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Butler State Fishing Lake
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View from the dam
All Photos by Jim Mason |
This peaceful retreat lies in the heart of the Flint Hills tallgrass
prairie. Purple prairie clover, catclaw sensitive brier, blue false indigo, and
yellow prairie coneflower are just a few of the many wildflowers that bloom in the rolling
hills around the lake. |
A small boat is ideal to get around on this jewel of a lake
During spring and fall the lake offers one of the area's few
stopovers for migrating ducks-among them American wigeons, blue-winged teal, mallards,
buffleheads, lesser scaup, and northern shovelers. Anglers are entertained by painted
turtles, bullfrogs, chorus frogs, and by dragonflies cruising the shoreline for small
insects.
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At both ends of the lake, small
wooded areas adjoin the North Branch of Rock Creek. Beaver cuttings are evident, as are
the bushy leaf nests of fox squirrels. Bobwhites, cardinals, chickadees,
woodpeckers, and other woodland birds are concentrated along this riparian corridor. |
Greater prairie chicken booming grounds (leks) on the surrounding prairie can be
located on still spring mornings by driving slowly along country roads at sunrise and
stopping frequently to listen for the displaying males. Other prairie birds include upland
sandpipers, Henslow's sparrows, common nighthawks, loggerhead shrikes, and eastern meadowlarks. Be alert for
deer and coyotes. Bobcats are also here but are seldom seen.
 | Picnic tables, Shelters, Grills, Pit toilets, Boat ramp, Water
available.
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 Primitive camping
only.
Discover what to see, eat and do in Kansas.
Plan your trip today, at TravelKS.com!
 No developed trails.
Click the icon to find a birding list for Butler County.
Click the icon to locate nearby Geocaches
For more Wildlife Watching sites in the Flint
Hills, click here
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Directions: From
Latham (~40 miles east of Wichita) go 2 miles west and 1/2 mile north.
For a Google Map
for this site,
click here. |
Ownership:
The entity responsible for management of Butler State
Lake is the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks
& Tourism.
Contact them at (316) 683-8069 if you have
specific questions about use or management of the site. 546 acres
You may download the KDWPT brochure on Butler State Fishing
Lake from
their web site.
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Funded by the
Chickadee Checkoff Program
Click here for a brochure! |
The Natural
Kansas web site
© 2011
by
the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks
& Tourism.
Re-publication of site content in any form other than for personal use
requires written permission. If you are a Kansas resident, please
assist with this and other wildlife viewing and conservation programs
by contributing to the Chickadee Checkoff on your state tax form. |
Questions or comments about Natural Kansas may be directed to
Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism
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