Fishing at Litterel Reservoir, Dawes County, Nebraska

• Overview

  Dawes County in Nebraska is where Litterel Reservoir sits. It lies 3,258 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to about 10 acres — small enough to read in one session. The closest town, Chadron, is 6.4 miles away. It is 194 miles to Greeley, the nearest city. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Litterel Reservoir

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Open biodiversity records for Dawes County list brown trout, brook trout, white sucker and bluegill. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Litterel Reservoir a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 23°F in January to roughly 74°F in July. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid March. Break-up near mid March, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Plan any trip to Litterel Reservoir around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Bartlet Reservoir, 5.3 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. None of that is settled for Litterel Reservoir in what we hold.