05/19/2026
OUTDOOR REPORT
(thanks to Patrick Schnell of NE Game and Parks)
(📸: thanks to Lane Anderson)
🎣 Walleye are being caught in 12-25 foot of water, along with a good white bass and wiper bite on the north shoreline while the wind is blowing into the north bays. Catfish are being caught on the west end where the river meets the lake along as well as the face of the dam.
🎣 Small mouth bass of good size can be caught on the rocky points of the south side of the lake. It's their spawning season and they are protective of their nests. So it would be good practice to catch and release so they can return to the nest to protect the eggs from other predators.
🚤 DOCKS:
Martin Bay low water (near the base of the dam)
Divers bay/Burma Road
Lake Ogallala (Both)
💧 Elevation is 3,228.6 ft or 848,200ac-ft (48.7% capacity) (An acre foot is one acre with a foot of water on it, this translates to about one football field with a foot of water on it.)
Inflow to Lake McConaughy this week = 170 cubic feet per second.
Outflow from Lake McConaughy = 1650 cubic feet per second.
For a daily update visit https://www.cnppid.com/lake-river-data/
🗓️ RESERVATION INFO:
Reservations season is here, so remember to go online at https://outdoornebraska.gov/ and click reservations on the top right corner of the screen, or call the Reservations hot line at 1-844-637-2757 from 8-5 Monday to Friday and 8-4 Saturday and Sunday.
⛺️Reservations for beach camping may be made 30 days in advance and reservations for modern camp grounds with electricity can be made 180 days in advance.
⛺⛺⛺As of today (May 19), there are 32 basic, 908 primitive beach sites, 26 electric and 2 full service sites available at Lake Mac. At Lake Ogallala, there are 81 basic sites available.
🎣 EVENTS:
May 30: Nebraska Bass Nation Tournament
May 31: Flippin Bass Club Tournament
June 6: Silted Water Bass
June 13: Colorado Bass, Denver Bass, & Terry McCormick Memorial Tournament
June 20: Jr Fishing Tournament - Youth Outdoors Nebraska