Fishing at Big Cottonwood Allot 1 Reservoir, Dawes County, Nebraska

• Overview

  This water sits in Dawes County, Nebraska. It lies 3,593 feet above sea level. About 20 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Chadron sits 22 miles from the bank. For a city, Fort Collins is 176 miles off. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive. The surroundings are ordinary; the fishing is the reason to come.

• Where to Fish on Big Cottonwood Allot 1 Reservoir

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Public occurrence data for Dawes County names brown trout, brook trout and white sucker. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At this water light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 24°F to 73°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid March. Ice usually gives way near mid March, and forms again about early December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Anyone fishing this water regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Should this one be busy, Dahlheimer Reservoir is 1.2 miles off. Where this water is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.