Outdoor notes: Know your fish before you head to lake

Nebraska is home to more than 100 fish species. Many of these will never be encountered on a fishing hook because their size, habits or habitats make them unavailable or undesirable to anglers.

Most fish that can be caught by hook and line are designated as sport fish species. Nebraska offers opportunity for more than 40 of these species.

It is good to know which sport fish you are catching since several have bag- and size-limit regulations. You don’t need to know all 40 species, but know at least the most common fish and those with special regulations. Breaking these down into groups and using available resources makes it easier.

Arguably, the most common fish encountered by anglers in Nebraska is the sunfish. This group of fish is flat and round. The bluegill is probably the most widespread example and exists in all parts of Nebraska. Bluegill are similar to and hybridize with green and redear sunfish. These are everywhere, so you should know them.

The sunfish belong to a larger group of fish categorized as panfish, which also include black and white crappie, rock bass and yellow perch. These examples also are flat, but not quite as round. If you are catching these fish, it is important to know they are panfish, and the daily bag limit is 15 panfish combined.

Catfish are obvious; they have whiskers and no scales. The three bullhead species (black, yellow and brown) are less than 12 inches, fat and stocky. The channel, blue and flathead catfish have special regulations so knowing these are a good idea. Channel catfish is by far the most commonly stocked and caught catfish in Nebraska. Color, tail shape and mouth size help distinguish each catfish species.

Trout are a fish of many colors, but all pretty much have the same long, slender shape. There are five trout species: rainbow, brook, brown, cutthroat and tiger, and because of regulations, it matters which one you can catch and keep. Most of these are stocked, so location can help determine what they might be. To be sure, use an identification guide that describes their unique colors.

Then there are walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, gar, carp, drum and others. How does an angler even begin to learn what they are catching? To know these groups is a start, but then using guides and online resources can help define the rest.

• Use the Nebraska Fishing Guide (OutdoorNebraska.gov/guides) to determine what fish live where you are fishing. More than 200 public fishing waters are listed. This gives you a huge clue as to what you might catch.

• Common Fishes of Nebraska, a small printed fish identification guide, can be acquired at Game and Parks offices or by requesting one online. More than 60 fish are pictured and described, with all of the fish included that an angler needs to know.

• The Nebraska Fish Species page (OutdoorNebraska.gov/nebraskafishspecies) lists more than 100 Nebraska fish. Listed individually and by groups, this resource gives pictures, physical descriptions and distributions for fishes large and small.

If you are just getting into fishing and want more details, a helpful resource is Game and Parks’ Going Fishing Guide, available at OutdoorNEbraska.gov/howtofish. If you want to take a new angler fishing and become eligible to win prizes, register for the Take ’em Fishing Challenge at OutdoorNebraska.org, where fishing permits also are available for purchase.

Duck Slam challenge for Nebraska waterfowl hunters

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, along with Ducks Unlimited, are again challenging waterfowl hunters to participate in the Nebraska Duck Slam.

The slam challenges hunters to harvest a teal (blue-winged or green-winged) of either sex, as well as drakes of three other species: an American wigeon, a mallard and a northern pintail. All ducks must be harvested in Nebraska, and hunters must upload a photo of each harvest at OutdoorNebraska.org/DuckSlam.

Those who successfully complete the slam will receive an official certificate, a Nebraska Duck Slam pin, four tasty meals and Central Flyway bragging rights. Additionally, all hunters who complete the slam during the 2020-2021 season will be registered to win one of several great prizes donated by Ducks Unlimited. A drawing for the grand prize, Special Edition Ducks Unlimited Winchester SX 4 12-gauge shotgun, will take place Feb. 20, 2021, at the Ducks Unlimited State Banquet.

The Duck Slam officially opens Sept. 5, the first day of early teal season, and runs through Jan. 27, 2021. Season dates vary by species and zones.

“This challenge is designed to be fun, get people excited about heading outdoors, and building memories that last,” said Will Inselman, assistant Wildlife Division administrator.

All waterfowl hunters over the age of 16 are required to purchase a Nebraska hunting license, habitat stamp, Nebraska duck stamp, and the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp, and also need to get a free Harvest Information Program number. Register for the HIP program at OutdoorNebraska.gov/HIP or call the nearest district office between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Hunters can find detailed season dates at OutdoorNebraska.org/DuckSlam and on our Small Game and Waterfowl Guide at OutdoorNebraska.org/Guides. Hunters can view land open to public hunting in our Public Access Atlas at OutdoorNebraska.org/PublicAccessAtlas.

Upland bird opportunities await Nebraska hunters this fall

LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska is the mixed-bag capital of the Great Plains, and another fall of diverse upland bird hunting opportunities awaits hunters.

The Southwest and Panhandle regions will provide the best hunting opportunities for pheasants this season, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s Upland Game Bird Hunting Outlook.

These regions, along with the Northeast, had notable increases in counts during this year’s July Rural Mail Carrier Survey. Statewide, pheasant numbers were 5% higher compared to 2019, and good pheasant hunting opportunities can be found in other regions where suitable habitat exists. Overwinter survival was high this year for pheasants, and conditions were favorable during the primary nesting and brood-rearing seasons.

The best quail hunting opportunities this fall will be found throughout the bobwhite’s core range of southern Nebraska. Statewide, counts during the July Rural Mail Carrier Survey and Whistle Count Survey were down compared to recent years, as populations still are recovering from the severe winter weather during spring 2019. Despite lower counts, biologists are optimistic that timely rains in July and early August provided some later-season nest success not captured in the July surveys.

The Sandhills will offer the best hunting opportunities for greater prairie-chickens and sharp-tailed grouse this fall. Hunters may find good opportunities in portions of the Panhandle and Southwest regions, but where drier conditions have prevailed, prairie grouse hunting may be more challenging due to the sparse cover.

To have a successful hunt, pre-season scouting is highly recommended. Dry conditions have prevailed in many areas this fall and emergency haying and grazing of Conservation Reserve Program lands has been authorized in 33 counties as of Aug. 31. Some publicly accessible sites may be affected in certain locales.

The Outlook is based on surveys and field reports from biologists. Surveys provide a broad assessment of upland game species abundance. Regional habitat trends and weather conditions that could affect populations also are considered.

Nebraska has more than 1.2 million acres of publicly accessible lands displayed in the 2020-21 Public Access Atlas, which is available at OutdoorNebraska.org/PublicAccessAtlas. Printed copies are available at all Game and Parks offices and wherever hunting and fishing permits are sold. Additional properties open to public hunting, including tall wheat and milo stubble fields will be added to the online version of the Atlas in early October.

The hunting season for pheasant, quail and partridge is Oct. 31, 2020 – Jan. 31, 2021. The prairie grouse season is Sept. 1, 2020 – Jan. 31, 2021. Hunting permits may be purchased at OutdoorNebraska.org.

The Nebraska Upland Slam, returning for its third year, challenges hunters to harvest a pheasant, sharp-tailed grouse, greater prairie chicken and northern bobwhite in the state during a single season. Learn more at OutdoorNebraska.org/UplandSlam.

Nonresidents can get a start on preparing for their Nebraska hunts using Trip Planners, located at OutdoorNebraska.org/TripPlanners.

Health alert issued for Pawnee Lake; Willow Creek, Wagon Train remain on health alert

LINCOLN, Neb. – A health alert for harmful algal blooms, also known as toxic blue-green algae, has been issued for Pawnee Lake in Lancaster County. The same alert remains in effect at Willow Creek Reservoir in Pierce County and Wagon Train Lake in Lancaster County.

The alert has been removed at Rockford Lake in Gage County.

Visitors to Pawnee (east and west beaches), Willow Creek and Wagon Train state recreation areas should avoid full-body contact activities that could lead to swallowing water, such as swimming, wading, skiing, jet skiing, etc. Non-contact activities such as boating, fishing and camping are OK. Dog owners are urged to keep pets out of the water and not allow them to ingest lake water.

Samples taken by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy on Aug. 31 were above the health alert threshold of 8 parts per billion (ppb) of total microcystin, which is a toxin released by certain strains of blue-green algae.

This is a lower threshold than previous years, based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommendations. Previously, the state had set a limit of 20 ppb, but adopted the new limits after concluding that the new EPA threshold is based on the best scientific evidence available, and is protective of public health.

Lakes with beaches and those that allow power boating are tested weekly through the summer, and sampling results will be updated every Friday. Health alerts are lifted immediately when algal toxin levels are below 8 ppb. To view weekly data for the lakes sampled, visit deq-iis.ne.gov/zs/bw/.

Fishing is permitted at lakes that are under a health alert. Information to date indicates toxins do not accumulate significantly in fish tissue, which is the meat that most people eat.

For more information on harmful algal blooms, read this Fact Sheet.