| At top conservation pool, the lake at Red Willow Reservoir covers 1,628 acres of the nearly 6,000 acres managed for public recreation and wildlife. The dam on Red Willow Creek is a zoned, earth-filled structure, 126 feet high and 3,159 feet long. Completed in 1962, it measures 30 feet thick at the top with a maximum base of 820 feet. Its waters provide primary or supplemental irrigation for 28,524 acres of land.
Attractions
Some of the finest fishing and hunting in the state are found at Red Willow, and the are has excellent facilities for camping and water-oriented recreation.
Dedicated bass fishermen are well-acquainted with its brushy shores (35 miles of them), submerged trees, and underwater structures. Red Willow is a haven for both largemouth and smallmouth bass. Summer and winter crappie fishing is generally excellent in its tree-filled bays, and the state hook-and-line records for both white and black crappie came from Red Willow. White bass, northern pike, and walleye are favorites from spring through fall, and night fishing with lights is common along the face of the dam and in the narrow bays. |
