Bowling Lake in Lancaster County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Lancaster County, Bowling Lake is a Nebraska water. It sits in rolling bush. It covers about 24 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It lies lower than most water we list in Nebraska. For a base, Lincoln sits 7.6 miles out. Beyond it, Waverly at 14 miles and Milford at 15 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Bowling Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. County-wide records name green sunfish, common carp, flathead catfish, bluegill and black bullhead. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. The shape of Bowling Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 23°F to 77°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Winter locks it down, and mid March brings it back. Climate averages put the opening at about mid March and the closing near mid December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. It holds true on Bowling Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Boat access is recorded roughly half a mile away. You can leave the car about 110 yards from the water. Picnic facilities are recorded some 80 yards out. There is a toilet block some 110 yards out. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Flader Reservoir is 1.5 miles distant. Check the current arrangement for Bowling Lake.