Loading page content…
Loading page content…
Loading lake conditions…
Box Butte Reservoir is a reservoir in Nebraska. Its recorded surface area is approximately 1,600 acres. Research-grade observations nearby include Yellow Perch and Rock Bass. For this location, LakeRadar tracks an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, fishing conditions, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Forecasts for Box Butte Reservoir come from the National Weather Service and refresh several times a day.
Updated
No active alerts for this lake as of the last check (Oct 9, 12:20 PM CDT). Alerts are re-checked automatically; see the official source for updates.
Overall Good (79/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Sailing (94/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 94/100 across these hours. Wind 5 mph from the west-southwest. Dusk hours (19:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 77° | 83° | 86° | 89° | 90° | 89° | 86° | 80° | 74° | 70° | 68° | 65° | 64° | 63° | 61° | 60° | 60° | 59° | 57° | 56° | 56° | 58° | 65° | 73° |
| Wind (kts) | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Direction | SW | SW | SW | SW | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | W | W | W | W | W | W | W |
| Gusts (kts) | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 20 |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 12 PM CDT | 77°F | 15 mph SW (225°) | 21 mph | 0% | 2% | Sunny |
| Fri, 1 PM CDT | 83°F | 15 mph SW (225°) | 22 mph | 0% | 2% | Sunny |
| Fri, 2 PM CDT | 86°F | 15 mph SSW (203°) | 22 mph | 0% | 2% | Sunny |
| Fri, 3 PM CDT | 89°F | 15 mph SSW (203°) | 20 mph | 0% | 3% | Sunny |
| Fri, 4 PM CDT | 90°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 18 mph | 0% | 3% | Sunny |
| Fri, 5 PM CDT | 89°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 16 mph | 0% | 4% | Sunny |
| Fri, 6 PM CDT | 86°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 14 mph | 0% | 4% | Sunny |
| Fri, 7 PM CDT | 80°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 13 mph | 7% | 4% | Clear |
| Fri, 8 PM CDT | 74°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 13 mph | 7% | 6% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 9 PM CDT | 70°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 12 mph | 7% | 26% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 10 PM CDT | 68°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 12 mph | 7% | 28% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 11 PM CDT | 65°F | 10 mph SSW (203°) | 13 mph | 7% | 45% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sat, 12 AM CDT | 64°F | 10 mph SSW (203°) | 13 mph | 7% | 36% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sat, 1 AM CDT | 63°F | 10 mph SW (225°) | 14 mph | 2% | 38% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sat, 2 AM CDT | 61°F | 10 mph SW (225°) | 14 mph | 2% | 23% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 3 AM CDT | 60°F | 10 mph SW (225°) | 14 mph | 2% | 23% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 4 AM CDT | 60°F | 10 mph SW (225°) | 14 mph | 2% | 21% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 5 AM CDT | 59°F | 10 mph WSW (248°) | 15 mph | 2% | 22% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 6 AM CDT | 57°F | 10 mph WSW (248°) | 16 mph | 2% | 14% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 7 AM CDT | 56°F | 10 mph WSW (248°) | 16 mph | 1% | 10% | Sunny |
| Sat, 8 AM CDT | 56°F | 10 mph WSW (248°) | 18 mph | 1% | 12% | Sunny |
| Sat, 9 AM CDT | 58°F | 15 mph WSW (248°) | 20 mph | 1% | 9% | Sunny |
| Sat, 10 AM CDT | 65°F | 15 mph WSW (248°) | 22 mph | 1% | 6% | Sunny |
| Sat, 11 AM CDT | 73°F | 15 mph WSW (248°) | 23 mph | 1% | 4% | Sunny |
| Sat, 12 PM CDT | 78°F | 15 mph WSW (248°) | 24 mph | 1% | 4% | Sunny |
Official National Weather Service hourly forecast. Showing 10 of 25 hours. Wind arrows point the way the wind is blowing; the compass point and degrees show where it comes from.
| Period | Today October 9, 2026 | Tonight October 9, 2026 | Saturday October 10, 2026 | Saturday Night October 10, 2026 | Sunday October 11, 2026 | Sunday Night October 11, 2026 | Columbus Day October 12, 2026 | Monday Night October 12, 2026 | Tuesday October 13, 2026 | Tuesday Night October 13, 2026 | Wednesday October 14, 2026 | Wednesday Night October 14, 2026 | Thursday October 15, 2026 | Thursday Night October 15, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 90° | 56° | 88° | 53° | 72° | 44° | 67° | 43° | 64° | 44° | 62° | 42° | 60° | 36° |
| Wind | SSW 10 to 15 mph | SSW 10 mph | WSW 5 to 15 mph | WSW 5 to 10 mph | NNE 10 mph | ENE 5 to 10 mph | N 5 to 10 mph | NE 5 to 10 mph | SE 5 to 15 mph | SSE 10 mph | WSW 10 to 15 mph | WNW 15 mph | NW 15 to 25 mph | NW 15 to 25 mph |
| Gusts | 22 mph | 16 mph | 24 mph | 13 mph | 17 mph | 17 mph | 14 mph | 16 mph | 21 mph | 21 mph | 28 mph | 27 mph | 36 mph | 32 mph |
| Precip % | 0% | 7% | 6% | 7% | 3% | 18% | 4% | 45% | 19% | 68% | 58% | 47% | 26% | 24% |
| Forecast |
No active USGS or USACE telemetry gauge is currently mapped to Box Butte Reservoir. Not available from a verified source for this lake.
Good for fishing (75/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: 0% chance of precipitation. Sky is clear (2% cloud cover). Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend, water temperature. Confidence is moderate (74%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Good for boating (77/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. 0% chance of precipitation. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility and conditions, verified water access. Confidence is moderate (84%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Excellent for sailing (94/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 15 mph from the SW is in the preferred sailing range. No active official alerts for this lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Good for kayaking (77/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. 0% chance of precipitation. Confidence is high (90%).
Water temperature is not available from a verified source for this lake. No swimming score is shown without it.
Loading interactive map…
Individual boat ramp GPS coordinates are maintained under the jurisdiction of NE Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Box Butte Reservoir in NE offers a welcoming freshwater setting for recreational boaters, dedicated anglers, and shoreline explorers. Its waters present diverse fishing opportunities alongside scenic vistas of the surrounding terrain. Public access facilities and shoreline parklands are overseen by state and local natural resource agencies.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is required for anglers age 16+. Digital license on mobile is accepted.
Current motorized watercraft registration mandatory. Practice Clean, Drain & Dry protocols: drain all livewells and inspect props before launching. Life jackets required for all passengers.
Public shoreline and boating access managed by State & Local Authorities. Verify seasonal gate hours, launch fees, and parking rules before travel.
High-speed motorboating, pontoon cruising, wakeboarding, and water skiing across main channels. Target gamefish include Yellow Perch, Rock Bass. Morning hours typically provide optimal glassy conditions for kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) touring.
Warm water temperatures, peak swimming, active watersports, and open full-service campgrounds. Highest weekly attendance; plan early arrivals on summer weekends.
Spring pre-spawn and fall feeding transitions create prime trophy angling conditions. Cooler air, lower boat traffic, and vibrant seasonal shoreline foliage.
Mild year-round outdoor climate. Uncrowded waters, active winter bass and crappie fishing, and open year-round boat launch access.
No external source rows are cited by the data currently shown on this page.
Updated
Scores are heuristics, not safety guarantees. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
All telemetry for Box Butte Reservoir is synchronized directly from authorized federal and state monitoring networks (USGS, NWS, NOAA, and state environmental authorities). Observations are strictly instrumented readings — unmonitored sensors are transparently disclosed rather than synthetic estimates.
Last source audit: Oct 9, 12:20 PM CDT