62 Nebraskaland • August-September 2025
other small vessels.
Anglers who make the trip to Cottonwood-Steverson are
often rewarded, sometimes with a catch not found in many
other Nebraska water bodies. Steverson and Cottonwood
have an ample population of muskellunge, with surveys
reporting some topping 40 inches.
Other species swimming at Cottonwood-Steverson include
crappies, wipers, walleyes, saugeyes, bluegills, yellow perch,
largemouth bass and common carp. Unlike many shallower
Sandhills lakes, those of Cottonwood-Steverson showed no
signs of winterkill in early 2023.
Home Valley has a special fishing regulation. It limits the
15-fish daily bag limit of panfish to include no more than five
yellow perch 10 inches or greater of which only one can be
12 or more inches. The lake has had a history of producing
trophy perch and the regulation was put in place to manage
for its quality potential.
Hunting opportunities include mule deer, white-tailed deer,
grouse, pheasant and waterfowl, to name a few. Elk have
even been seen on the property. Birdwatchers will find a wide
variety of other species, whether it be shorebirds and waders,
songbirds of the grasslands, or warblers in the towering
riparian habitat at the southwestern corner of Steverson Lake.
The Game and Parks Commission's habitat management
efforts have improved the area. It has divided the area
into four cattle grazing allotments that rotate annually
in conjunction with two adjoining landowners. A high
intensity, low duration grazing system in early spring
suppresses problematic cool-season grasses and bolsters the
native warm-season ones typical to the Sandhills. Prescribed
burns have been used to manage the wetland and upland
vegetation on the western end.
The day's last moments of light refl ect from the water's surface and silhouette the cattails along the shoreline at
Cottonwood-Steverson Wildlife Management Area in the Sandhills.
