RIVER/CREEK FISHING ACCESS POINTS NEAR OMAHA-METRO

June 8, 2012 In The Wild No Comments

While in the process of assisting NEBRASKAland Magazine’s Jeff Kurrus critique and compile the new, super-informative, awesome-looking “Fishing the Metro” special section coming in the magazine’s July issue, I was reminded that we in the Omaha-metro and surrounding area have some out-of-the-way, quiet fishing access points to rivers and creeks that seem to be overlooked for fishing. I am passing these along to you because right now we are in the midst of an excellent pre-spawn catfish bite for channels, flatheads and blues in Nebraska waters. Daryl Bauer of our Game and Parks Fisheries Division verifies this! Here’s the info for you.

- Catfish Run Wildlife Management Area (Access point to Salt Creek located 2.5 miles east of Ashland off of Highway 6). Use caution on the steep banks. This slow-moving tributary of the Platte River can be turbid but generally offers good fishing for channel catfish, carp, shovelnose sturgeon and gar using live bait. Spring and fall are the best times to fish Catfish Run. The area is pictured below (photo courtesy of Katie Stacey/Game and Parks).

- Schramm Park SRA Platte River Access (6 miles south of I-80 Exit #432 on Highway 31). About a 1/2 half mile of river access is available. Need a state park entry permit. Anglers use game trails to get to the river. On the east end of the area a small parking lot is available to anglers allowing for a short walk to the river where the main channel is present. The current is very swift and deep, so please exercise caution. This area is quite popular with the catfishing crowd to catch channel, flathead and blue catfish. Other river species can also be found in good number along this stretch of the Platte.

- Highway 50 Platte River Access (Located on the northwest side of the Highway 50 Bridge near Louisville). Normally, a lot of river debris collects here, so be careful and watch where you step. However, the access offers fair to good fishing for river species such as channel catfish, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, carp and shovelnose sturgeon. A concrete boat ramp is available at this access as well.

- Other river access points to consider fishing: Louisville Lakes SRA (Louisville) – Platte River, Two Rivers SRA (Waterloo) – Platte River, Platte River Landing (Valley) - Platte River, Graske Crossing (Elkhorn) – Elkhorn River, Waterloo Access (Waterloo) – Elkhorn River, Part(s) of N.P. Dodge Park (Omaha) – Missouri River. PLEASE NOTE: THE ELKHORN (RIVER) CROSSING RECREATION AREA NEAR BENNINGTON IS CURRENTLY CLOSED FOR REPAIR AND HAWORTH PARK NEAR BELLEVUE IS PRESENTLY CLOSED TO THE MISSOURI RIVER BECAUSE OF FLOOD DAMAGE FROM LAST YEAR. You can get more on river/creek access points throughout the state by going here:

http://outdoornebraska.ne.gov/fishing.asp