Fishing Bear Creek Reservoir 7-E in Gage County, Nebraska

• Overview

  Gage County, Nebraska, is where Bear Creek Reservoir 7-E sits. Around the bank it is mixed forest. Small at around 12 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Nearest place of any size is Beatrice, 12 miles away. After that come Hickman at 16 miles and Wymore at 19 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Bear Creek Reservoir 7-E

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Species logged across Gage County include common carp, flathead catfish, orangespotted sunfish and green sunfish. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read this water before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 77°F on average, January about 23°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid March. The water is typically free of ice between mid March and mid December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. The season on this water rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. For the catfish, fish bottom baits into the deeper holes and let them sit. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Failing this one, try Bear Creek Reservoir 7-B, 1.1 miles away. The position on this water is worth confirming on the day.