Upper Big Nemaha Reservoir 15-D Fishing near Hickman, Nebraska

• Overview

  Look for Upper Big Nemaha Reservoir 15-D in Lancaster County, Nebraska. This is lake country bush country. The water covers some 27 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Start from Hickman, 6.8 miles down the road. Then Crete, 13 miles, and Wilber, 13 miles. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Upper Big Nemaha Reservoir 15-D

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Survey and observation records for Lancaster County include green sunfish, common carp and flathead catfish. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. This water gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 77°F at the top of summer and 23°F at the bottom of winter. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The lid usually goes in mid March, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid March in spring and again near mid December in autumn. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Expect this water to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Catfish want bait on the bottom: cut bait or worms, a simple running rig, and patience after dark. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Failing this one, try Salt Creek Reservoir 5-9, 1 mile away. What applies at this water may have changed since it was mapped.