Medicine Creek Reservoir State Recreation Area

Rated by many visitors as one of Nebraska's more scenic recreation spots, Medicine Creek State Recreation Area and wildlife land encompass some 8,500 acres of public land and water in southeastern Frontier County. The dam on Medicine Creek is a zoned, earth-filled structure. It is 165 feet high and 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 and 840 feet at the base. Water stored irrigates some 16,630 acres of land. With the long narrow configuration of the lake, much of which is shaded by mature stands of trees and lush underbrush, Medicine Creek offers outdoor buffs plenty of recreational opportunity, plus solitude and plenty of private spots to get away from it all. The long bays that pocket the winding shore and the small islands provide fishermen with hotspots for king-sized crappie and 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. Facilities at Medicine Creek for camping and picnicking range from the most modern to just the essentials. Its wildlife lands lie in the heart of southwest Nebraska's pheasant and quail range. Over 5,500 acres have been extensively managed for wildlife habitat. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation have planted over 50,000 trees and shrubs in recent years, concentrating on plantings that will benefit both game and nongame species.