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Elkhorn River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Nebraska’s sandy river: the Elkhorn runs channel catfish, smallmouth and northern pike to the Platte.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Flow
754 cfs
Air / High
93 / 94 F
Wind
SSW 7 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 06800500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Elkhorn River offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. The river is running 754 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings cloud cover, wind SSW around 7 mph, steady pressure near 1009 hPa and a high of 94. Water sits around 73 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Smallmouth bassExcellent

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

WalleyeExcellent

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

MuskellungeExcellent

Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Catfish (blue, channel)Excellent

Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

Tomorrow: Similar at 97 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Elkhorn River at Waterloo.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 06800500.

1,6343,6585,681754 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp93 F
High / Low94 / 75 F
WindSSW 7-8 mph
Pressure1008.5 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 7%
Sunrise / Sunset06:54 / 19:53
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~73 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 94/75 F, wind 11 mph, rain 7%

Fair or better. A 11 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Elkhorn River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Muskellunge illustration

Muskellunge

Best: Sep-Nov

The fish of ten thousand casts. Weed edges, rock bars and big-water structure. Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

When to come: the Elkhorn River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Smallmouth bass
Walleye
Muskellunge
Catfish (blue, channel)
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 73 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~73 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Elkhorn River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

5/5 Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 94 F, wind to 14 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 94 F, wind to 12 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 92 F, wind to 10 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Nebraska requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Nebraska license. Catfish, bass and pike limits per current Game and Parks regulations.

Access

Road crossings, public access points and wildlife areas along the river from Norfolk to Waterloo.

About this water

A 290-mile prairie river across northeastern Nebraska to the Platte near Omaha.

Fishing Elkhorn River: the full guide

A prairie river

The Elkhorn River flows about 290 miles across northeastern Nebraska to the Platte River near Omaha, a sandy, braided prairie river with sandbars, log jams and deeper bends. It holds channel and flathead catfish, smallmouth bass in the upper reaches, northern pike, walleye and, seasonally, white bass moving up from the Platte.

Catfish first

Channel catfish are the everyday fishery: abundant throughout and reliable on cut bait, prepared baits and worms fished in the holes and along the log jams. Flatheads hold the deeper structure and reach good size, taken on live bait at night in summer. Both fisheries are accessible from the bank at road crossings and public access points.

Bass, pike and the sandbars

Smallmouth bass hold the rockier upper reaches around Norfolk and upstream, taking small crankbaits and tubes. Northern pike inhabit the slower, weedier stretches and the oxbows. The braided, shifting channel means structure moves with every high water, so local knowledge ages quickly and exploration is part of the fishing.

Northeast Nebraska logistics

Access is via road crossings, public access points and wildlife areas along the river, with Norfolk, West Point and Waterloo the towns along its course. The river rises and falls quickly with rain and stays sandy and turbid. Canoe floats are possible at moderate flows, with the shifting sandbars requiring attention.

Common questions

What is the main species?

Channel catfish throughout, with flatheads in the deeper holes and smallmouth in the rockier upper reaches.

Is it floatable?

At moderate flows, yes, though shifting sandbars and log jams demand attention and local knowledge.

Does the channel change?

Constantly: it is a sandy, braided river where structure moves with every high water.

Is fishing good at Elkhorn River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Lake Wanahoo18 miBranched Oak Lake37 miLoup River76 miStorm Lake109 miLewis and Clark Lake129 miSaylorville Lake138 mi
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