Skip to main content

Fishing in Nebraska

From bank fishing to boat fishing, Nebraska offers you everything you need to reel in a good time.

Information

Nebraska Game and Parks will host virtual discussions on fisheries management March 18-21, 2024. The sessions will cover the fishing outlook and special projects in four regions of the state. Register to attend a regional informational session here.

man standing in water fishing

Where to fish

Nebraska’s landscape is dotted with lakes, rivers and streams, providing plentiful and diverse fishing opportunities for experienced anglers, beginners and everyone in between.

Explore our fishing resources and discover some of our recommended places to fish, area guides, family-friendly lakes and more!

A woman helps her toddler fish

Learn to fish

Catching your next fish isn’t all luck. Successful anglers have mastered the basics on this page so they can catch more — and bigger — fish. Whether you are new to angling or returning after a break, here you’ll discover resources that tell you the best places to cast your line, tips for success, and which of Nebraska’s 100 fish species you’ve caught. We’ll even tell you how to move from open-water fishing to ice fishing … when you’re ready of course.

Other fishing resources

A man fishing from the bank, standing in high vegetation.

Fishing Guide

Each year, Nebraska Game and Parks publishes an updated Fishing Guide so anglers have the current rules and regulations for Nebraska waters.

A woman holds a large walleye fish

Fishing forecast

Our annual fishing forecast contains research statistics and graphs to explain sampling information for important sport fish species sampled across Nebraska from the previous year.

Three men pull a framing net into a boat.

Fishing sampling reports

Fish sampling reports include statistics for area public water bodies that were surveyed by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. 

a fisheries biologist leans over with a net full of trout that he is releasing into a river in Nebraska

Stocking database

Each year, millions of fish are stocked in Nebraska waters from one end of the state to the other; dozens of species are stocked in hundreds of water bodies.

three people fish on an accessible fishing pier in Nebraska

Fisheries programs

Nebraska Game and Parks runs a number of programs designed to enhance angling opportunities and your fishing experience.  

EF20210616_0569.jpg

Fisheries management

Did you know we stock millions of fish in Nebraska water bodies each year? And that we grow them ourselves at five state hatcheries? Learn more about how we are providing opportunities for you.

Fishing events

Nebraska Game and Parks hosts a variety of programs aimed at recruiting new participants to the sport of fishing. Among other events, these include youth fishing tournaments and Community Fishing events, in which rods, reels and expert instruction are all available at no cost.

In the classroom

Nebraska Game and Parks offers a variety of aquatic education opportunities from Trout in the Classroom to Fishing in Nebraska Schools.

Fishing Permits

Purchase stamps, resident and non-resident fishing permits here.

Park Pricing

A park entry permit is required to visit state parks and may be purchased at the park, statewide Game and Parks offices and permit vendors, or in advance of your arrival online. View those fees, as well as attraction and amenity pricing.