Lake Ogallala trout fishery full of potential

It’s coming up on two years since the renovation of Lake Ogallala, and creel surveys are showing a trout fishery full of potential.

The lake and its associated waters below the Keystone Diversion Dam – the North Platte River and the Nebraska Public Power District’s Sutherland Supply Canal – are producing lots of trout, and big ones.

Darrol Eichner, fisheries biologist for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission at Lake McConaughy, said that since early spring the creel clerk has interviewed more anglers on the river and canal than on the lake, translating to better angling success on the river and canal.

But Eichner said that in the past six weeks, anglers have caught Master Angler rainbow trout (23 inches or 5 pounds) from the lake, with most of the fish measuring 16 to 17 inches long. He said the catches in the river and canal average about 17 inches.

“Trout in the lake, river, and canal have grown at phenomenal rates because of the abundance of aquatic invertebrates available for their diet since the fall 2023 renovation,” Eichner said.

The renovation eliminated common carp and white sucker fish that were abundant in the lake. It then was stocked with rainbow trout, tiger trout, smallmouth bass, and yellow perch. In the past two years, nearly 104,000 rainbow, tiger, and cutbow (rainbow/cutthroat trout hybrid) trout and 79,000 yellow perch have been stocked.

Tiger trout stockings have since been discontinued due to difficulty raising them and poor growth after stocking. They have been replaced by cutbow, which show excellent growth rates and catchability, according to Eichner.

All trout stocked at Lake Ogallala in 2025 are being stocked at 12 inches rather than the previous 9-10 inches.

The Nebraska Public Power District, in coordination with Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District, is planning their annual fall canal outage to begin in mid-September. Anglers planning to target the canal fishery should check flow rates ahead of their trip by visiting cnppid.com/lake-river-data.

The daily bag limit for rainbows, tigers, and cutbows is five, of which only one fish may be 16 inches or longer when fishing in the lake and river. To allow for more harvest, the one over size restriction does not apply to fish caught in the Sutherland Supply Canal.

Lake Ogallala’s cold-water fishery is unique in Nebraska, facilitated by low-level water releases from Lake McConaughy’s Kingsley Dam. Ideal conditions, such as clear water, abundant aquatic vegetation, and thriving invertebrate communities, ensure exceptional growth rates and angling experiences for trout. In addition to trout, species like yellow perch, smallmouth bass, and channel catfish also have found success in the lake. 

For more information on fishing in Nebraska, visit OutdoorNebraska.gov/fish.