Box Butte Reservoir and private waters
The rule for this water, with the receipt.
Special regulations for Box Butte Reservoir and private waters, as the state words them
Dawes County · Lake · NE
Today's rule hereParsed
- Season
- Hook-and-line fishing is allowed year-round throughout the stateStatewide
- Gear
- Not captured yet - consult the statewide regulations
- Bait
- Not captured yet - consult the statewide regulations
- Poles
- Not captured yet - consult the statewide regulations
| Species | Daily limit | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|
baitfish, listed amphibians | 100 | - | Statewide |
crayfish | no daily possession limit | - | Statewide |
baitfish and/or listed amphibians | 100 | - | Statewide |
black bass Varies by water: no minimum length limit for smallmouth bass and only one smallmouth bass may be 15 inches or longer, limit 5 black bass species (Nebraska Public Power District Canal from Sutherland Reservoir outlet to the confluence with South Platte River, including Lake Maloney) | one-over: no more than one black bass 21 inches or longer each day from any waters | - | Statewide |
Striped Bass, White Bass and Wiper | one-over: daily bag limit may include one fish 18 inches or longer | - | Statewide |
Paddlefish | See size | min. All paddlefish between 35 and 45 inches long (measured along the centerline of the fish, lying flat, from the front margin of the eye to the natural fork of the tail), must be returned to the water immediately. | Statewide |
Northern Pike Possession limit: 10. New for 2025: Smith Lake WMA added to the lakes that have a daily bag limit of 10 pike, of which only three may be over 22 inches and only one of these may be over 34 inches. | 10 | min. No minimum; Only three can be over 22 inches and only one of those can be over 34 inches | This water |
The official text, verbatimOfficial text
Straight from NE's official regulations. Rules in force today lead; out-of-season rows are dimmed. Nothing is paraphrased. Not legal advice: verify the posted rules at the water.
- game fishstarts June 1 through Dec. 31, sunrise to sunset (dates as written)Bag, possession and length limits are the same as for hook and line.
- Northern PikeDaily limit 10Size No minimum; Only three can be over 22 inches and only one of those can be over 34 inchesPossession limit: 10. New for 2025: Smith Lake WMA added to the lakes that have a daily bag limit of 10 pike, of which only three may be over 22 inches and only one of these may be over 34 inches.
How this answer was assembled
- StatewideStatewide lake rules are the base layer: default season, gear, bait, and limits.
- This waterSpecial rules written for this exact water replace the statewide defaults where they speak.
- Emergency orderEmergency orders in effect today override everything else. They sync quietly when the phone has coverage and never lock you out of the app.
Where this rule applies
This water is not yet drawn on the map. Its rules are captured and receipted; the geometry ledger records exactly why it is not drawn (an ambiguous name match or a gap in the source data), and it will never ship as a guess. Each rule above describes in the state's own words where it applies, and those written descriptions are the authoritative boundaries.
What are you fishing for here?Advice
Pick from the species named in Box Butte Reservoir and private waters's rules. Setups are checked against the gear rules in force today, and your picks are remembered on this device only. These are rule-aware suggestions, not a claim about what is biting; advice, not law, and the rules above govern.
Receipts
Local services near Box Butte Reservoir and private waters
Tackle shops, guides, and boat launches that serve this water will appear here - a separate lane below the rules, so a local business can reach you without ever getting between you and the regulation.
Run a shop or guide service on Box Butte Reservoir and private waters? Get listed.