Nebraska Outdoors

The lady at the gas station told me that this will make me fish better.

Fishing is a constant puzzle—and that’s what makes it so addicting. Every single day on the water, you learn something new. Maybe it’s a subtle pattern change, a different depth, or just one key bite that unlocks the bigger picture. Piece by piece, it all starts coming together.

That’s what this week is all about—adjusting, grinding, and figuring them out one decision at a time. No matter how tough it gets, there’s always something to build on for tomorrow.

Tune in to the NBAA-Bass, the OFFICIAL page of the National Bass Anglers Association page to catch weigh-in and follow along with all of us competing at Nationals. Let’s see who can put the full puzzle together 💪🎣

Good luck to everyone!

The Easter bunny left an egg filled with a 6.56 pounder!

I have gotten a handful of request for my annual Fishing Survey Breakdown. I apologize for the delay, I have been super busy! But here we go…

**Disclaimer***
I review lakes in Eastern Nebraska because that’s where I live as does like 90% of the population in Nebraska. I have data going back to 2011 for bass, and to 2016 for walleye. I don’t classify a lake based on 1 data point in 1 year. It is classified using multiple years of trending data. The shocking surveys that measure these rates are done in the same areas of the lakes year after year for consistency purposes. Further, if only 10 minutes is spent shocking, they take the number of fish collected and multiply it by 6 (to get 60) and that is your “Per Hour Electrofishing” number. If during that 10 minutes the net person misses a bunch of fish or can’t see the fish because of poor water clarity, it can affect your survey data and that is why multiple data points are necessary when I do the breakdown.

Before I start my 2026 breakdown, a quick synopsis of the 2025 bass breakdown is below. I will try and do a walleye breakdown this year. If you didn’t read the 2025 breakdown, you can search the group and read it and it gives you a good understanding as to why they were grouped the way they were.

2025 Eastern Nebraska Fishing Survey Breakdown, Bass Edition

The Good:
Stagecoach, CenturyLink, Cunningham, Walnut Creek, Wolf Wildcat

Unsure:
Prairie Queen, Czechland, Maple Creek, Summit, Conestoga

The Bad:
Wanahoo, Branched Oak, Iron Horse Trail

2026 Eastern Nebraska Bass Breakdown

The Good:
Walnut Creek – While the lake does “Fish Small”, and is in a high pressured area, there is CONSTANT law enforcement activity here. The lake is supervised by Papio Police and their presence absolutely helps prevent poachers, which helps keep the lake population UP!

Louisville 1– This is a shore access only lake at Louisville State Park. I think they killed it off and restocked it after the floods, but most of the little catch and release lakes in the state parks are a great way to introduce a little one to fishing.

Flanagan – In 2023 the survey had 250 bass, there was no sampling in 2024, but in 2025 sampling came back at 240. For one of the most pressured lakes in the metro, the vast offshore structure and design of the lake lets fish live offshore and gives them plenty of ambush points!

Maskenthine – Not a lot of data on this, but the lake outside Norfolk was sampled at 170 in 2016, 275 in 2023 and 230 in 2025. Good little self-sustaining lake.

The Unsure:
Kramper – My 2023 writeup, I called this good based on experience. But based on data changed it to unsure in my 2024 write up. After multiple poor surveys, this is going to remain in unsure for now, but this may be one of those lakes that could use some supplemental stocking of bass, which I know G&P is staunchly against, which is weird.

Summit – This lake will stay on the “unsure” list again this year, but a 3 year running average of 116 bass is not a good trend. Yellow bass and Carp are really messing this lake up quickly. Hopefully the new brush that was just planted in the lake will help. Another poor survey and this lake will probably move to the “bad” list.

Prairie Queen - I called this a bad lake in 2023, and 2024. It graduated to unsure in 2025. The decrease of tournament pressure I’m sure helped, but yellow bass (thanks cat fisherman) getting into this lake is not a good thing. I will keep it here for now, but there needs to be a larger presence of law enforcement here to prevent people from transporting bait and poachers. I am hopeful that the change in regulation to a slot lake helps out too.

Stagecoach – Really weird drop this year. I am going to chalk it up to just a weird/bad survey but given the history of this lake (anyone remember the fake 10lbr haha), it has never really been able to be self sustaining.

Holmes – I put this as unsure in 2024 and was told that I was crazy. Well after a 2023 survey of 140 and now a 2025 survey of 90, I fear that it is going to keep falling and will end up on the bad list next year.

Conestoga – This is a brand new lake. Why is this such a disappointment? With it being new I will keep it here for now, but man I don’t know what's going on with this.

Cunningham – Tons of work has been done at this lake to improve water quality. Lots of stocking (not bass), but the combo of carp and poaching at this lake is killing it. At least before the renovation there were big bass in here. Now there is nothing to brag about. The lack of data is the only thing keeping this on the unsure list.

The Bad:
Youngman – In my 2024 write up, I said to keep an eye on this because of the shad that got in and dubbed it “little zorinsky”. Just wasting away. It looks to be headed that way with multiple years of poor surveys. I hate being right, but I am right more than wrong on these.

Burchard – In 2024 I had this on my “unsure” list. Multiple years of low survey numbers show the fishing is poor. Unfortunately, I must move this to bad until the water comes up and helps the lake population. So sad, as this use to be a “hidden gem.”

Wanahoo – It wasn’t surveyed this year. But everyone knows.

Willard Meyer – Rest In Peace, Hunter Reck. For those who donated, this is where his memorial bench was placed. Fishing is poor, but guess what G&P DID?!?!?! SUPPLEMENTAL STOCKING!!! Over 5,000 bass, 3 inches in size. Let’s keep an eye on this one!

Wehrspann – Remember when G&P tried to kill off all the rough fish and accidentally also killed a bunch of game fish….then there were a few years of constant low water, and also the rough fish never were fully removed and all their work was for naught? Well the survey was a 40 fish this year after a 120 survey. Poor poor management.

NATIONALS BOUND

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