Olive Creek Lake Fishing near Crete, Nebraska

• Overview

  Olive Creek Lake falls in Lancaster County, part of Nebraska. The country here is pine and birch. It measures about 128 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. There is roughly 1.7 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Size puts it in the front rank of our Lancaster County list. Head to Crete, 6.7 miles away, for anything you forgot. Beyond it, Wilber at 9.3 miles and Hickman at 12 miles. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Olive Creek Lake

  Recorded soundings reach about 12 feet at the deepest point. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Lancaster County records list green sunfish, common carp, flathead catfish, bluegill and black bullhead among the fish reported. The county list is broader than any single water. The near bank of Olive Creek Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 77°F and January about 23°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid March. Ice clears near mid March and comes back about mid December in a typical year. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Expect Olive Creek Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. A boat ramp sits about half a mile from the water. Catfish want bait on the bottom: cut bait or worms, a simple running rig, and patience after dark. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Salt Creek Reservoir 25-A at 1.4 miles is the sensible second choice. None of that is settled for Olive Creek Lake in what we hold.