Tate Lake in Cherry County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Tate Lake lies within the bounds of Cherry County, Nebraska. It lies 2,930 feet above sea level. The water covers some 47 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. About 0.9 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. The nearest town is Valentine, 30 miles away. Beyond it, Ainsworth at 37 miles and Rosebud at 57 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Tate Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Species logged across Cherry County include white sucker, common carp, green sunfish and rock bass. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Anyone new to Tate Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 73°F at the top of summer and 22°F at the bottom of winter. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late March. The lid tends to go about late March and return around early December. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. At Tate Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Durbin Lake is 0.9 miles off. None of that is settled for Tate Lake in what we hold.