Fishing in Nebraska
Nebraska's Sandhills lakes offer surprisingly good bass and panfish fishing. The state also has excellent walleye fishing on its major reservoirs and catfish on the Missouri and Platte Rivers.
Tournament Scene
Active tournament scene on major reservoirs.
Local Tips
McConaughy is the premier fishery. Sandhills lakes for bass and panfish. Calamus for walleye. Missouri River for catfish.
Local Circuits
Public Access
Good access on state lakes and reservoirs.
Species in Nebraska
What you can target and when
Walleye
excellentBest Waters
Lake McConaughy · Merritt Reservoir · Lewis and Clark Lake
Largemouth Bass
goodBest Waters
Branched Oak · Pawnee Lake · Wagon Train
Top Waters in Nebraska
Lakes, rivers, bays, and coastal fisheries
Lake McConaughy
Nebraska's largest reservoir and premier walleye fishery.
Top Species
Best: Spring/Fall
Freedom Harlan County Bass Rampage
Iron Omaha Trout Knockout
Pathfinder Lake McConaughy Trout Pursuit
Fire Lake McConaughy Bluegill Pursuit
Heron Merritt Catfish Series
Big Lincoln Bass Rally
Fishing Licenses & Regulations
Resident License
Annual Resident: $30.
Non-Resident License
Annual Non-Resident: $62. 3-Day: $30. 1-Day: $11.
Short-Term License
1-Day and 3-Day licenses available.
Youth & Senior
Free for residents under 16. Reduced for seniors.
Boat Registration
Required for motorized vessels.
Tournament Permit
Permits required on some waters.
Regulations Overview
5 bass daily limit. 15-inch minimum on some waters. Walleye regulations vary.
America's Largest Fishing Tournament Directory
JOIN REELTOURNAMENTS.COM
Start free and upgrade anytime. Access 2,000+ tournaments across all 50 states.
Free Member
$0/forever
- Browse 2,000+ tournaments nationwide
- Search by state, species & category
- View tournament details & registration
- Access species guide & state directory
- Submit your own tournaments
Pro Member
$9.95/month
- Everything in Free, plus:
- Priority email alerts for new tournaments
- Advanced search filters & saved searches
- Exclusive tournament deals & early access
- Detailed angler stats & leaderboard insights
- Ad-free browsing experience
- Priority customer support