Spring Valley Lake in Arthur County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Arthur County end of Nebraska holds Spring Valley Lake. Height above sea level is 3,625 feet. At 429 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. Around 5.0 miles of bank, which is a long day on foot. On our Arthur County list it sits near the top for size. Ogallala sits 49 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Sutherland lies 54 miles off, Alliance another 66 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Spring Valley Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Across Arthur County, recorded fish include chain pickerel, rock bass and yellow perch. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Treat Spring Valley Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 23°F to 72°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Break-up comes around late March, and the run that follows is short and strong. Open water usually runs from late March until about early December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Plan around that when you fish Spring Valley Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Williams Lake at 3.6 miles is the sensible second choice. Signs at Spring Valley Lake carry more weight than any list.