Lonergan Lake Fishing near Bennington, Nebraska

• Overview

  Lonergan Lake falls in Douglas County, part of Nebraska. What surrounds it is mixed forest. Surface area is around 116 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. With about 2.2 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. It lies lower than most water we list in Nebraska. Supplies mean a trip to Bennington, 6.3 miles off. It is 9.3 miles to Omaha, the nearest city. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Lonergan Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Survey and observation records for Douglas County include bluegill, common carp, yellow bass, black crappie and white crappie. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Lonergan Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 76°F on average, January about 21°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Ice-out usually falls in mid March, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The season between ice runs from about mid March to mid December. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Plan any trip to Lonergan Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. A launch point is recorded some half a mile off. Mapping shows a jetty some half a mile off. Facilities run to toilets half a mile from the water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Glenn Cunningham Lake, 2.1 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position on Lonergan Lake before loading the car.