Dawson Company Road Dam Reservoir Number 1 Fishing near Cozad, Nebraska

• Overview

  Set in Frontier County, Nebraska, this is Dawson Company Road Dam Reservoir Number 1. The ground around here is mixed forest. The whole thing is a single swim; walk it in a minute. On size it sits at the modest end of our Frontier County list. The town to know is Cozad, 12 miles out. Gothenburg lies 17 miles off, Lexington another 18 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Dawson Company Road Dam Reservoir Number 1

  Depth figures are not published for this one. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. County-wide records name common carp, black bullhead and bluegill. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. This water responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 75°F and January about 24°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid March. In an average year the thaw lands around mid March and the freeze near mid December. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Anyone fishing this water regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. Catfish want bait on the bottom: cut bait or worms, a simple running rig, and patience after dark. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Dawson Company Road Dam Reservoir Number 2, 0.4 miles out. For this water in particular, ask before you travel.