22 Nebraskaland • March 2025
Whether casting for bass, walleye and pike in the flooded timber
of spring, or dropping waxworms below the thick ice for winter
panfish, a diverse fishery awaits anglers.
The lake has a reputation for northern pike and large bluegills.
It's also become one of western Nebraska's best walleye lakes, along
with largemouth bass, yellow perch, channel catfish and crappies.
As a testament to the lake's diversity, Nebraska's fish records show
an array of other species, mostly less targeted, registered from Box
Butte: European rudd, white sucker, rock bass, smallmouth bass,
brown trout, common carp and gizzard shad are on the list. Many of
those are in the category of underwater spearfishing; with the lake's
clear waters, it's a popular place for that activity.
Recent upgrades have made the lake even more attractive. An
expansion of 20 electrical campsites in 2024 brought the total
number of available spaces to 60. A modern shower house and dump
station also were installed. Visitors have been enjoying an improved
two-lane boat ramp since 2018 and a state-of-the-art fish cleaning
station.
In spring, the water usually rises into the cottonwoods and
willows, providing spawning habitat and an ideal opportunity
for fishing by kayak or other small watercraft. When summer's
irrigation season brings extensive drawdown, the lake's big catfish
are often targeted.
Most of the property around the lake is open to hunting. The
expanse of tall cottonwoods, something of a rarity for public lands
in the Panhandle, provides ideal habitat for whitetails, turkeys,
cottontails and furbearers. The river at the lake's west end welcomes
waterfowl hunters long after the region's water bodies have frozen
over. Opportunity also exists for dove, pheasant and grouse.
The lake's surprises are often seen through binoculars as
birdwatchers enjoy the variety of avian species attracted to the water
BOTTOM LEFT: Tubers beat the heat in
August. An improved ramp has helped
people get on the water even when the
water is low.
TOP RIGHT: The sunrise creates colorful
reflections on a still morning on the
lake's north bank.
BOTTOM RIGHT: A bullsnake, one of
lake's countless wildlife species, swims
across the water.
