For years now I’ve been dreaming of taking a summer Vacation by spending a couple of weeks camping out, fishing and just enjoying the activities available at Tuttle Creek. This Summer my Vacation wish will come true and again I am very Thankful and Glad for this.

It will be a BLAST!

Notes on Activities at Tuttle Creek

Jan 1, 2002

Whether you want to fish; hike; bike; or picnic. Five miles north of Manhattan, Tuttle Creek Lake is the second largest lake in the state, with 104 miles of shoreline and nine developed park areas. As temperatures cool and schedules return to normal for many, Tuttle Creek Lake is even more inviting.

You bring the gear and a whole day of outdoor activities won't cost you a thing. Bring your horseshoes there's a horseshoe pit. Bring a ball and bat there's a ball diamond. Bring your volleyball and net there are volleyball poles.

Bring your fishing pole, your flying disc, your binoculars, and your picnic meal. Bring hiking shoes, bicycle, or off-road vehicle and use the trails. These activities require no fees unless you want to reserve your favorite picnic shelter in the Outlet area at $25 a day.

Throughout the lake areas there are picnic tables, grills, fresh water, pit and modern toilets some accessible to persons with disabilities.

Tuttle Canyon

A popular attraction is what has become known as Tuttle Canyon located east of Tuttle Creek Dam off Dyer Road. It was formed in 1993 when the Corps released sixty thousand cubic feet of water per second into the spillway channel over a period of three weeks.

The rush of water uncovered a history of ancient seabeds formed 280 million years ago. Visitors may walk anywhere they wish, but all cycles, including bicycles, cannot be taken into the canyon since the area is very fragile. Guided tours can be arranged for groups by contacting the Corps of Engineer office during business hours.

Any loose fossil may be taken home for souvenirs, but the rest must be left alone. The most significant find has been a prehistoric shark jawbone discovered shortly after the channel was opened to visitors.

Disc Golf

18-hole disc golf course is located throughout the River Pond Area. Its beginning point is located near the Tuttle Creek State Park Office building.

This activity is unique to the park and popular among

young crowd. The course is designed for all skill levels.

Off-road vehicle areas

Activities for off-road vehicle enthusiasts include the Cycle Area adjacent to the spillway channel and the ORV Area near Randolph. The Cycle Area is limited to vehicles with a wheelbase of 66 inches or less, but the ORV Area has no such limitations. Participants can follow existing trails or they can blaze their own within this 310-acre park. Both parks are for day use only and no camping is allowed.

Camping and Swimming Areas

For those wanting less commotion, the Corps of Engineers offers two campgrounds, Tuttle Creek Cove and Stockdale parks. Tuttle Cove is located off Highway 13 on Tuttle Cove Road, and Stockdale is located off Highway 396. Both offer boat ramps, camp pads, comfort stations and great scenery. Tuttle Cove has a beautiful sandy swimming beach. The cost to camp is $6.50 and up a night at Tuttle Cove and ranges from $6.00-$10.00 a night at Stockdale.

Rent-A-Camp from the Tuttle Creek State Park Office at $15 a night if you need equipment for up to four campers. State park staff is available to assist beginning campers set up and take down the equipment.

Rent-A-Camp provides a 10-foot by 11-foot tent, cots and foam pads, propane stove and lantern, propane fuel, water cooler, broom, picnic table and fire ring at a reserved campsite.

Picnic Gatherings and Hiking Trails

If a simple picnic is your desire, Outlet Park has six shelters, a comfort station, two hiking trails, volleyball courts, horseshoe pits and two ball diamonds. For a large get-together, shelters, some with electricity, may be reserved in advance. The fee is $25.00 a day.

The new Blue River hiking trail, in Outlet Park, was developed to give lake visitors a better understanding of the area's ecology. A leisurely walk along this one-mile trail allows visitors the opportunity to take a closer examination of the vast array of native plants and animals.

It is located on the east side of "the tubes" by Shelter #3.

State Parks

State Parks include River Pond below the dam, Spillway on the east side of the lake, and Fancy Creek and Randolph areas at north end of the lake. Big Dawg Marina is located in the Spillway State Park. Motor vehicle and camping fees are required.

Hunting & Fishing

Hunting and fishing are probably the most popular fall events at the lake. Burned off wheat stubble and sunflower fields attract doves in early fall. Deer and turkey hunting is good in woody-draws and river bottoms. Semi-open grasslands and weed strips along timber stands harbor bobwhite quail and pheasant.

A 200-acre marsh seven miles north of Olsburg, and a 40-acre marsh two miles north of Randolph, east of US 77 are good duck hunting areas. Blinds must be made of natural materials found at the site and removed at season's end.

Watch for boundary lines separating public hunting land from private. Permission must be obtained from landowners before hunting on private land. Public hunting land managed by KDWP is marked with yellow and black signs. All -state regulations apply at Tuttle Creek.

Those who enjoy fishing can find excellent catfish in the lake and river above and below Tuttle and good populations of crappie in wooded coves and submerged brush piles.

Largemouth bass fishing is fair near standing timber. White bass is caught in fair numbers from late spring through early fall depending on lake clarity. Walleye fishing is best off the face of the dam in the spring.

Bald Eagle Viewing

Tuttle Creek Lake hosts scores of bald eagles each winter. They usually appear mid-November and spend three to four months eating and resting for their return trip. The Outlet Area provides ideal habitat for the eagles since the river channel is not ice-covered in the coldest part of the winter. An annual event planned by the Corps rangers makes viewing of the magnificent birds each January a little easier.

The Corps of Engineers at Tuttle Creek Lake do not charge any entrance fees.