Big Alkali
Fishing and stocking
Saugeye and yellow perch water, stocked 2 times in 2026, all in June; 133,003 fish reported. A 813-acre lake, and one of 4 stocked waters on the Cherry County record.
Cherry County · Nebraska · see it on the national map
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Saugeye
Yellow perch
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked today.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 4 | Saugeye | fingerling | 63,577 | completed |
| Jun 11 | Yellow perch | fingerling | 69,426 | completed |
When to fish Big Alkali
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 10:22 am-12:22 pm and 10:45 pm-12:45 am | 4:40-5:40 am and 4:52-5:52 pm |
| Tomorrow | 11:08 am-1:08 pm | 5:51-6:51 am and 5:15-6:15 pm |
Moon: waxing gibbous, 92% lit. These are solunar periods, the traditional feeding-time theory: majors around the moon's transit overhead and underfoot, minors around moonrise and moonset. Theory, not a measurement. Times are Central Time (CDT).
What the record actually says
- Last stocked Jun 11
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Nebraska fishing forecast
Gear for this water
It has been a while since the trucks came. The holdovers have spread out and wised up; downsize and fish natural.
For the walleye (saugeye stocked 1 time here in 2026, stillwater)
| Jig and minnow | 1/8 to 1/4 oz round jigs tipped live or plastic; drag the bottom slowly |
| Crawler harness | slow-trolled over flats and breaks once water warms |
| Medium spinning rod | 6.5 to 7 ft medium, 8 lb line; sensitivity beats power here |
For the panfish (yellow perch stocked 1 time here in 2026, stillwater)
| Ultralight rod and small jigs | 1/32 to 1/64 oz jigs under a float; 2 to 4 lb line |
| Live bait | waxworms, crickets, and redworms out-fish everything for bluegill |
| Small tubes and grubs | 1 to 2 inch plastics for crappie around brush |
Suggestions follow from what the state actually stocks here and what kind of water it is, nothing else. No sponsored placements.
Nearby stocked waters
The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.
| Water | Distance | Most recent |
|---|---|---|
| Watts Lake (FWS) | 5.1 mi | Sep 22 |
| Hackberry Lake (FWS) | 5.4 mi | Jul 2 |
| Minnechaduza Creek | 20 mi | Sep 21 |
| Cub Creek Lake | 38 mi | Jul 2 |
| Willow Lake (WMA) | 38 mi | Sep 1 |
Follow Cherry County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule