GREG WAGNER
Nebraska Game and Parks
A classic case of misrepresentation keeps occurring.
Folks, especially those new to the Cornhusker State, continue to express their disbelief to me that a spring-fed trout stream exists in northeast Nebraska.
“No way,” they’ll say. “Impossible in farm country,” they’ll say. “I’ve driven through there and never seen it,” they’ll say.
These are some of the phrases people have uttered to me about the East Branch of the Verdigre Creek flowing through Grove Lake Wildlife Management Area in Antelope County.
I have always said the “Verdigre” is such a treasure that its environs and the proper quantity and quality of its water should be perpetually protected. Kudos to Nebraska Trout Unlimited, in conjunction with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, for efforts to improve stream conditions and enhance trout habitat along the creek.
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The East Branch of the Verdigre Creek is one of Nebraska’s few Class A, cold-water trout streams. It is the easternmost trout stream in Nebraska, where the ideal water temperature of 57 degrees is attained for trout to survive and thrive.
About 3-4 miles of this pristine cold-water stream support rainbow and brown trout and some 2 miles are publicly accessible through the WMA. Permission is required to enter private land along the stream.
Some 200 10- to 12-inch rainbow trout are stocked weekly year-round in the creek by fisheries biologists at the nearby Grove Trout Rearing Station, which is on and fed by the Verdigre’s East Branch. This weekly stocking supplements the creek’s naturally reproducing rainbows and browns.
The stream runs from 10 to 15 feet wide and its bottom is comprised mainly of gravel along with some sand and soft mud. It ranges in depth from a couple inches of water running clear over the gravel bars to roughly 3 feet or more of water in the pools typically with a darker bottom. Caution is advised when wading regarding the sharp depth of the pools. Aquatic vegetation like water cress is abundant this time of the year.
Anglers can expect to find trout as they work their bait, lure or fly downstream into the series of pools, riffles, runs, undercut banks, aquatic vegetation seams and fallen trees. The trout almost always are pointing upstream to ambush prey or consume food that comes to them.
The thing to remember when fishing the Verdigre is to not spook these wary fish. That means being quiet, keeping a lower profile, moving slowly and watching your shadow so it doesn’t cast across the spot where you want to fish. I tend to not wade in the creek at first, but to carefully survey the scenario from land. If you see silvery flashes in the water while wading, you most likely have disturbed the fish and they may not bite for a while.
You do not need fancy, expensive gear to fish these trout, either. A light or medium-action spinning or spincast combo with clear, 6-pound monofilament line, a larger, steel split shot, a small, No. 8 gold hook baited with a whole nightcrawler will work fine.
For catch and release, up size to a No. 6, crimp the barbs on it and go with a longer shank version. If a trout has swallowed the hook, cut the line and gently return the fish to the water immediately.
Enjoy your visit and good trout fishing!
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Publish date : 2024-08-11 02:00:00
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