Oliver Reservoir State Recreation Area
With 917 acres of land and a 270-acre lake, Oliver Lake State Recreation Area is the only water based recreational facility in the southwest Panhandle. Located 8 miles west of Kimball on U.S. Hwy. 30, Oliver offers the same basic facilities as those found at similar recreation areas across the state.
Facilities include a campground, two boat ramps and docks, swimming beach, change houses, drinking water, vault toilets, 130 picnic tables, two picnic shelters with electricity, 142 charcoal cooking grills, 75 camping pads and 100 non-pads without electricity, lighting and parking lots. Landscaping and tree plantings add beauty and shade to the area.
Nearly all of the established recreation facilities are located on the north shore of the lake and are accessible from U.S. Hwy. 30 via three entrances. The south side of the lake is maintained in a primitive state for hiking, fishing and hunting. Signs near the two boat ramps detail special regulations and restrictions on the lake to provide for multiple-use by boaters, water skiers, fishermen, and swimmers. Buoys mark the 5 mph area on the west end of the reservoir, as well as the designated swimming area on the north side.
Oliver provides some good fishing opportunities, since it is a two-story lake that can support both cold-water and warm-water species. It offers action on walleye, yellow perch, largemouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill and some limited numbers of rainbow trout.
