins to wind down for winter.

Cooney State Park won’t overwhelm you with amenities, but for a low-key Montana water getaway with reliable fishing, it delivers exactly what it promises.

Explore Nearby

• Beartooth Highway — Scenic Byway in Montana
• Clarks Fork of The Yellowstone — Public Land in Wyoming
• Four Dances SRMA — Public Land in Montana
• Gallatin National Forest — National Forest in Montana