Lake Wanahoo on Track for Spring Opening
Dec. 14, 2011
Outdoor enthusiasts in southeast Nebraska will have a reason to celebrate next spring when the long-awaited Lake Wanahoo Recreation Area opens to the public.
Major construction at the 1,600-acre site one mile north of Wahoo is complete and the final touches are being put on the recreation area now, with everything on track for a grand opening next April or May.
Click for larger version
The recreation facilities straddle the 662-acre Lake Wanahoo, with camping and boating access on the west side and a day use area on the east. A rocked hiking/biking trail winds throughout the park, linking the east and west side recreation areas over a breakwater levee one mile north of the dam. Mowed trails north of the levee provide access to undeveloped areas set aside for wildlife habitat.
Speaking of wildlife, some notable visitors have already been making use of the recreation area - a bald eagle pair fledged two chicks at the lake this year. The fledglings could often be spotted perching on one of the rest rooms in the day use area.
Campers of the human variety should find plenty to like at the lake too, with 74 camper pads and 60 tent camping sites. All camper pads are equipped with electrical hookups and 50 of them are hard surfaced, with the remainder on grass. All tent sites will have fire rings and picnic tables.
The camping area also offers easy access to a large boat ramp that's wide enough to accommodate three boats at a time. Boating at the lake will be no-wake only.
The day use area on the east side of the lake will be a great location for groups both big and small, with two large picnic shelters and two smaller ones, all offering scenic views of the lake.
Both the camping and day use areas will provide excellent fishing access, with a total of seven fishing jetties. One jetty on each side has an attached handicapped pier. The lake was stocked with largemouth bass, bluegill, blue catfish, crappie, northern pike, and walleye beginning in 2008. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission conducted several fish surveys earlier this year that showed all of the stocked species have good numbers and are at catchable sizes.
Limited hunting opportunities will continue to be available at Lake Wanahoo through the popular PATH Program, where adults can schedule a time to mentor a youth hunter at designated hunting sites north of the recreation area.
A firm date for the grand opening of the Lake Wanahoo Recreation Area will be decided by the end of this year, so watch the website or follow us on Facebook or Twitter for updates.
One of the last pieces of the Wanahoo project will get underway later in 2012, when the Nebraska Department of Roads starts taking bids for the Highway 77 Expressway. The expressway will skirt the west edge of Wahoo and run across the Lake Wanahoo dam to link up with the current Highway 77 junction north of Wahoo.
Get more information on the Lake Wanahoo/Sand Creek project here.
