Nebraskaland Magazine
June 10th, 2013 – Colby Johnson, Park Superintendent
Superintendent’s Note:
Memorial Day is behind us here at the park and we are looking forward to a great summer. All facilities are open with visitation going up every weekend as the water and air temperatures begin to rise. Water levels have been steady for the last few weeks but we expect the summer drawdown to begin in the coming weeks.
Our boat ramps with NGPC docks are listed below. We have implemented two-dock systems at Martin Bay and Diver’s Bay to help accommodate heavy summer traffic on the low water boat ramps. Please be patient at these areas as they will receive heavy use throughout the season.
Our staff has been working diligently to keep all facilities clean and operational for visitor use. We have shifted from completing major projects to operational maintenance for the summer season. The spring rain has helped plant life around the park but we are still cleaning up material that didn’t survive last summer’s terrible drought. We are hoping to get some new plant material inserted around the park this fall when the temperatures are more apt for growth.
There are Piping Plover and Least Tern nests located throughout the park and we want to remind visitors to avoid these areas and follow all posted guidelines. We are asking all visitors to please keep any pets on a leash at all times while using the park.
We are having a serious problem with people depositing household trash and garbage into our grass clipping/lawn debris dumps located around the park. We have had mattresses, bags of trash, refrigerators and microwaves left for us to clean out of the piles. If this does not stop immediately, we will be forced to close the dumps for public use.
I am still looking for seasonal staff for housekeeping and kiosk crews. We will be hiring throughout the summer season when positions open. If you are interested, I encourage you to contact the Visitor’s Center for more information.
Docks:
Usable concrete ramps with NGPC docks can be found at Diver’s Bay, Martin Bay (low water), Lemoyne (lakeside) and Cedar Vue (lakeside). Visitors can also put in on the beach at Lakeview and North Shore Lodge.
Visitor Center Hours:
The Lake McConaughy Visitor’s and Water Interpretive Center is now open 7 days per week from 8:00am to 5:00pm. We will have extended hours on Fridays and Saturdays (8:00 am to 8:00 pm). There is no fee to enter the Visitor’s and Water Interpretive Center.
Fishing Report: Courtesy of NGPC Fisheries Division
Lake McConaughy
Surface water temperature at the dam is 55° F. Strong winds and frequent thunderstorms have slowed the bite in the past week. Boat anglers are focusing primarily on a daytime bite at the Arthur Bay, Lemoyne and Kelly Bay areas. Walleye have been taken drifting ‘crawler rigs’ or ‘Lindy’ rigs in shallow water areas. Other anglers are casting jigs or live bait into 4-7 foot shallow water. A few 26-31 inch northern pike have been caught along with the occasional white bass, wiper or smallmouth bass. Night activity along the dam casting or trolling crankbaits for wipers has improved recently. The statewide daily bag limit for walleye is 4 fish with minimum size limit of 15 inches and no more than one fish over 22 inches. No more than one fish over 16 inches is allowed for white bass, wiper or striped bass.
Channel catfish success on the west-half of the reservoir has been good, with better catches coming from the river. Anglers were having the best success using shad entrails, cut-bait or frozen shrimp.
Anglers and boaters also need to be aware of a new regulation that requires every vessel to drain all water from compartments, equipment or containers before leaving the launch area.
Lake Ogallala
Surface water temperature is 56° F. Rainbow trout fishing success has been fair for both boat and bank anglers. Fish size ranges from 10-17 inches with some occasional larger fish up to 20 inches. Boat anglers are trolling or casting spinners or spoons. Bank anglers are using worms, salmon eggs, dough baits or casting spinners, spoons or jigs. Fly fishermen have been doing well with bead head nymph patterns or streamers. An occasional white bass has been taken by bank anglers using crankbaits. Anglers are reminded the daily bag limit in Lake Ogallala is 5 trout with no more than one over 16 inches.
Connect with us Online
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Don’t forget to take advantage of the tremendous amount of information available on the Game & Parks website at www.OutdoorNebraska.gov
For online Outdoor Reports from all over the state, visit www.outdoornebraska.gov/outdoorreports
For more information about the Lake and its vendors, check out http://www.ilovelakemac.com
Lake McConaughy SRA – 1475 Hwy 61 N- Ogallala, NE 69153- Office: (308) 284-8800
Email: Ngpc.lake.mcconaughy@nebraska.gov
