Welcome to Harlan County Lake!

 Harlan County Lake is situated in the scenic Republican River valley along the Kansas-Nebraska state line in South Central nebraska.  The landscape consists of green rolling hills, wooded creeks and vast pastures providing a perfect habitat for deer and game.  Whitetail and mule deer, turkeys, ducks, pheasants, geese and quail can be found in large numbers.  The marshes surrounding the lake provide a perfect location for water fowl to live and roost.  The lake is popular for walleye, white bass, catfish, bluegill, crappie and wipers.  Ice fishing is popular during the winter season.

Harlan County Lake is the second largest lake in Nebraska, covering 13,250 acres and extending 8 miles from east to west and 2 miles from north to south.  Not only does it offer great opportunities for fishing and hunting, but also for water sports and other recreational activities.  Visitors enjoy water skiing, jet skiing, wind surfing, pontoons, swimming and BBQs on Harlan's 75 miles of shoreline.  Others ride the rapids below the dam, hike or ride the trails, or just take in the view while they relax and get away from it all.  Over 500,000 people visit the lake and surrounding area each year.

From NGPC 2007 Fall Survey

Harlan Reservoir water levels increased dramatically in 2007, rising to elevation 1,940 in May and continued high throughout December.  With the increased water levels, aquatic habitat has greatly increased with many acres of flooded terrestrial vegetation such as willows and cotton woods.  Higher water levels and increased aquatic habitat resulted in good recruitment of many fish species.  Recruitment of walleye and white bass remained high, and for the first time in many years there was a good recruitment of channel catfish and crappie.  Channel catfish numbers were enhanced with a supplemental stocking of advanced fingerlings in 2007.

For the first time in many years, the Methodist Cove boat ramp became operable in 2007.  Boat access at Gremlin Cove and Patterson Harbor also improved with higher water.  The Hunter Cove and Cedar Point low water boat ramps were under water for most of the 2007 fishing season.

From the US Army Corps of Engineers

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers staff at Harlan County Lake manages lakes to provide benefits to the nation in areas of Flood Damage Reduction, Irrigation, Recreation, and Fish and Wildlife Management.  The Corps manages the 13,250-acre Harlan County Lake and an additional 17,750 acres of land surrounding the lake.

Learn more about the Corps of Engineers and what they do.
http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/hc/WhatWeDo.cfm

The history of the river Valley that led to the building of Harlan County Dam.
http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/hc/History.cfm

The history of Republican City!
http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/hc/LowLake-OldRepublicanCity.cfm