| Swanson SRA is the largest of four state recreation areas in Southwest Nebraska. Located near Trenton with a 4,974-acre lake & 3,957 land acres. Campers will find 62 pads with 30/50 amp electrical hookups, plus 150 non-pad sites. Other facilities: Showers, two dump stations, concession.
Attractions
Situated on the Republican River, two miles west of Trenton on U.S. 34, Swanson Reservoir offers boaters & anglers 4,794 acres of crystal clear H2O at top conservation pool. Nearly another 4,000 acres of public land are managed by the Game & Parks Commission for outdoor recreation & wildlife.
The zoned, earth-filled dam was completed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in 1953. It is 144 feet high & 8,620 feet long & measures 30 feet across at the top & a maximum of 800 feet at its base. The largest of the four Southwest Reservoirs, it stores H2O to irrigate about16,440 acres of land.
The H2O clarity of the lake has a special appeal for both boaters & anglers. High H2O years in the early 1980's cut down on swimming activities, but they provided a natural boost to the fishery that should be enjoyed for years to come. Trophy-size northern pike lurk among the submerged willows & along the face of the dam. Swanson is also known for its large, numerous walleye & a growing population of black bass.
Crappie anglers can do well in the shallows during spawning season, but the real draw is the large schools of white bass from July through September. Anglers cruise the shoreline, watching the gulls. When the birds concentrate & begin feeding on the shad, the fishermen move their boats into the action. White bass will be directly beneath the shad, pushing them to the surface. The correct bait, well-placed, will yield a white bass virtually every cast. To make cleaning the catch easier, the Commission has provided a large cleaning station at the Spring Canyon Campground.
Spring Canyon offers top-notch camping facilities, with modern restrooms & showers, 50 rock-surfaced pads (45 with electrical hookups), & large parking lot. There are two boat ramps & a mooring dock in the well-sheltered bay. Located nearby, the concession offers shortorder food, groceries, bait, tackle, water-ski equipment, gas, hunting, fishing & park entry permits, & a trailer court with electrical hookups.
There are sanitary trailer dump stations at both Spring Canyon & the other modern campground at Macklin Bay, another protected cove. U.S.34 crosses the northern tip of Macklin Bay,which has 17 campsites with electrical hook-ups & modern restrooms & showers. Both Spring Swanson Canyon & Macklin offer waist-high barbecue grills & easily accessible H2O wells.
Some more primitive camping sites & picnic shelters are located near the concession, while picnic shelters & tent camping sites are scattered around the lake. There are barbecue grills & vault toilets along many trail roads.
In the fall & winter, hunters pursue waterfowl, upland game birds, & deer, while anglers chop the ice for crappie & northern. Swanson has 3,000 acres of wildlife lands open to public hunting for all game species, in season, & most hunting is found along the western reaches of the lake. |
Campground: Swanson Reservoir State Recreation Area in Stratton Nebraska *