Little Alkali Lake Fishing in Cherry County, Nebraska

• Overview

  Little Alkali Lake is set in Cherry County, Nebraska. The setting is rolling bush. It covers about 15 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. On size it sits at the modest end of our Cherry County list. Valentine is the closest place, 16 miles off. It is 206 miles to Sioux Falls, the nearest city. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Little Alkali Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. County-wide records name white sucker, common carp, green sunfish, rock bass and redfin pickerel. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. At Little Alkali Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 73°F, the coldest about 22°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late March. Ice clears near late March and comes back about early December in a typical year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Anyone fishing Little Alkali Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Big Alkali Lake at 1.2 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the position at Little Alkali Lake before loading the car.