Bellwood Reservoir 3-C Fishing in Butler County, Nebraska

• Overview

  Bellwood Reservoir 3-C stands in Butler County, Nebraska. What surrounds it is mixed forest. Surface area runs to about 5 acres — small enough to read in one session. Nearest place of any size is Columbus, 8.7 miles away. Lincoln sits 49 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Bellwood Reservoir 3-C

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Species logged across Butler County include common carp, green sunfish, tadpole madtom and black bullhead. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. This water gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 76°F and January near 22°F on the long-run figures. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Break-up comes around mid March, and the run that follows is short and strong. The open-water window runs from around mid March to about mid December in an average year. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Expect this water to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, Bellwood Reservoir 3-B at 1 mile is the nearest alternative. Check the position on this water before loading the car.