Big Alkali Lake is a lake in Nebraska, near Cherry County.
Big Alkali Lake is a lake in Cherry County, Nebraska with 842 acres and about 15,565.7 acre-feet of storage.
Big Alkali is a natural Sandhills lake with shallow water and broad weed growth rather than a sharp reservoir channel.
At Big Alkali Lake, begin with weed edges, firm-bottom spots and any small change in depth.
For the lake, work the outside weed edge with a jig, spinner or shallow crankbait and keep moving until bites show a useful stretch.
Fish listed for the lake include Black Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Saugeye, Walleye, White Crappie, and Yellow Perch.
For largemouth bass at Big Alkali Lake, try a plastic worm, jig or spinnerbait around weeds, wood and quiet points.
For black crappie at Big Alkali Lake, try a small jig or minnow beside brush, weed edges and drop-offs; for white crappie at the lake, try a small jig or minnow around wood, creek channels and open-water schools. For bluegill at Big Alkali Lake, try a worm, tiny jig or cricket near weeds and shallow cover; for yellow perch at the lake, try a small jig, minnow or worm close to bottom near weeds or a drop.
For walleye at Big Alkali Lake, try a jig and minnow, crawler rig or crankbait on points, flats and channel edges; for saugeye at the lake, try a jig, crankbait or crawler rig along rocky points and the old creek channel.
For northern pike at Big Alkali Lake, try a spoon, spinnerbait or jerkbait beside weeds and shallow cover.
For channel catfish at Big Alkali Lake, try cut bait, a nightcrawler or prepared bait on flats and channel edges; for common carp at the lake, try corn, dough bait or a worm on a simple bottom rig.
Spring on Big Alkali Lake usually starts near the warmest protected bank, shallow wood or the first green weeds. Summer fishing on Big Alkali Lake is often best along healthy weeds, clean pockets and the windblown side before the water gets too dirty. In fall, follow cooling water and moving bait toward points, green weeds and wind-hit banks at Big Alkali Lake.
On the first pass at Big Alkali Lake, use one moving bait to find active fish and one slower bait to work the best-looking cover, changing depth before replacing everything in the box.
Wind can help on Big Alkali Lake by pushing food toward a bank or point, but hard wind can muddy shallow water; compare the windy side with one protected area before settling in.
Keep a short note after fishing Big Alkali Lake: water color, wind direction, useful depth and the cover that produced. Those details from Big Alkali Lake make the next trip easier to plan.
A medium spinning rod with 8- to 12-pound line covers jigs, small crankbaits and many bait rigs on Big Alkali Lake; add a heavier outfit only when the listed fish or thick cover calls for it.
Compare the windy weed edge with a protected bank on Big Alkali Lake, then stay with the side that has cleaner water and signs of bait.
A good first choice on Big Alkali Lake is a jig or minnow; change its depth before replacing everything in the box.
Pick one section of Big Alkali Lake and test shallow cover, a nearby drop and open water before making a long move.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.