NGPC Weekly Outdoor Report, Jan. 24-30: Fishing

[OldBaldGuy]

Panhandle

Fishing – (Box Butte Reservoir) good success on northern pike, some 34 inches or larger, and some panfish; (Whitney Lake) a few crappie, walleye, catfish and northern pike taken; (Smith Lake WMA) ice was good to 16 inches in some spots, moderate pressure, fair success on bluegill, northern pike and largemouth bass; (Shell Lake WMA) good success taking northern pike to 8 pounds on tip-ups; a few small panfish and a few keeper largemouth bass also taken.

North-central

Fishing – (Frye Lake WMA) moderate fishing pressure, some success on panfish, a few largemouth bass; (Merritt Reservoir SRA) ice on the Snake River arm to 16 inches, a few crappie taken on jigs tipped with minnows; (Cub Creek Lake) some panfish on wax worms; (Willow Lake) a few nice yellow perch taken on minnows.

Northeast

Fishing – (Willow Creek) ice was good in all areas of the lake, some bluegill and crappie taken; (Maskenthine Reservoir) ice was good in all areas of the lake, some bluegill and crappie taken; (Crystal Cove Lake) ice safe across lake, rainbow trout taken on various baits; (Buckskin Hills) fishing pressure very light, ice safe, little success; (Pibel Lake SRA) good numbers of bluegill to 8 inches on teardrops tipped with wax worms; (Boone County Ponds) fair-good success taking bluegill and crappie on minnows and teardrops tipped with wax worms; (Lake Ericson) ice conditions unsafe due to raising and lowering of lake level.

Southwest

Fishing – (Lake Ogallala) lake had 7-8 inches of ice, a few trout to 1 pound, good success on yellow perch to 10 inches; (Keith Count Ponds) some success on bluegill, yellow perch; (Dawson, east Lincoln counties) some fishing pressure, fair-good success on panfish at interstate lakes; (Arnold SRA) good success taking trout and bluegill on teardrops tipped with wax worms.

South-central

Fishing – (Harlan County Reservoir) 6-7 inches of ice, little success, a few crappie and white bass taken; (Sherman County Reservoir) some success taking crappie, white bass, walleye on minnows fished on the bottom and jigs tipped with minnows, best fishing was around Trail 5.

Southeast

Fishing – (Gage County) 4-6 inches of ice on most farm ponds, fishing pressure light, moderate success on channel catfish; (Nemaha, Richardson, Pawnee counties) fair-good success on all lakes and ponds, a few bluegill taken on wax worms, some crappie and largemouth bass taken on jigs and small minnows; (southern Lancaster, northern Gage counties) about 6 inches of ice on most lakes, fishing success slow.