Goose Lake Fishing Guide, Sheridan County, Nebraska

• Overview

  Out in Sheridan County, Nebraska, sits Goose Lake. Elevation runs to 3,832 feet. It runs to roughly 61 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. 27 miles away sits Gordon, the nearest town. After that come Alliance at 45 miles and Pine Ridge at 48 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Goose Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Sheridan County include white sucker, brown trout, rock bass and yellow perch. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Treat Goose Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 22°F and July at about 72°F, the water has a wide range to work through. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Break-up comes around late March, and the run that follows is short and strong. Break-up sits around late March on average, with the water closing again about early December. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. The season on Goose Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. For a change of water, Jacobs Lake is 0.8 miles distant. Nothing here settles the position at Goose Lake for certain.