NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/498175
50 NEBRASKAland • MAY 2015 An Easy-to-Reach Sandhills Lake Just off the pavement a half-mile east of Merriman, Cottonwood Lake is certainly easy to access. It always tugs at my steering wheel for a brief stop as I'm driving down the scenic byway. The park is managed by the superintendent of Bowring Ranch State Historical Park, another popular tourist attraction just north of Merriman. From my previous stops, I had already learned that Cottonwood Lake is a first-rate location for birding. A blue heron rookery is near the lake, and its mixture of marsh, open water and trees attracts a wide variety of avian species and other wildlife. Trumpeter swans are among the species that have nested there. After a simple Dad-style supper, we took a walk. The lake is listed at 60 acres, and it was every bit at capacity and more as the wet spring had pushed water over the banks in many places. The plant life was lush and thriving. A Sandhills lake is a great place to explore nature. As birds flew from tree to tree the large population of bullfrogs reveled in flooded grass. Both provided entertainment – as did the playground's vintage seesaws and swing set. There's enough to pique a person's interest during the day, but perhaps one of the park's greatest assets is in what I didn't notice after the sun went down. Even though Cottonwood Lake is just off the highway and near town, it might as well be in the middle of nowhere. Noise pollution that night was at a minimum. We heard no cars, no radios – not even voices from "those rowdy retirees" across the way in the 240-acre park. Other than the echoes of wildlife, such as the frogs and the flock of Canada geese that landed nearby as we were enjoying the evening campfire, the place was silent. With a restful night of sleep and a breakfast of powdered doughnuts behind us, we soon boarded the kayaks for fishing on a lake suitable for full-size boats and even bank anglers. The lake fills with vegetation later in the year, but it is ready for fishing in spring and early summer. Northern pike, bluegill, largemouth bass, black crappie, green sunfish and yellow perch are all there for the taking. We didn't fish long, but it was enough to make me want to return. The bluegill soon took a liking to the crawlers, and a nice-sized pike let me have a good look before severing the spinnerbait from my line with a quick turn of his body. The rising wind, however, would mean it was time to row toward shore and that my tango with that northern would have to A great blue heron stands near the entrance of Cottonwood Lake State Recreation Area near Merriman. A hen blue-winged teal swims in the shallows.