| Rated by many visitors as one of Nebraska's more scentic recreation spots, Medicine Creek State Recreation Area & wildlife land encompass some 8,500 acres of public land & H2O in southeastern Frontier County. The dam on Medicine Creek is a zoned, earth-filled structure. It is 165 feet high & 5,665 feet long. At the top of the conservation pool, the lake covers 1,850 surface acres, with 29 miles of shoreline. Completed in 1949, the dam is 30 feet wide at the top & 840 feet at the base. Water stored irrigates some 16,630 acres of land.
Attractions
With the long narrow configuration of the lake, much of which is shaded by mature stands of trees & lush underbrush, Medicine Creek offers outdoor buffs plenty of recreational opportunity, plus solitude & plenty of private spots to get away from it all. The long bays that pocket the winding shore & the small islands provide fishermen with hotspots for king-sized crappie & other panfish. In early spring, walleye start hitting back in the shallows, but the walleye fishing really begins in June in the main body of the lake.
In the fall, hunters will find that Medicine Creek is one of the finest public hunting areas in the state, for its wildlife lands lie in the heart of southwest Nebraska's pheasant & quail range. More than 5,500 acres have been extensively managed for wildlife habitat. The Game & Parks Commission & Bureau of Reclamation have planted more than 50,000 trees & shrubs in recent years, concentrating on plantings that benefit both game & nongame species.
The private concession on the south side of the dam on Trail No. 1, offers a restaurant, grocery items, camping supplies, bait, tackle, boat rental, gas, modern air-conditioned cabins, & hunting, fishing & park entry permits. |
Campground: Medicine Creek State Recreation Area in Cambridge Nebraska *