Big Alkali Lake Fishing near Valentine, Nebraska

• Overview

  Set in Cherry County, Big Alkali Lake is a Nebraska water. It lies 2,864 feet above sea level. At some 813 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. The perimeter runs near 5.6 miles, so plan the walk before you start. It ranks high for size among our Cherry County listings. The closest town, Valentine, is 17 miles away. The nearest city of size is Sioux Falls, 206 miles away. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Big Alkali Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Cherry County records list white sucker, common carp, green sunfish and rock bass among the fish reported. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Big Alkali Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 73°F, with January the cold end at about 22°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Ice-out usually falls in late March, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The open-water window runs from around late March to about early December in an average year. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Big Alkali Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Part of this sits inside or beside Big Alkali State Wildlife Management Area, so read the notices. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Little Alkali Lake, 1.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position at Big Alkali Lake before loading the car.