Constructed in 1998, the Oxbow Trail Recreation Area is located 1.5 miles east of Ulysses, Nebraska, and features a 39-surface-acre lake that can store 274-acre feet of water. Named for the nearby Oxbow Trail used by pioneers during the mid-1850s, the dam and reservoir was designed to provide flood control, wildlife habitat, and recreation. The lake’s water source is supplied by rainfall and underground springs. A boat ramp, boat dock, kayak launch, and ADA accessible fishing dock are on the west side of the lake. There is also a paved sidewalk with a handrail leading down to the ADA accessible fishing dock. The recreation area is open to hiking and camping. Upland game and waterfowl hunting are permitted within designated areas of Oxbow Trail Recreation Area. Trapping of furbearers is authorized only by a special permit issued by the district.
If you see vandalism or another illicit activity taking place, please call the sheriff's department immediately: (402) 367-7400.
Fish Consumption Advisory: Many waterbodies in Nebraska have an increased load of certain toxins that may cause health concerns for those that consume a large amount of fish from these lakes and rivers. The most recent Fish Tissue Monitoring Report (2024) and Fish Consumption Advisory (2025), both from the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment, indicate Oxbow Trail Reservoir has increased levels of mercury. The advisory is not a ban on eating fish from affected waterbodies, but it is suggested that the public limit long-term consumption of fish caught from those specific waterbodies to eight ounces per week (for adults). Women of child-bearing age, those who are pregnant or nursing, and children under 15 years of age are the population most sensitive to the effects of mercury.
