We need to remember.......

Nebraska fishing rules and regulations apply to the lakes at Copper Dollar Cove. What we need to remember is that the lakes here are actually more like farm ponds and fishing pressure can be devastating on small bodies of water. The legal length limit for largemouth bass in Nebraska is 15 inches. In Copper Dollar Lake, that is one of the bigger fish. Fifteen inches and bigger are the ones we really need to keep in the lake to control the white perch and are the fish that can actually grow into trophies. They are also the best spawners.

There are also some nice bluegills and crappies in Copper Dollar Lake and last year we put in 600 more of them to try and replenish the population. Nebraska rules are very generous with the limits on these panfish. If we were all to keep limits on these fish in Copper Dollar, we would soon be back to square one. If you feel the need to take some bluegill or crappie for table fare, consider Copper Penny Lake. They may be a little smaller but they are more plentiful. Once again though, we need to remember that Copper Penny is smaller and we really should only keep the amount of fish we need for our meal and not feel that it is necessary to catch a total limit all the time.

The goal of the Fish & Wildlife Committee is to create two great fishing lakes for every resident to enjoy. We need the help of everyone to accomplish this task. Thanks.