Clough Lake Fishing Guide, Sheridan County, Nebraska

• Overview

  Clough Lake is a Sheridan County water, in Nebraska. The bank is 3,911 feet above sea level. Surface area is around 75 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. It sits higher than most water we list in Nebraska. Some 9.7 miles away sits Alliance, the nearest settlement. Further out sit Bridgeport (32 miles) and Bayard (37 miles). No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Clough Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Survey and observation records for Sheridan County include white sucker, brown trout and rock bass. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Read Clough Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 24°F in January to roughly 74°F in July. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly mid March. The lid tends to go about mid March and return around mid December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Clough Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. For a change of water, Sturgeon Lake is 3.4 miles distant. Where Clough Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.