Hugh Butler Lake
Frontier County, Nebraska4,060 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
↑ up from C at the last regrade
- Mesotrophic
- #1 of 2 in the county
- Public access
Hugh Butler Lake in Frontier County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 2.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 82.9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.9 µg/L. Surface area: 4060 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.8 ft
- Area
- 4,060 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 82.9 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 5.9 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Hugh Butler Lake’s letter
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Hugh Butler Lake is a 4,060-acre mesotrophic lake in Frontier County, Nebraska. Water quality is graded A based on 1 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 4 public boat landings. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Frontier County, Hugh Butler Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEE, last sampled 2024-09-17. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Hugh Butler Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch4 documented ramps
- Camping1 public campground nearby
- Big water4,060 acres
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Very murky, less than 2.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 82.9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.9 µg/L. TSI 59. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 82.9 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.9 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 59 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 4,060 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Hugh Butler Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Marina North RampPublic
- Marina South RampPublic
- South RampPublic
- Willow View Camp GroundPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Hugh Butler Lake
- Willow View Campground0.9 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Fishing Hugh Butler Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | 0 m/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.15 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Hugh Butler Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Red Willow Dam (completed 1962), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Red Willow Creek; earth-type dam, 126 ft tall and 3,159 ft long.
- Surface area
- 4,060 ac
- Normal storage
- 37,776 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 161,899 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 730 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Irrigation;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NE01076 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Frontier County
Nearby Lakes in Frontier County
Frequently asked questions about Hugh Butler Lake
Where is Hugh Butler Lake?
- Hugh Butler Lake is a lake in Frontier County, Nebraska. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Hugh Butler Lake?
- Hugh Butler Lake in Frontier County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 2.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 82.9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.9 µg/L. Surface area: 4060 acres.
Is Hugh Butler Lake safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Hugh Butler Lake?
- Hugh Butler Lake has 4 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Marina North Ramp, Marina South Ramp, South Ramp, Willow View Camp Ground. Public access is listed as yes.
Are there campgrounds on Hugh Butler Lake?
- Hugh Butler Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Willow View Campground. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Hugh Butler Lake across LakeQuality
More Nebraska Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Nebraska
Mesotrophic Lakes in Nebraska
Where this data comes from
34 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2018–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
21NEB001_WQX34 samples · 2018–2024
Analytical methods
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles