Cub Creek Reservoir 12-A Fishing near Fairbury, Nebraska

• Overview

  Within Jefferson County, Nebraska, you have Cub Creek Reservoir 12-A. The setting is lake country bush on every side. With some 38 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The bank runs about 1.4 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Supplies mean a trip to Fairbury, 9.9 miles off. The big place round here is Lincoln, 43 miles distant. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Cub Creek Reservoir 12-A

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Survey and observation records for Jefferson County include green sunfish, flathead catfish, orangethroat darter and plains darter. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On this water a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 77°F in July and bottom out at 24°F in January. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid March. The water is typically free of ice between mid March and late December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Plan any trip to this water around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. A made slipway is half a mile from here, which settles the boat question. You can park half a mile away and walk in from there. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. Mapping records toilets within half a mile. Sort the permit out before you load the car. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Check the position on this water before loading the car.