Story and photos by Justin Haag
Long before the Niobrara River carries the multitudes of tubers and kayakers in north-central Nebraska, it entertains a variety of outdoor enthusiasts at a recreational hot spot in the Panhandle.
This far west, where the river would be better described as a creek, stands a dam that was constructed by the Works Progress Administration in the 1940s to create what was first known as Lake Felton. Visitors now know the reservoir north of Hemingford at the western edge of the Sandhills as Box Butte Reservoir State Recreation Area and Wildlife Management Area.
The 1,600-acre reservoir, with 587 acres of public land surrounding it, is full of fun surprises for an array of outdoor pursuits, perhaps most notably fishing and camping.
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 and its 14 miles of shoreline. Woodpeckers, nuthatches, bluebirds, orioles, finches, warblers and many songbirds can be located around the lake in spring and summer. Spring is also prime for viewing shorebirds and waterfowl, with the occasional sighting of common loons and trumpeter swans.
The fun doesn’t stop there. Take into account a swimming beach and four picnic shelters, and there’s something for everyone. Whether it is what’s below the water’s surface or above it, people surely enjoy the pleasant surprises of Box Butte.
A bullsnake, one of lake’s countless wildlife species, swims across the water. Photo by Justin Haag, Nebraskaland Magazine.
