Blue Lake (FWS-NWR)
Fishing and stocking
Walleye, yellow perch, and gizzard shad water, stocked 3 times in 2026, spread March to June; 15,100 fish reported. A 288-acre lake.
Garden 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
Yellow perch
Walleye
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked today.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31 | Yellow perch | fingerling | 2,000 | completed |
| May 4 | Gizzard shad (forage) | catchable | 100 | completed |
| Jun 3 | Walleye | fingerling | 13,000 | completed |
When to fish Blue Lake (FWS-NWR)
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:30-11:30 am and 9:52-11:52 pm | 3:48-4:48 am and 4:00-5:00 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:16 am-12:16 pm and 10:40 pm-12:40 am | 4:57-5:57 am and 4:23-5:23 pm |
Moon: waxing gibbous, 93% 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 Mountain Time (MDT).
What the record actually says
- Last stocked Jun 3
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 panfish (yellow perch stocked 1 time here in 2026, stillwater)
| Small tubes and grubs | 1 to 2 inch plastics for crappie around brush |
| Long telescoping pole | reach the pockets without spooking the school |
| Ultralight rod and small jigs | 1/32 to 1/64 oz jigs under a float; 2 to 4 lb line |
For the walleye (walleye stocked 1 time here in 2026, stillwater)
| Medium spinning rod | 6.5 to 7 ft medium, 8 lb line; sensitivity beats power here |
| Jigging raps and blade baits | vertical over deep structure in the cold months |
| Jig and minnow | 1/8 to 1/4 oz round jigs tipped live or plastic; drag the bottom slowly |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Island Lake (FWS) | 2.7 mi | Jun 3 |
| Frye Lake | 42 mi | Sep 17 |
| Lake McConaughy | 45 mi | Jun 15 |
| Goldeneye Pond | 49 mi | Aug 19 |
| Box Butte Reservoir (BOR) | 62 mi | Aug 18 |
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