Fishing Lake Wanahoo

AKA: Wanahoo Reservoir

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Lake Wanahoo Fishing Video
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Lake Wanahoo, NE

Popular Fish Species Lake Wanahoo, NE

Lake Wanahoo Popular Fish - Black Crappie

Black Crappie Fishing

Even though the floods of 2019 decimated the fish population, Lake Wanahoo still holds a decent population of black crappie, and they are getting better each year. Crappie fishing is easy and requires simple, basic gear. Any fishing pole, reasonably small line and crappie jigs or small hooks baited with live bait, creates the ideal setup. Add a bobber and you can set the depth you prefer the bait to maintain. White crappie, in smaller numbers, also make this lake their home. The best time to catch crappie tends to be at dawn and dusk. Live bait and small jigs are the most common method for crappie here. When the lake freezes over, ice fishing is often a great way to catch a nice bunch of slabs. Because crappie always like cover and structure, so locate brush and vegetation. Using a fish finder can help locate schools of crappie, which tend to stack vertically around cover. In spring and fall focus on the 8 to 12 foot range. As the crappie move deep in summer and winter, follow points out deep, as well as find ledges near channels in deeper water.

Walleye Fishing

Thanks to good fisheries management by Nebraska Game & Parks Commission, a good population of walleye are thriving in the waters of Lake Wanahoo despite the floods of 2019. May and June tend to be the best time for weekend anglers to catch them. During this time they tend to move shallower and closer to shore. Other times of the year they are more likely to roam around in deeper water. As always, stay around schools of baitfish. They are eager to feed throughout the lake, but tend to concentrate around structure on points, flats and ledges off the river channels. A proven method for catching walleye here is trolling with spinners tipped with live bait, or trolling with long-billed, deep diving crankbaits. However casting live bait, jigs, worms and spoons also works well at times. When the lake freezes over in winter, ice fishing for walleye can be very productive. Use GPS to locate spots you normally fish during other times of the year.

Lake Wanahoo Popular Fish - Northern Pike

Northern Pike Fishing

Thriving in the cool waters of Lake Wanahoo, northern pike are a very popular target for local anglers. This year they are being caught in good quantity and some mighty big sizes. April and May are the best months of the year for northern pike fishing here. Summer is spotty but pike can be caught all summer long. Fall can also be good sometimes stretching into October. Large, flashy lures that mimic the bait they prey upon are great lures for northerns. Effective lures include spoons, spinners, and crankbaits, particularly those with bright colors or metallic finishes to attract the pike's attention. Additionally, big flies, soft plastic swimbaits and jerkbaits can be successful, especially when retrieved erratically to mimic wounded prey. Trolling along weed edges can often entice strikes. When the lake has safe ice in winter, ice fishing for northern pike can be quite thrilling. Use GPS to locate spots you normally find northern pike holding during summer. Portable fish finders can be a big help.

Lake Wanahoo Fishing Video

Fish species to fish for...

Guide to fishing for largemouth bass, blue catfish, black crappie, white crappie, walleye, bluegill and northern pike at Lake Wanahoo in Nebraska.

Lake Wanahoo, located near Wahoo, Nebraska, is a great destination for fishing enthusiasts. Spanning over 700 acres, this scenic lake offers excellent fishing opportunities. The lake is home to walleye, catfish, bass, crappie, sunfish and northern pike. Northern pike are catch-and-release only. The lake has plenty of cover with brush, trees and rocky shorelines for fish to use as cover. Numerous fishing jetties, two of which are handicap accessible, provide anglers additional options for fishing from shore. Also, much of the shoreline is accessible via roads and walkways.

Primary fish species residing in Lake Wanahoo

Click images for fishing tips and details about each species.

Lake Wanahoo Amenities

Marina: NO
Boat Rental: NO
Boat Launch Ramp: YES
Campgrounds: YES
RV Hookups: YES
Lodging: NEARBY
Convenience Store: NEARBY
Bait & Tackle: NO
Restaurant: NO

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