| At top conservation pool, the lake at Red Willow Reservoir covers 1,628 acres of the nearly 6,000 acres managed for public recreation & wildlife. The dam on Red Willow Creek is a zoned, earth-filled structure, 126 feet high & 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 & hunting in the state are found at Red Willow, & the are has excellent facilities for camping & water-oriented recreation.
Dedicated bass fishermen are well-acquainted with its brushy shores (35 miles of them), submerged trees, & underwater structures. Red Willow is a haven for both largemouth & smallmouth bass. Summer & winter crappie fishing is generally excellent in its tree-filled bays, & the state hook-and-line records for both white & black crappie came from Red Willow. White bass, northern pike, & walleye are favorites from spring through fall, & night fishing with lights is common along the face of the dam & in the narrow bays. |
Campground: Red Willow Reservoir State Recreation Area in McCook Nebraska *