Chadron Reservoir Number 2, Nebraska: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  This water sits in Dawes County, Nebraska. Elevation runs to 3,661 feet. Surface area runs to about 7 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is a small entry by Dawes County standards. Nearest place of any size is Chadron, 5.9 miles away. Greeley sits 183 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Chadron Reservoir Number 2

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Records held for Dawes County cover brown trout, brook trout, white sucker, bluegill and green sunfish. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. On this water the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 24°F to 72°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Count the season from break-up, usually late March. The open-water window runs from around late March to about early December in an average year. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. It holds true on this water more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. You can park 100 yards away and walk in from there. Public toilets are recorded roughly 170 yards off. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Chadron Reservoir is 0.1 miles off. Check the position at this water before loading the car.