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Hugh Butler Lake is a public lake in Frontier County and Red Willow County, Nebraska, managed by Nebraska Game & Parks Commission. It is public water managed for fishing by the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission. Public access confirmed via NGPC public water.
One of Nebraska's big federal or public-power reservoirs (McConaughy, Harlan County, Merritt, Sherman, Swanson, Calamus, Lewis and Clark) — the state's best all-round fisheries. Walleye and saugeye headline most, plus white bass and wiper runs, smallmouth and largemouth bass, slab crappie, trophy channel and blue catfish, and (at McConaughy) a stocked rainbow trout fishery in the cold tailrace. Big open reservoirs with a strong summer boating scene.
Hugh Butler Lake covers about 1,496 acres in the Southwest Nebraska region. Anglers here mostly fish for walleye, sauger, saugeye, white bass; wiper, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, channel catfish are also on record. The nearest other mapped waters on PiscaMaps are Blackwood Creek and Brushy Creek.
Species from PiscaMaps water-type profiles, NGPC trout designations and hand research.
Night fishing: No statewide night-fishing closure in Nebraska. Snagging, gigging, bowfishing and trotlines/setlines for carp, gar, buffalo and catfish are legal on most waters with their own gear-tagging rules and seasons; some state recreation areas post gate hours after dark.
Boats: The big reservoirs (McConaughy, Harlan County, Merritt, Branched Oak, Sherman, Swanson) have no horsepower limit on the main body; many smaller SRA lakes and coves are posted no-wake or trolling-motor-only. Nebraska requires boater education for operators born after 1 Jan 1986.
Bank & bivvy camping: Camp at the state recreation areas ringing most of Nebraska's public lakes (a separate NGPC park entry permit is required, apart from the fishing permit) and at Corps/Reclamation campgrounds on the big federal reservoirs (McConaughy, Harlan County, Lewis and Clark).
Tackle: Statewide largemouth/smallmouth bass daily limit is usually 5 (a 15-inch minimum on many reservoirs); walleye/sauger/saugeye 4 in combination (some waters carry a slot or minimum length); wiper/white bass generous; channel/blue/flathead catfish generous; crappie combined limit varies by water. Check the current NGPC fishing guide for this water.
Camping: 3 sites mapped nearby — Kiwanis Point Campground, Willow View Campground, Buffalo Roam Campground.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors.
Anyone 16 or older needs a Nebraska fishing permit — the resident annual is about $34, the non-resident annual about $95, with non-resident 1-day (~$13) and 3-day licences also sold. A separate trout stamp (~$18) is required in addition to the fishing permit to fish for or keep trout at designated NGPC trout waters. Nebraska residents born before 1 January 1937 need no permit, and anyone under 16 fishes free. Buy from NGPC at outdoornebraska.gov. A Nebraska fishing permit covers this federal or state-owned reservoir.
Every water carries species, bank & boat access, current regulations and live water conditions — and members get Swim Mapper, Catch Logger and Trip Planner. It's the only US map with a dedicated carp-water layer.
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