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Niobrara River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Nebraska’s scenic river: the Niobrara runs clear over sand through canyon country, holding catfish and smallmouth.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
668 cfs
Air / High
81 / 82 F
Wind
S 23 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 06461500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 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.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Niobrara River is in transition: bait on the move and predators following. The river is running 668 cfs, steady over the week. Today brings cloud cover, wind S around 23 mph, falling pressure near 1004 hPa and a high of 82. Water sits around 62 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 10:17 AM-12:17 PM and 10:47 PM-12:47 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

MuskellungeExcellent

This band covers the spring spawn, which in Wisconsin runs at 49-60°F; spawning muskies eat little and rarely chase lures, Wisconsin DNR says. After the spawn, and again as fall water cools, work large lures along weed edges and structure.

Smallmouth bassGood

Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

WalleyeGood

Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

In spring after ice-out, Iowa finds channel cats feeding on winter-killed shad on the shallow, warmer mudflats at the upper ends of reservoirs; cut bait on the bottom works there.

Tomorrow: Cooler at 69 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Before you go

Nebraska requires a fishing licence from age 16, from $41.00 for residents. What a Nebraska licence costs and where to buy it →

Chasing smallmouth bass here? Check the size and bag limits with NGPC before you keep anything. The season dates for Nebraska, read off the agency, are on the Nebraska seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings from Niobrara River near Sparks.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 06461500.

575616657668 cfs09/2310/0210/1210/23

Today’s flow against 81 years of October 23

At 668 cfs, the flow at USGS gauge 06461500 (Niobrara River near Sparks) is at the 49th percentile for the date: normal. In half of the 81 years of approved record the daily mean on October 23 was below 671 cfs; the highest was 1,090 cfs and the lowest 429 cfs.

p10 550median 671p90 900

Percentiles of the daily mean flow for this date, from the USGS Water Data Statistics API for gauge 06461500; today’s reading is the latest instantaneous value. Classes follow the ones the USGS used on its WaterWatch maps (retired at the end of 2025): below 10th, much below normal; 10th–24th, below; 25th–75th, normal; 76th–90th, above; over 90th, much above.

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp81 F
High / Low82 / 59 F
WindS 23-33 mph
Pressure1004.1 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain96% cloud, 5%
Sunrise / Sunset08:04 / 18:45
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (gauge)62 F USGS
Water temp (seasonal)~62 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish Niobrara River this week

Today is the pick of the week on Niobrara River, at 3 out of 5.

Best day this week: today, Oct 23 — fair at 3/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 — Fair

A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Solunar majors
10:17 AM-12:17 PM and 10:47 PM-12:47 AM
Minor period
4:41 AM-5:41 AM
Sun
08:04 to 18:45
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Overcast, 25 mph
Rain chance
5%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

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

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: spring and fall, when bigger fish come shallow

A bronze-brown black bass of clear, cool streams and rocky lakes, with dark vertical bars instead of a side stripe. Michigan DNR says its southeastern coast, from Port Huron to Lake Erie, is known nationally for both the size and the number of its smallmouth. Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: spring and late fall, around dawn, dusk and night

A cool-water perch of large lakes, reservoirs and rivers whose reflective eyes are built for low light, so it feeds most at night and in murky water. The Missouri Department of Conservation ranks it among the continent's most important freshwater game fish. Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

Muskellunge illustration

Muskellunge

Fished from late spring into late fall where seasons allow

Muskellunge are solitary, fish-eating ambush predators of the pike family, holding in weed beds and other cover in lakes and rivers of the Great Lakes, upper Mississippi and Ohio basins. This band covers the spring spawn, which in Wisconsin runs at 49-60°F; spawning muskies eat little and rarely chase lures, Wisconsin DNR says. After the spawn, and again as fall water cools, work large lures along weed edges and structure.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Year-round, best at dusk and after dark

Three big catfish share most of the country's rivers and reservoirs: the channel catfish, the most widespread; the blue catfish, the largest; and the flathead, which hunts live fish. All feed mostly on or near the bottom. In spring after ice-out, Iowa finds channel cats feeding on winter-killed shad on the shallow, warmer mudflats at the upper ends of reservoirs; cut bait on the bottom works there.

When to come: the Niobrara 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 62 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~62 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 Niobrara River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Muskellunge led the card at excellent. High of 79 F, wind to 16 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Muskellunge led the card at excellent. High of 73 F, wind to 10 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

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 74 F, wind to 14 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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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 trout limits per current Game and Parks regulations; some tributaries have specific rules.

Access

National Park Service and refuge access near Valentine; numerous outfitter put-ins along the scenic reach.

About this water

A 535-mile river across northern Nebraska with 76 miles designated National Scenic River near Valentine, Cherry County.

Fishing Niobrara River: the full guide

A national scenic river

The Niobrara River flows 535 miles across northern Nebraska, with 76 miles designated as a National Scenic River through the Sandhills canyon country near Valentine. Spring-fed, clear and shallow over sand and gravel, it is better known for tubing and canoeing than fishing, but it holds channel catfish, smallmouth bass, rock bass and, in places, trout in the cold spring-fed tributaries.

Fishing a shallow river

The river is wadeable through most of its scenic reach: work the deeper holes, undercut banks and the mouths of spring-fed tributaries with small jigs, spinners and live bait. Channel catfish hold the deeper bends. Smallmouth and rock bass work the faster gravel water. It is light-tackle fishing in genuinely spectacular scenery.

Trout in the tributaries

Several spring-fed tributaries feeding the Niobrara run cold enough for trout, and Nebraska stocks some of them: small water, careful approaches and a real surprise in a state better known for reservoir walleye. The Snake River and other feeders offer their own fishing, and the Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge protects a stretch of the corridor.

Valentine logistics

Access is via the National Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Service areas near Valentine, plus numerous outfitters serving the tubing and canoe trade. Summer weekends bring heavy float traffic to the scenic stretch: fish early, fish weekdays, or fish outside the designated float reach. Valentine provides supplies and lodging.

Common questions

Is it good fishing or just scenery?

Both, modestly: catfish, smallmouth and rock bass in spectacular canyon country, with trout in some spring-fed tributaries.

How busy is the float traffic?

Heavy on summer weekends in the scenic reach: fish early, on weekdays, or outside the popular float sections.

Can I wade it?

Yes: the river is shallow over sand and gravel through most of the scenic stretch, ideal for wading with light tackle.

Is fishing good at Niobrara River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Merritt Reservoir36 miLake Francis Case73 miCalamus Reservoir88 miLake Sharpe95 miLake Oahe110 miSherman Reservoir127 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 06461500 — Niobrara River near Sparks
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-10-23 at 18:45 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 42.8700, -100.2500 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written guide was drafted with AI assistance. Unlike our newer pages, it does not yet list the official pages its facts were checked against: that audit is under way, and anything it cannot verify will be taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.