Fishing Spencer Lake in Cherry County, Nebraska

• Overview

  Cherry County, Nebraska, is where Spencer Lake sits. The surface lies 2,881 feet up. At about 36 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. There is roughly 1.1 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Our Cherry County list holds plenty of bigger water. The nearest town is Valentine, 19 miles away. Ainsworth is 39 miles away, with Rosebud at 45 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Spencer Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Public occurrence data for Cherry County names white sucker, common carp and green sunfish. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Anyone new to Spencer Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 73°F and January reads 22°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late March. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late March and starts locking again about early December. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Time your trip to Spencer Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Trout Lake, 1.6 miles out. Check the current arrangement for Spencer Lake.