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 fishing jetty is accessible on the west side of the lake along with a boat ramp and dock. The recreation area is open to hiking and camping. The trapping of furbearers is permitted during the allowable hunting and trapping season.
If you see vandalism or another illicit activity taking place, please call the sheriff's department immediately: (402) 643-2359.
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. As of the most recent report (2024) from the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy, the lakes at Oxbow Trail and Pioneer Trails Recreation Areas are listed as having 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. For more information, see http://dee.ne.gov/NDEQProg.nsf/OnWeb/FCA
