By Daryl Bauer, Fisheries Outreach Program Manager
I have long touted the diversity of Nebraska! We truly are a place where “east” meets “west” and “north” meets “south”. Our state has a marvelous diversity of geography, climate and habitats from one corner to the other. That results in a diversity of plants, fish and wildlife.
Believe one of the fun and challenging things an angler can do in Nebraska is take advantage of the diversity of fish available to be caught. Sure, we all have our favorite species that we pursue, but it is just plain fun to have a fish on the end of the line, and also rewarding to seek and catch different species. By the way, that is a great strategy to stay on top of hot bites throughout the year. There are different peaks in activity for different species and by being versatile an angler can stay on top of good fishing through all twelve months.
If that is not enough reason, I have another challenge to tell you about. Fellow Nebraska angler John Vrtiska has organized this:
Nebraska Fish BioBlitz
This September, help us document the incredible biodiversity of Nebraska, by focusing on a fin-tastic group of animals: Fish! From small stream fish like the Orangethroat Darter and Central Stoneroller, to larger game fish like the Walleye and Channel Catfish, every observation matters. This project is perfect for anglers, naturalists, and anyone curious about the fish species found in Nebraska’s rivers, lakes, and streams.
What is a BioBlitz?
A BioBlitz is a communal effort to record as many species as possible, within a designated location and time period.
How to Participate
This is a virtual event, so you can participate from anywhere in Nebraska! Simply take photos of fish you see and upload them to iNaturalist. The project will automatically collect any fish observation made within Nebraska during September.
- When: September 2025
- Where: Anywhere in Nebraska!
- What to do:
- Join the “Nebraska Fish BioBlitz” project on iNaturalist.
- Capture photos of fish you observe, whether you’re fishing, netting, or simply spotting them from a dock.
- Upload your observations to iNaturalist with accurate dates and locations.
- Identify observations and help others with their identifications.
Follow this link to join the BioBlitz Project:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/nebraska-fish-bioblitz
A big thank you to the Nebraska Fish and Game Association, and Daryl with the Barbs and Backlashes blog, for helping share this event! You can learn more about NEFGA at: www.nefga.org.
Thank you, John!
Hope you get involved and have fun with this! You never know what you might catch; what you might learn!