OutdoorNebraska

NEBRASKAland Magazine • Fishing the Sandhills Valentine Area Nine lakes on the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge are open to fishing. Four more public lakes – Ballard's Marsh, Big Alkali, Rat and Beaver – are located adjacent to the refuge. For many Nebraska anglers, that variety and the chance to catch northern pike and big panfish makes "the refuge" the place to fish in the Sandhills. A few of the lakes on the refuge are large by most standards: Pelican Lake covers 798 acres and is more than three miles long. Considering only electric motors are allowed, they can seem much larger if your battery gives out or you push your luck and don't get off the water when you see a storm approaching. Anglers need to keep this in mind or risk getting stranded on the wrong side of the lake. Gas motors are allowed on Big Alkali, Rat and Beaver lakes and Ballard's Marsh, giving anglers an option if they're up for the weekend and the wind is too much for their electric motor to handle. Big Alkali is one of two Sandhills lakes, and the only one in the Valentine area, that doesn't limit boats to 5 mph. The refuge is only open from sunrise to sunset, and camping is not allowed. Camping is available nearby at Big Alkali Lake WMA, Ballard's Marsh WMA and Merritt Reservoir SRA. Cabins are available at Big Alkali Fish Camp, Lord Ranch Resort and Merritt Trading Post, and there are several motels in Valentine. Use and possession of live baitfish is prohibited on all of the lakes in the area except Big Alkali. Dead smelt is allowed. On the refuge, possession of fish not taken from refuge waters is unlawful. Where there are northern pike on the refuge, only fish 28 inches or shorter may be kept. For more information, visit FWS.gov/Refuge/Valentine. Ballard's Marsh WMA 70 acres. 20S of Valentine. Crappie, Northern Pike. With more cattail marsh than open water, this shallow, heavily vegetated lake is better known for its duck hunting. But it also holds some pike and crappies and can be fished early or through the ice. Primitive boat ramp, primitive campground, pit toilet. B ● 25 Ballard's Marsh WMA Hackberry Lake Rat and Beaver WMA Big Alkali WMA Duck Lake Rice Lake Watts Lake Hudson Lake West Long Lake Pelican Lake Dewey Lake Clear Lake Willow Lake MAP BY TRISHA SCHLAKE-IT GIS APPLICATIONS DEVELOPER H 27 26 25 32 33 La La La La Lake k 29 30 31 R 28 34 35 37 36

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