Mader Reservoir Number 3 Fishing Guide, Sioux County, Nebraska

• Overview

  Mader Reservoir Number 3 is one of the Sioux County listings for Nebraska. This is pine and birch country. At 5 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Sioux County. Hot Springs sits 34 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Lusk is 37 miles and Chadron 41 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Mader Reservoir Number 3

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Sioux County records list yellow bullhead, fathead minnow and sand shiner among the fish reported. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On this water that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 73°F; by January the average is down near 22°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. After late March the shallows warm and the fish move up. Ice clears near late March and comes back about early December in a typical year. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Anyone fishing this water regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Records show it does not hold water year-round. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. For the catfish, fish bottom baits into the deeper holes and let them sit. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Merlin Mader Reservoir Number 1 at 0.7 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the current arrangement for this water.