Fishing at Plum Creek Reservoir 5-A, Pawnee County, Nebraska

• Overview

  Pawnee County in Nebraska is where Plum Creek Reservoir 5-A sits. The country here is lake country bush. Small at around 20 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. You are 15 miles from Wymore. Then Tecumseh, 18 miles, and Beatrice, 21 miles. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing. The water gives you a straightforward day if you keep it simple.

• Where to Fish on Plum Creek Reservoir 5-A

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Survey and observation records for Pawnee County include flathead catfish, green sunfish, black bullhead, johnny darter and orangespotted sunfish. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Treat this water as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 24°F in January up to 77°F in July. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid March. Ice usually gives way near mid March, and forms again about late December. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. That is the shape of the year on this water.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Catfish want bait on the bottom: cut bait or worms, a simple running rig, and patience after dark. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Should this one be busy, Plum Creek Reservoir 4-E is 1.4 miles off. Check the position on this water before loading the car.