Fishing Guide

The following areas are added to the list of waters where no live baitfish may be used or possessed:

• Marlin Petermann Recreation Area, Douglas County
• Frenchman Wildlife Management Area, Hayes County
• Forest City Recreation Area, Sarpy County
• Mad Bear Recreation Area, Sarpy County

Black Bass

(Largemouth, Smallmouth, and Spotted) – Wolbach City Pond, Greeley County; Forest City Recreation Area and Mad Bear Recreation Area are added to the list of lakes that have a 21-inch minimum length.

Smallmouth Bass daily bag limit of two fish and 12-inch maximum length limit established at Marlin Petermann Recreation Area.

Yellow Perch

A daily bag limit of five fish is established at Marlin Petermann Recreation Area.

Muskellunge and Tiger Muskellunge

The exceptions (one over 34 inches or longer, no minimum length, three fish bag limit, three fish possession limit) to the statewide length, bag and possession limits at Pelican Lake in Cherry County are rescinded.

A Nebraska permit is required of residents and nonresidents age 16 and over. Nonresidents under age 16 need not have a fishing permit if they are accompanied by someone who has a Nebraska fishing permit. A fishing permit is required to take or attempt to take fish, bullfrogs, snapping turtles, barred salamanders or mussels by any legal method. An angler must carry the fishing permit while actively fishing.

Owners or their guests fishing on a private water body are not required to have a fishing permit if all of the following apply to that water:

1. is located entirely on private land,
2. is entirely privately stocked,
3. does not connect by inflow or outflow with any other water outside such land, and
4. is not operated on a commercial basis for profit. In addition, any licensed commercial put-and-take operation is exempt from a fishing permit.

Anglers holding a Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa or Missouri sport fishing license may fish all waters of the Missouri River in the state they are licensed, and Missouri River waters of the state immediately across the river.

• Missouri River waters are defined to include all flowing portions and backwaters, sloughs and chutes that draw water from the Missouri River.
  
  
• Oxbows and backwaters separated from the Missouri River by land are included if the state boundary line passes through some part of such waters.
  
  
• Mouths of tributaries may be fished only in the state that the angler is licensed.
  
  
• Anglers may fish from either bank or boats.
  
  
• Anglers fishing in the state for which they do not hold a fishing permit must abide by the more restrictive of the two state’s regulations.
  
  
• Nonresident South Dakota permits are not valid from Gavins Point Dam to 0.6 miles downstream.
  
  
• Iowa and Missouri resident anglers may fish waters of Hamburg Bend Wildlife Management Area and the Nebraska portion of the Missouri River from the chute entrance (adjacent to Iowa) to the chute exit (adjacent to Missouri).

Under Nebraska law, hunting and fishing privileges may be revoked for some game law and court-determined violations. This could include certain one-time offenses by individuals or repeated violations by habitual offenders. Any person whose privilege to hunt, fish or harvest fur has been suspended or revoked in another jurisdiction within the United States or Canada also shall be prohibited from obtaining a permit for such activity in Nebraska for the duration of the suspension.

The requirements to qualify as a Nebraska resident to buy a fishing permit:

• Reside in Nebraska continuously for at least 30 days before making application for a permit and intend to become a Nebraska resident.
  
  
• Residents in school in another state or stationed outside Nebraska as part of a military assignment that have maintained Nebraska as their state of legal residency.
  
  
• Active-duty military personnel and full-time students stationed or attending school in Nebraska for a period of at least 30 days.
  
  
• A new resident should be prepared to provide documentation of residency (driver’s license, voter registration, etc.) to an officer when in possession of a permit.

A nonresident fishing permit is required of all people who are not Nebraska residents, except those listed above and those under 16 years of age who are accompanied by someone with a Nebraska fishing permit.

Nebraska hunt (small game), fish, resident fur harvest permits and associated stamps may be purchased, accessed or displayed on a mobile device. The image of a mobile permit may be displayed and saved on a device such as a phone or tablet.

Fee-exempt permits

These are available to resident veterans who:

• are 50% disabled as a result of armed forces service.
• receive a pension from the Veterans Administration as a result of a total and permanent disability not incurred in the line of duty while in military service.
• obtained fee-exempt permits before Jan. 1, 2006.

Veteran and Senior permits

• An annual fish/hunt permit is available for resident veterans age 64 and older and resident seniors age 69 and older.
  

Special fishing permit

• This annual permit is for physically or developmentally disabled residents who cannot cast or retrieve unassisted.
  
  
• This entitles the disabled person and one person assisting to take, fish, catch, harvest or possess any aquatic organism in compliance with state regulations.
  
  
• If the person assisting does not have a valid fishing permit, they are restricted to one daily bag limit between the two anglers.
  
  
• Disabled person is a person certified by a physician to have a permanent physical impairment or developmental disability that results in the inability to use fishing equipment unassisted.
  
  
• Applications are available from Game and Parks district offices, service centers and the Schramm Education Center.

Educational Fishing Project Permit

This may be obtained by instructors at any university, college or high school from the Fisheries Division for his/her students, 16 years of age and older who are participating in an educational fishing project.

Paddlefish Permit

Required, along with a Nebraska fishing permit, for taking paddlefish by snagging or archery during designated seasons.

Salvage Permit

The permit allows for the salvage of fish from selected irrigation canals located in the Platte River, and Republican River. Applications must be submitted to Game and Parks’ North Platte district office or the Kearney district office. Live fish cannot be transported in water from a canal because the potential for moving diseases and aquatic invasive species exists. Fish for consumption should be transported on ice.

Aquatic invasive species – Any waterborne, non-native organism that threatens the diversity or abundance of native species, the ecological stability of impacted waters, or commercial, agricultural, aquacultural or recreational activities.

AIS categories

Category 1 – Potential Aquatic Invasive Species; including quagga mussel;
Category 2 – Priority AIS, including silver carp, bighead carp, white perch, zebra mussel, curly-leaf pondweed and Eurasian watermilfoil;
Category 3 – Established AIS, including common carp;
Category 4 – Aquatic Invasive Plant Species listed as noxious in Nebraska.

Learn about AIS in Nebraska

Visit the link below to learn more about aquatic invasive species that are present in Nebraska water bodies and how you can prevent them from spreading.

It is unlawful:

• to possess or transport any live Category 1 or 2 invasive species.
  

On property owned or operated by the Commission, to:

• arrive at, attempt to enter or leave any water body without draining the conveyance by removing any plug or other barrier that prevents water drainage and running any pumps on board to expunge water.
• arrive at, attempt to enter or leave any water body with equipment that contains any aquatic plant material;
• arrive at, attempt to enter or leave any water body with live baitfish in water other than from a domestic source;
• arrive at, attempt to enter or leave any water body with any water other than from a domestic source, except for firefighting purposes; or
• use any boots or waders with felt soles in any water body.

Clean, drain and dry

Zebra and quagga mussels can survive out of water for up to two weeks. AIS, such as zebra mussels, are invisible to the naked eye during the larval stage and can be spread through single drops of water, surviving for up to 27 days in cooler temperatures. Aquatic plants can be spread by tiny fragments as well. After boating and before launching your boat in a different water body:

• Clean watercraft and equipment by removing all vegetation, debris, mud and mussels. If possible, rinse boat and all equipment with high-pressure, hot tap water.
  
  
• If washing the boat away from the water body you are leaving, do not allow runoff to enter a drainage. Control your runoff.
  
  
• Drain watercraft entirely before leaving the water body by removing plugs from bilge, live wells and engine. Trim engine down and allow it to drain.
  
  
• Dry boat and all equipment for at least five days. Use a towel to dry initially.

AIS watercraft inspectors are present at several Nebraska water bodies from May through October to ensure compliance with Game and Parks regulations. When an inspector is present, it is mandatory to stop and comply with an AIS inspection.

• An authorized inspector is approved by the Commission to require and conduct inspection of any conveyance that may contain or carry an Aquatic Invasive Species as permitted by law.
  
  
• It is the responsibility of the owner of the conveyance to reimburse any costs related to the decontamination procedure.
  
  
• If the Commission requires by regulations that an inspection is required prior to launching or attempting to launch a conveyance on any property owned or operated by the Commission, it shall be unlawful to launch or attempt to launch without an inspection. Any person operating a conveyance may be ordered to remove the conveyance from the water or any launch area by any conservation officer or peace officer if there is probable cause to believe that the conveyance was not properly inspected prior to launch or may otherwise contain AIS. Once removed from the water or launch area, the conveyance shall be subject to inspection for the removal and disposal of AIS.
  
  
• Decontamination of a conveyance takes place when all AIS, soil, plants and organisms are removed or destroyed. This will be accomplished by:
  • washing the exterior and intakes using water at least 140 degrees F and a minimum pressure of five gallons/minute with 3,000 pounds/square inch, or
  • removing the conveyance from any water body or boat launch area for 30 days.
    
    
• After a conveyance has been inspected and the decontamination determined to be incomplete, the conveyance may be removed from any water body or launch area for 30 days.

Baitfish, listed amphibians and crayfish may not be sold, except by permit. The following regulations apply only to bait obtained for personal use. For commercial purposes (bait dealers, private aquaculturists and nonresident fish dealers), refer to the regulations supplied with your permit.

• It is unlawful to take baitfish, listed amphibians or crayfish from any public lake, reservoir or bayou unless otherwise stated below.
  
  
• Digging and trapping for bait or any other purpose is prohibited on all state-owned or controlled areas.
  
  
• It shall be unlawful for any individual or bait dealer to transport away from the river any live fish to be used for bait that has been collected on the Missouri River downstream below Gavins Point Dam to the Kansas border and all other rivers and streams located east of U.S. Hwy. 81 from the South Dakota border to York, north of Interstate 80 from York to Lincoln, and east of U.S. Hwy. 77 from Lincoln to the Kansas border. (See map.) The use of baitfish seined by anglers from these rivers and streams may only be used at the body of water from which they were captured.

• Seining for baitfish, listed amphibians or crayfish is allowed on streams located on state recreation areas and wildlife management areas unless the stream is listed as closed.
  
  
• It is illegal to possess while fishing or use for bait Red Swamp Crayfish, White River Crayfish or Rusty Crayfish. If you suspect that you have either collected or purchased one of these species, bring them to a Game and Parks office.
  
  
• All non-baitfish taken while netting or seining for bait must be returned immediately to the waters from which taken.
  
  
• The bag and possession limit for personal use is 100 baitfish and 25 listed amphibians.

Importation

It is unlawful for individuals to import live baitfish from out of state for use in inland waters. This does not include the Missouri River. It is unlawful to import or transport live carp, carpsucker, buffalo, quillback, gar, gizzard shad or alewife into the state for use as bait. Special permits are required for a person to import and sell bait or baitfish.

Seining baitfish below dams

The seining of baitfish, listed amphibians or crayfish is unlawful for a distance of 200 yards below any dam or spillway. In these waters, baitfish, listed amphibians and crayfish may be taken by legal baitfish dip nets for personal use only.

NOTE: Anglers who seine their own baitfish must properly identify the fish species collected to avoid transfer of invasive species. It is illegal to dump baitfish or water from the seining location into a different water body as that could transfer invasive species and fish diseases. Seined baitfish must be transported in domestic water to reduce the chance of transporting diseases or aquatic invasive species.

Gizzard, shad and alewife may be taken for use as bait by legal dip nets from lakes, ponds, reservoirs, and below dams and other artificial obstructions for a distance of 200 yards below such obstructions.

• Live shad and alewife may be used only in the body of water from which they were captured.
  
  
• Shad and alewife may be taken by legal seine or dip net in streams, except those streams closed to the taking of baitfish or bait by such method, but cannot be transferred alive and used in other waters.

It is unlawful to sell, transport or offer for sale as bait, any live carp, carpsucker, buffalo, gar, quillback, gizzard shad or alewife. Live fish of those species may be used for bait only in the same waters from which they are legally taken. Dead carp, carpsucker, bullhead, buffalo, gar, quillback, gizzard shad or alewife may be transported for use as bait. Live black bullhead, yellow bullhead and green sunfish legally caught may be used for bait in the
same waters from which they are taken and in any stream or river.

Sport fish may be used for bait if:

• they are purchased from a bait dealer that has acquired them legally from a licensed aquaculturist or a nonresident fish dealer. The angler must keep a legible receipt or invoice from the dealer listing the date, seller’s name and address, and number and size of each species sold.
  
  
• they are captured using hook and line and used at the body of water from which they were captured. Anglers must follow both the length and bag limits for that body of water.

It is unlawful to take by seine, dip net or trap any baitfish in the following streams, which contain threatened and endangered fish species:

• Cherry County – Brush Creek, Gordon Creek, Leander Creek and Sandy Richards Creek
• Dawes County – Niobrara River east of Box Butte Reservoir and west of U.S. Hwy. 385
• Keya Paha County – Cottonwood Creek, East Holt Creek and Holt Creek
• Madison County – Taylor Creek

The possession or use of nets, traps and electrical gear capable of stunning fish is prohibited except for the following:

• Baitfish seines of 1/4 inch nonmetallic square mesh only and not more than 20 feet long and 4 feet deep.
• Baitfish dip nets of 1/4 inch, nonmetallic square mesh. Neither length nor width may exceed 36 inches.
• Baitfish and bait traps of 1/4 inch square mesh material with a length of 24 inches or less, a diameter of 16 inches or less and a throat 2¼ inches or less in diameter. All minnow traps shall be raised, and the baitfish removed at least every 24 hours.
• Landing nets, made of nonmetallic mesh, used only for landing fish caught on hook-and-line.

Snapping turtle traps

A legal snapping turtle trap must contain a throat or funnel to be constructed of netting that is at least 4 inches square mesh. The trap must have an entrance possible only from above the water’s surface and must allow turtles to reach the surface to breathe. The trap must be personally checked at least every 24 hours and tagged with a metal tag listing the owner’s name, address, and fishing permit number or driver’s license number. Turtle traps can only be used on private waters, and it is unlawful to sell, offer for sale or barter any snapping turtles. Any turtle(s) exceeding the daily bag limits shall be released immediately.

It is unlawful to release any non-native fish, reptile or amphibian in waters of the state or to release any fish or any aquatic organism in any public waters in the state except in those waters from which it came, without written authorization from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Only cast nets up to 10 feet in diameter with a mesh size no larger than 3/8 inches square measure are legal gear.

• Cast nets may be used only during June, July, August, September, October and November.
• Cast nets may be used to collect gizzard shad and alewife only.
• Live gizzard shad and alewife may only be used for bait the same day they were captured and only in the same body of water where they were collected.

Cast nets may be used to collect bait only on the following bodies of water:

Northeast

• Calamus Reservoir

Northwest

• Merritt Reservoir

South-central

• Davis Creek Reservoir
• Elwood Reservoir
• Farwell South Reservoir
• Gallagher Canyon Reservoir
• Harlan County Reservoir
• Johnson Lake
• Midway complex reservoirs
• Phillips Canyon Reservoir
• Plum Creek Reservoir
• Sherman Reservoir

South-central/southwest

• Tri-County Canal from diversion dam in Lincoln County to J-2 return

Southwest

• Enders Reservoir
• Jeffrey Reservoir
• Lake Maloney
• Medicine Creek Reservoir
• Lake McConaughy
• Red Willow Reservoir
• Sutherland Reservoir
• Swanson Reservoir.

White perch

It is illegal to transport or possess live white perch. The introduction of white perch into new bodies of water may destroy the quality of the fish community and may require the total renovation of the fishery.

Dumping

It is illegal to release baitfish or any fish caught from a different body of water into public waters.

Exportation

Up to 100 legally captured baitfish and/or 25 listed amphibians may be exported by a resident for personal use for fishing outside the state if allowed by the destination state. Licensed aquaculturists may transport an unlimited number of baitfish that have been artificially propagated in man-made impoundments out of state if allowed by the destination state.

Baits & scents

Cutbait is legal if the fish used has been legally acquired and the size, bag and possession limits for that species and body of water have been followed. It also is legal to chum for fish using nonharmful baits. Anise oil and other scents that do not stun, kill or harm fish are permitted.

Leopard frogs and barred tiger salamanders

All regulations that cover the legal use of baitfish also apply to these species. Leopard frogs can only be collected for individual use, not commercial use.

Crayfish

There is no daily possession limit on crayfish. Anyone over the age of 16 must have a bait dealer’s license in order to sell crayfish. Crayfish may be captured by hook and line, by hand or by legal fish nets and traps as described below. No permit is needed to collect for personal use.

• A person may not submit more than one paddlefish application or buy more than one preference point during any paddlefish application period.
  
  
• A preference point does not enter a person in the draw.
  
  
• Permits are issued using a preference system. The applicant will receive a preference point if he or she is unsuccessful in being awarded a permit. Applicants who are awarded a paddlefish permit will lose all accumulated preference points. A nonrefundable $7 application fee is due upon submission.
  
  
• A permit fee is due if successful in the draw. Residents: $28, Nonresidents: $53.
  
  
• Application must have valid email address provided to assist in contacting on draw results.
  
  
• The deadline to complete the purchase of permits: Archery – April 5; Snagging – Aug. 5.
  
  
• Instead of participating in the draw, anglers may buy one preference point per season during the application period. The fee is $17 for residents and $27 for nonresidents, plus a $7 application fee for each.

Buddy applications

Buddy permits are for two applicants only. Applicants must be either both residents or both nonresidents. If there is a difference in preference points, the applications will be assigned to the applicant with the lowest preference points.

Archery permit: March 1-14
Permits remaining following the drawing will be made available to the next resident unsuccessful applicant(s).

Snagging permit: July 1-14
Permits remaining following the drawing will be made available to the next resident unsuccessful applicant(s).

NOTE: All application periods begin at 1 p.m. Central Time. Mailed applications must be received in the Lincoln office by 5 p.m. on the last day of the application period. Online applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. CT.

Paddlefish may be taken by bow and arrow and possessed in a designated area of the Missouri River only during the season.

Season – June 1-30
Legal Hours – sunrise to sunset

Open Area – The open area is from Gavins Point Dam downstream to the mouth of the Big Sioux River at mile marker 734.

Closed Area – This includes the north wall of the spillway and immediately below the Gavins Point Dam powerhouse downstream to a line extending from the east end of the south cement wall of the discharge canal northwest to the east end of the north wall of the discharge canal during the archery paddlefish season. See image below. The use of crossbows is not allowed in the area from the Gavins Point Dam downstream to the U.S. Highway 81 bridge.

NOTE: From the open area below Gavins Point Dam to 0.6 miles downstream, archers may harvest paddlefish if they possess a valid Nebraska resident or Nebraska nonresident archery paddlefish permit as well as a valid Nebraska fishing permit or a South Dakota resident archery paddlefish permit. A South Dakota nonresident fishing permit/tag is not valid in this area. In the remainder of the river open to archery paddlefish, South Dakota nonresident archery paddlefish permits are valid.

Requirements

All paddlefish archery anglers must have in their possession a paddlefish tag and a Nebraska fishing permit, if required. Applicants for tags must be 12 years old by June 1.

Tag limit

Each angler may have no more than two tags.

Snagging of paddlefish and nongame fish in the Missouri River is permitted from the Gavins Point Dam downstream to the mouth of the Big Sioux River at mile marker 734.

Season – Oct. 1-31

Legal Hours – 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Closed Area – The closed area is the north wall of the spillway and immediately below the Gavins Point Dam powerhouse downstream to a line extending from the east end of the south cement wall of the discharge canal northwest to the east end of the north wall of the discharge canal. All inland waters are closed to paddlefish harvest.

Requirements

Snaggers must have in their possession an unfilled paddlefish tag while actively snagging, in addition to a valid fishing permit, if required. From Gavins Point Dam to 0.6 miles downstream, snaggers must possess a valid Nebraska resident or Nebraska nonresident snagging permit or a South Dakota resident snagging permit. A South Dakota nonresident fishing permit/tag is not valid in this area. In the remainder of the river open to snagging, South Dakota nonresident permits are valid.

Possession – Paddlefish harvested by snagging may be possessed only on the Missouri River during the open season in the designated open area.

Minimum age – Applicants must be 12 years old by Oct. 1 to be eligible to apply for a snagging permit.

Hooks – Only one hook may be used when snagging, and the gap between the point of the hook and the shank may not exceed one half inch.

Bag and possession limits – The daily bag and possession limits are the total number of tags issued to an individual.

Casting and hooking – All paddlefish anglers are required to cast for and hook their own fish.

Length limit – All paddlefish between 35 and 45 inches long (measured along the centerline of the fish, lying flat, from the front margin of the eye to the natural fork of the tail), must be returned to the water immediately.

Gaff hook – It is unlawful to use a gaff hook or other penetrating device while landing snagged paddlefish.

A paddlefish must be tagged immediately in the dorsal fin with the angler’s tag upon addition to the creel. Any paddlefish tag that is locked before attachment, altered or modified shall be void and will not be replaced. Anglers harvesting a paddlefish are allowed to process the fish down to two whole fillets after completion of the fishing trip and upon leaving the Missouri River with both the closed paddlefish tag and paddlefish permit remaining with the fillets.

It is unlawful to discard nongame fish on the bank.