Berry Lake near Ogallala: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  You will find Berry Lake in Keith County, Nebraska. It sits in mixed forest. This is a pocket water of some 19 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Most waters listed here for Keith County are larger. Nearest town is Ogallala, 17 miles off. Then Julesburg, 34 miles, and Grant, 36 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Berry Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Records held for Keith County cover common carp, flathead catfish, alewife, channel catfish and striped bass. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Berry Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 75°F; by January the average is down near 24°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Ice-out usually falls in mid March, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Ice clears near mid March and comes back about mid December in a typical year. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. It sets the rhythm of the year at Berry Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Lake McConaughy, 8 miles out. Where Berry Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.