OutdoorNebraska

18 | Fishing Info: 402-471-0641 Fish Nets and Traps – The possession or use of nets, traps and electrical gear capable of stunning fish is prohibited except for the following: • Baitfish seines of 1/4 inch nonmetallic square mesh only and not more than 20 feet long and 4 feet deep. • Baitfish dip nets of 1/4 inch, nonmetallic square mesh. Neither length nor width may exceed 36 inches. • Baitfish and bait traps of 1/4 inch square mesh material with a length of 24 inches or less, a diameter of 16 inches or less and a throat 2¼ inches or less in diameter. All minnow traps shall be raised, and the baitfish removed at least every 24 hours. • Landing nets, made of nonmetallic mesh, used only for landing fish caught on hook-and-line. Turtle Traps – A legal snapping turtle trap must contain a throat or funnel to be constructed of netting that is at least 4 inches square mesh. The trap must have an entrance possible only from above the water's surface and must allow turtles to reach the surface to breathe. The trap must be personally checked at least every 24 hours and tagged with a metal tag listing the owner's name, address, and fishing permit number or driver's license number. Turtle traps can only be used on private waters, and it is unlawful to sell, offer for sale or barter any snapping turtles. Any turtle(s) exceeding the daily bag limits shall be released immediately. FISH STOCKING It is unlawful to release any non-native fish, reptile or amphibian in waters of the state or to release any fish or any aquatic organism in any public waters in the state except in those waters from which it came, without written authorization from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. CAST NETS • Only cast nets up to 10 feet in diameter with a mesh size no larger than 3/8 inches square measure are legal gear. • Cast nets may be used only during June, July, August, September, October and November. • Cast nets may be used to collect gizzard shad and alewife only. • Live gizzard shad and alewife may only be used for bait the same day they were captured and only in the same body of water where they were collected. • Cast nets may be used to collect bait only on the following bodies of water: Northeast: • Calamus Reservoir Northwest: • Merritt Reservoir South-central: • Davis Creek Reservoir • Elwood Reservoir • Farwell South Reservoir • Gallagher Canyon Reservoir • Harlan County Reservoir • Johnson Lake • Midway complex reservoirs • Phillips Canyon Reservoir • Plum Creek Reservoir • Sherman Reservoir South-central/Southwest: • Tri-County Canal from diversion dam in Lincoln County to J-2 return Southwest: • Enders Reservoir • Jeffrey Reservoir • Lake Maloney • Medicine Creek Reservoir • Lake McConaughy • Red Willow Reservoir • Sutherland Reservoir • Swanson Reservoir. Did You Know? Fish were first regulated in Nebraska in 1879 when the Nebraska Legislature created the Nebraska Fish Commission, a precursor to the modern-day Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Categories of Fish Species Sport Fish: • All Sunfish hybrids • American Eel • Black Crappie • Blue Catfish • Bluegill • Brook Trout • Brown Trout • Burbot • Channel Catfish • Chinook Salmon • Cutthroat Trout • Flathead Catfish • Goldeye • Grass Pickerel • Green Sunfish • Largemouth Bass • Muskellunge • Northern Pike • Orangespotted Sunfish • Paddlefish • Pumpkinseed • Rainbow Trout • Redear Sunfish • Rock Bass • Sauger • Saugeye • Shovelnose Sturgeon • Skipjack Herring • Smallmouth Bass • Spotted Bass • Striped Bass • Striped Bass hybrid (Wiper) • Tiger Muskellunge • Tiger Trout • Walleye • White Bass • White Crappie Panfish: • All Sunfish hybrids • Black Crappie • Bluegill • Green Sunfish • Crappie hybrid • Orangespotted Sunfish • Pumpkinseed • Redear Sunfish • Rock Bass • White Crappie • Yellow Perch Sunfish: • All Sunfish hybrids • Bluegill • Green Sunfish • Orangespotted Sunfish • Pumpkinseed • Redear Sunfish Commercial Fish: • Black Bullhead GAME FISH

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