The 8,000 acre reservoir was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1981. That same year, a license agreement was granted to the Kansas Fish and Game Commission (predecessor of the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism) from the Corps of Engineers to establish the wildlife area. The wildlife area consists of approximately 4,000 acres of land and is primarily managed to provide public hunting and fishing opportunities. The reservoir has a combination of steep rocky shoreline and shallow mudflats. Three boat ramps provide access to waters near the upper ends of the reservoir. Fair to excellent populations of walleye, channel catfish, smallmouth bass, crappie, largemouth bass, flathead catfish, white bass, bluegill, and wiper are found in the lake. Blue catfish have also been recently introduced into the lake. Wildlife area lands primarily consist of native grass prairie with some large tracts of woodlands and crops. Hunting is allowed and hunters may find fair to excellent populations of white-tailed deer, wild turkey, quail, prairie chicken, squirrel, rabbit, dove, and waterfowl. Ring-necked pheasants are present but populations are generally low.