Fishing at Clear Lake, Holt County, Nebraska

• Overview

  Clear Lake is a Holt County water, Nebraska side. Land around it is lake country bush. The water covers some 31 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Burwell is the closest place, 25 miles off. Atkinson follows at 28 miles, then O'Neill at 30 miles. Nearby alternatives: 2.5 miles out stands Swan Lake, Willow Lake just 2.9 miles, 6.1 miles out stands Sunfish Lake, Bruner Lake just 6.5 miles and 7.3 miles out stands Chain Lake. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Clear Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Holt County cover common carp, green sunfish and white sucker. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Fish Clear Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 21°F and July at about 74°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Count the season from break-up, usually late March. Averages place the thaw at late March and the freeze at early December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. The season on Clear Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Failing this one, try Swan Lake, 2.5 miles away. Nothing on Clear Lake should be assumed from this page alone.