NGPC's Fishing Outlook for September

[Bumpus]

NGPC news release, 9/2/08:

Nebraska Outdoor Outlook for September

The fall is a great time to fish in Nebraska. The fish are more active as they feed to fatten up for winter; the weather is more moderate; and the fishing pressure is lighter.

Panhandle

Smith Lake – September and October can be a prime time to take largemouth bass and northern pike. The vegetation can recede some during these two months and with the cooling water temperatures the fishing can improve.

Box Butte Reservoir – Irrigation water is typically turned off the first of September and as the lake rebounds and the temperatures cool, northern pike, walleye and yellow perch fishing will pick up. This also is a prime time to catch some good channel catfish. October is a good time to go back to using a jig and a minnow. too.

Carter P. Johnson Lake – Fishing will just get better in September as the nights cool, anglers can expect to start picking up more trout through October, and channel catfishing will slow but fish still will be available.

Lake Minatare – Fall walleye fishing can be good if you can find them, vertical jigging spoons and jig and minnow combinations should work well. Remember, the lake is closed Oct. 15-Jan. 14, or as posted.

Bridgeport Lakes – Fishing will should improve in September as the nights cool, anglers can expect to start picking up more trout through October, catfishing will slow but catfish will still be available.

Whitney Lake – The lake is usually drawn down so far in the fall its turbid and the bite is generally just catfish. It gets some severe draw-downs.

North-central

Merritt Reservoir – Anglers may catch walleye trolling in 8-15 feet of water using worm harnesses, leeches or nightcrawlers early in the morning or late in the evening. They also may catch some yellow perch.

Valentine National Wildlife Refuge – Fishing has been difficult because of submerged aquatic vegetation. Pressure has been light. Action should pick up in September, especially for largemouth bass.

Big Alkali Lake – Anglers may catch yellow perch, channel catfish and crappie. Like many of the shallow Sandhills lakes, Big Alkali would respond to cooler temperatures faster than large reservoirs, bringing fish in shallower.

Calamus Reservoir – A few white bass, wipers and channel catfish have been taken.

Swan Lake – The lake was renovated in 2006. Anglers should find good fishing for yellow perch and bluegill by fishing the weedlines from a small vessel.

Cottonwood-Steverson Lake – Some walleye have been caught, as well as muskie trolling crankbaits or drifting bottom-bouncers. The lake level is down and boat ramp is shallow.

Trout Streams – September would be a good month to hit the trout streams, as action should pick up with the cooler temperatures. Expect some good action using grasshoppers and crickets at Plum and Long Pine creeks, as well as the Keller Park pond.

South-central

Harlan County Reservoir – There has been decent channel catfish activity in the lake and some activity in the Republican River. There has been good white bass fishing, especially at night. Success for white bass and walleye gradually should improve into fall on the region’s reservoirs. Boat access is good as the lake is nearly at conservation pool.

Johnson Lake – White bass fishing has been good on slabs and jigs. Anglers also have been catching drum. The lake was at normal operational level in late August.

Elwood Reservoir – Anglers have had some wiper success. More water was delivered to the lake in August.

Sherman Reservoir – There has been crappie and some nighttime white bass fishing success, as well as decent activity for channel catfish drifting with shrimp and shad. The lake was 10 feet below conservation pool.

Davis Creek Reservoir – Anglers are catching crappie on submerged structure, as well as channel catfish and walleye at the inlet. The water level was 20 feel below conservation pool.

Platte River – Good success on channel catfish downstream from Kearney.

Interstate 80 lakes – Fish the following lakes for largemouth bass: Darr WMA, Willow Island WMA, East Gothenburg WMA, Mormon Island SRA middle lake, Sandy Channel No. 8, and Bufflehead WMA. Bluegill anglers should fish Fort Kearny No. 7 and Dogwood WMA East.

City lakes – Fish for bluegill at Bethphage Pond near Axtell, Ansley City Lake, and Kearney’s Yanney Park and Cottonmill Lake. Ravenna Lake should produce good fishing for bluegill and largemouth bass.

Southwest

Lake McConaughy – The surface temperature at the dam in late August was 69 degrees. The elevation was 3,214.1 feet, which was 8.1 feet higher than the elevation last year at this time and 50.9 feet lower than full capacity. Inflows were 1,020 cubic feet per second while outflows were 939 cfs. Fishing success for white bass was very good throughout the lake on crankbaits, jigs, and slabs. The best areas for white bass were on the north side of the lake from Northshore to Lemoyne. There was very good success on white bass by watching for feeding gulls. Walleye success was fair. Most walleye were being caught slabbing in 20-30 feet of water. Success for channel catfish was excellent using nightcrawlers, leeches, and bait shrimp in the west end of the lake. Boats may be launched from Martin Bay, Divers Bay, North Shore, and Lakeview.

Lake Ogallala – The surface temperature was 68 degrees. Success for channel catfish was excellent at the spillway, especially at night, and in the Keystone and North basins using nightcrawlers, cut bait, or bait shrimp. Most fish were 5-15 pounds. Anglers were catching a few trout and perch using nightcrawlers. The best area for trout was near the diversion dam.

Keystone Canal – Flows were 542 cubic feet per second. Trout fishing was good, with the best success by drifting nightcrawlers with the current.

Sutherland Reservoir – White bass and wiper fishing will continue into September and the walleye bite will pick up as the water temperature cools. Fishing at the inlet has been good for catfish, walleye and white bass.

Red Willow Reservoir – Fishing for white bass, wiper, crappie, walleye and northern pike should improve as the water temperature cools.

Swanson Reservoir – Anglers have had success catching channel catfish on the upper end and drifting for wipers on the lower end.

Enders Reservoir – Expect activity on walleye, wiper and white bass to pick up as the temperatures cool.

Medicine Creek Reservoir – White bass and wiper activity should pick up in September.

Lake Maloney – There has been decent white bass fishing at inlet and outlet. Wipers have been caught early in the morning.

Hershey WMA – This Interstate 80 lake has a decent bass and good crappie population.

East Sutherland – The interstate lake has a decent population of largemouth bass.

Northeast

Missouri River and Lewis and Clark Reservoir – Anglers have been catching walleye, sauger, smallmouth bass and channel catfish.

Gavins Point Dam Tailwaters – This offers a good mixed bag of fish. There has been some schooling of white bass.

Summit Lake – Crappie, largemouth bass and bluegill fishing should pick up in September.

Grove Lake – Bluegill fishing has been good and should continue. Crappie and northern pike fishing should pick up in the fall.

Powder Creek Reservoir – Anglers have caught channel catfish, bullheads and the occasional bluegills and largemouth bass.

Goose Lake – Try spinnerbaits for largemouth bass and northern pike and night crawlers for yellow perch and bluegill.

Maskenthine Reservoir – This lake is an excellent place to fish for crappie, bluegill, channel catfish and largemouth bass, especially in September.

Buckskin Hills – Anglers have been catching largemouth bass, bluegill, and crappie.

Skyview Lake – Anglers have been catching channel catfish, largemouth bass, bluegill, and crappie.

Fremont Lakes – Fishing for largemouth bass, bluegill and crappie should be good in September.

Willow Creek Reservoir – Crappie should be more active in September. The key to catching walleye and crappie will be locating shad. Anglers also have been catching channel catfish.

Southeast

Burchard Lake – Fishing should pick up in September although the fish tend to be a little bit deeper. Bluegill, crappie and largemouth bass may be found in deeper water before moving to shallower water in October.

Czechland Lake – The lake has seen little pressure since the start of school. There is a good opportunity to catch largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, and an occasional walleye.

Wagon Train and Stagecoach lakes – Crappie fishing should pick up as the weather continues to cool. Both lakes have good populations.

Branched Oak Lake – The lake has a pretty good crappie population. Anglers have been catching a decent number of catfish and biologists have sampled 50-pound flathead catfish in the arms of the lake. Quite a few wipers have been caught off the dam and wipers have been caught by trolling through bays in 10-12 feet of water.

Wildwood Lake – This lake is an excellent option for families as it has an excellent bluegill population. There is a high density of fish, which makes them easier to catch, though their size will be limited.

Wehrspann and Zorinsky lakes – Expect good success fishing for channel catfish.

Louisville – Anglers have been taking catch-and-release largemouth bass as well as some channel catfish. Bullheads recently were stocked in Lake #2A and anglers having been taking their limit of five. The Platte River is too low to launch airboats at the Nebraska Highway 50 bridge.

Iron Horse Trail Lake – This out-of-the-way lake in Pawnee County is the southeast district’s top fishery for largemouth bass 18-22 inches in length.

[jetdriver1]

Argggggggggg What about Walnut Creek?? These reports haven't addressed Walnut Creek. Am I missing something here?

Best Fishes,
Jet

[holdemplyer]

Jet, i'm gunna take a shot in the dark and say

Walnut Creek - Fishing should pick up in September although the fish tend to be a little bit deeper. Bluegill, crappie and largemouth bass may be found in deeper water before moving to shallower water in October. Decent catfishing may be had as well.

As a very wise man (the first keeper of the blue bucket ) once said, only time on the water will tell.

Alex