Harlan County Lake is a reservoir in Nebraska, near Harlan County.
Harlan County Lake is a reservoir in Nebraska with 13,689.6 acres, a recorded maximum depth of 45 feet and about 342,560 acre-feet of storage.
The Republican River feeds this broad reservoir, and moving water can pull fish toward creek arms and channel bends.
Because Harlan County Lake reaches 45 feet, check several depths instead of dropping straight to the deepest water.
For the reservoir, begin near the old river channel, then check shallow cover if rising or stained water pushes fish toward the bank.
Fish listed for the reservoir include Black Crappie, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Flathead Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye, White Bass, White Crappie, and Wiper.
For largemouth bass at Harlan County Lake, try a plastic worm, jig or spinnerbait around weeds, wood and quiet points.
For black crappie at Harlan County Lake, try a small jig or minnow beside brush, weed edges and drop-offs; for white crappie at the reservoir, try a small jig or minnow around wood, creek channels and open-water schools.
For walleye at Harlan County Lake, try a jig and minnow, crawler rig or crankbait on points, flats and channel edges; for white bass at the reservoir, try a small spoon, jig or shad-colored crankbait where baitfish bunch up. For wiper at Harlan County Lake, try a shad-colored swimbait, spoon or crankbait cast to fast-moving schools.
For northern pike at Harlan County Lake, try a spoon, spinnerbait or jerkbait beside weeds and shallow cover.
For channel catfish at Harlan County Lake, try cut bait, a nightcrawler or prepared bait on flats and channel edges; for flathead catfish at the reservoir, try live bait or fresh cut bait near wood, rocks and deep channel bends. For common carp at Harlan County Lake, try corn, dough bait or a worm on a simple bottom rig.
As Harlan County Lake warms in spring, check shallow cover and the first drop leading away from it. By summer, use shade, wind and baitfish to choose a depth on Harlan County Lake; the deepest hole is not an automatic answer. In fall, follow cooling water and moving bait toward points, green weeds and wind-hit banks at Harlan County Lake.
On the first pass at Harlan County 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 Harlan County 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 Harlan County Lake: water color, wind direction, useful depth and the cover that produced. Those details from Harlan County 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 Harlan County Lake; add a heavier outfit only when the listed fish or thick cover calls for it.
Compare a wind-hit point with a protected creek side on Harlan County Lake, and let clearer water or visible bait decide the next move.
A good first choice on Harlan County Lake is a spoon or spinner; change its depth before replacing everything in the box.
No. The number for Harlan County Lake only marks its deepest recorded spot; fish may be much shallower near food, cover or comfortable water.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.
Source dates describe the evidence, not a live catch forecast. Check the managing authority before planning access or keeping fish.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.