Ask a southwest Nebraska angler about Hugh Butler Lake and the first word is usually “crappie.” Both the state-record white crappie and black crappie came out of this lake, and the standing timber and brush that crappie love is everywhere. It’s also a legitimate trophy lake for walleye, northern pike (30-inch minimum here), and wipers.
The lake fishes bigger than its 1,630 acres because of all that structure — 35 miles of shoreline, much of it brushy. It’s an irrigation reservoir, so levels fluctuate; low water concentrates fish but can make ramps tricky, so check before you go.
Known locally as Red Willow Reservoir, it’s managed by Game and Parks for the Bureau of Reclamation, with modern camping and three accessible boat ramps. McCook, ten miles south, has everything you need for bait, food, and a motel.