Salt Creek Reservoir 9-3 in Lancaster County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Out in Lancaster County, Nebraska, sits Salt Creek Reservoir 9-3. The setting is lake country bush on every side. At 4 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Our Lancaster County list holds plenty of bigger water. Hickman is the closest place, 3.4 miles off. It is 11 miles to Lincoln, the nearest city. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Salt Creek Reservoir 9-3

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Species logged across Lancaster County include green sunfish, common carp, flathead catfish, bluegill and black bullhead. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Read this water before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 23°F to 77°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid March. In an average year the thaw lands around mid March and the freeze near mid December. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. On this water the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Catfish want bait on the bottom: cut bait or worms, a simple running rig, and patience after dark. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Failing this one, try Salt Creek Reservoir 8-A, 1.2 miles away. The position on this water is worth confirming on the day.