Hart Lake, Nebraska: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Sheridan County, Nebraska, is where Hart Lake sits. It stands 3,740 feet above sea level. It runs to roughly 36 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Gordon lies 21 miles from the water. Greeley sits 199 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Hart Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name white sucker, brown trout and rock bass. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Hart Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 22°F in January up to 72°F in July. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late March. Ice clears near late March and comes back about early December in a typical year. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. The season on Hart Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. If the gate is shut, Chokecherry Lake at 1.6 miles is the nearest alternative. Treat access at Hart Lake as something to verify.