Access digital copies of guides and regulations publications from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
Issue link: http://digital.outdoornebraska.gov/i/765399
Game and Parks Commission, fisheries outreach program manager habitats and consistently produce some of the state's best crappie fishing. Crappie anglers will want to spend some time on Walnut Creek, Yankee Hill, Czechland, and Wanahoo for some 10-inch-plus fish. Once again, the Sandhills tend to have lower densities of panfish, but can offer some of the biggest, fattest black crappies in the state. Cottonwood-Steverson, Home Valley, Island and Big Alkali lakes will be the best in the Sandhills. LARGEMOUTH BASS Largemouth bass thrive in fisheries that offer stable water levels, clean water and an abundance of shallow-water cover. In Nebraska, small reservoirs, Sandhills lakes, pits and ponds tend to be the best largemouth habitats. Some of those waters have high densities of bass, which tend to produce excellent panfish fishing as bass keep panfish numbers in check. However, waters with lots of bass may not necessarily be the best for producing big bass. Waters with relatively lower densities of largemouth bass can offer anglers opportunities to catch bass larger than 15 inches. Wanahoo and Pibel will offer anglers tremendous numbers of 15-inch and larger bass in 2017. Other small- to medium-sized reservoirs such as Iron Horse Trail, Skyview, Buckskin Hills, Grove and Hedgefield will also be excellent for bass. Interstate lakes and other public pits such as Fremont Lakes State Recreation Area No. 2, Windmill No. 3 and East Sutherland will also offer some excellent bass fishing. Sandhills lakes can also be good largemouth bass habitats; Duck and Pelican lakes on the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge will be the good bets for bass fishing this year. Private pits and ponds always produce some of the best bass fishing, and many Nebraska anglers have permission to fish at least one of those privately-owned waters. In addition, some private pits and ponds are in the Open Fields and Waters program and have public walk-in access. Refer to the Public Access Atlas for those waters. Public ponds such as Redtail and Mayberry will be good largemouth fisheries, but catch-and- release will be needed to maintain quality bass fisheries in those small waters. CHANNEL CATFISH The popular channel catfish is found widely across the state. Pawnee, Branched Oak, Sutherland, Davis Creek and Prairie Queen reservoirs will all offer good numbers of 16-inch- plus channel cats. In addition, Wildwood, Burchard, Medicine Creek, Wagon Train and Johnson reservoirs will be good for 24-inch-plus cats. All catfish must be released at Wildwood — the reason there is an abundance of big channel cats there. Voluntary catch-and-release of large trophy catfish should be considered, as it takes years to grow channel cats to that size. For example, Box Butte, Merritt and Calamus reservoirs have lower densities of trophy catfish. These fisheries took years to develop but can be maintained by voluntary catch-and-release. Do not overlook Nebraska's warm-water rivers such as the Missouri, Platte, Elkhorn or Niobrara, as they also are excellent catfish fisheries. Some areas on rivers have public access. Check out the Public Access Atlas for walk-in sites in the Open Fields and Waters program. REDEAR SUNFISH Louisville State Recreation Area No. 2, Wilson Creek 2x and Crystal interstate lake are top destinations to target redear sunfish this year. Calamus Reservoir white bass