Fishing at Patton Lake, Sheridan County, Nebraska

• Overview

  Patton Lake is set in Sheridan County, Nebraska. The ground around here is lake country bush. With some 89 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Bank access stretches around 1.5 miles in total. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Nebraska listings. Start from Alliance, 28 miles down the road. For a city, Greeley is 171 miles off. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Patton Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Survey and observation records for Sheridan County include white sucker, brown trout and rock bass. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Patton Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 72°F and January about 22°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Once it clears, about late March, the fishing comes on quickly. Open water usually runs from late March until about early December. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Patton Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Sandow Lake at 1.1 miles is the sensible second choice. Ask locally about Patton Lake if anything is unclear.