The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will consider amendments to sportfishing orders when it meets Oct. 16 in Kearney. These orders regard daily bag limits, possession limits and open areas.
The meeting begins at 8 a.m. at the Michael and Gail Yanney Pavilion in Yanney Heritage Park, 2022 W. 11th St.
Proposed amendments to sportfishing orders would, if approved:
- establish statewide regulations on Open Fields and Waters program lakes and ponds with the black bass 21-inch length limit and one-fish daily bag limit remaining and changing the panfish daily bag limit to five fish unless otherwise posted;
- add language to implement catch and release only at select OFW lakes and ponds; and
- prohibit shovelnose sturgeon from being taken by archery in inland and Missouri River waters.
Commissioners also will consider staff recommendations to approve:
- proposed fee increases for park lodging, rental facilities, camping and other miscellaneous fees; and
- the 2027 Nebraska Game and Parks Commission meeting schedule.
Staff will give the commissioners updates on:
- the Bighorn Sheep Risk of Contact Model, a mapping tool used to estimate the likelihood and frequency of contact between bighorn sheep and domestic sheep or goats, and on the Bighorn Sheep Restoration Facility;
- the new Managed Access Program, a reservation-based hunting system designed to provide controlled access to hunting lands while promoting wildlife conservation, and on Open Fields and Waters, which offers financial incentives to landowners who allow public walk-in access for hunting, fishing and trapping;
- Interstate 80 Lakes fisheries management, including background on how the lakes were created, how Nebraska Game and Parks became involved, and recent aquatic habitat and angler access projects; and
- the Berggren Plan for Pheasants, which seeks to improve the pheasant hunting experience in Nebraska, with an emphasis on improving habitat and increasing public access in key areas.
To view a complete agenda, visit OutdoorNebraska.gov and search for “public notices.” To view proposed changes to Commission regulations and orders, search for “regulations.”
