Harlan County Lake fishing: Striped Bass, Flathead Catfish, Spotted Bass
Target species: Striped Bass, Flathead Catfish, Spotted Bass, White Bass, White Crappie
Boat: 9 ramps and launches on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Harlan - Alma boat ramp, 2 lanes.
The reservoir
Harlan County Lake covers 12,775 acres in Nebraska, across Harlan County. It is a reservoir: 93.6% of it is 42 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is at least 45 feet (13.7 m); at the dam, USGS RESSED gives 98.5 feet (30 m) at full pool. Our records hold 7 species for this water.
5 target fish, led by Striped Bass
- Striped Bass — Feeding water: 60–75°F.
- Flathead Catfish — Feeding water: 70–85°F.
- Spotted Bass — Feeding water: 65–80°F.
- White Bass — Feeding water: 65–75°F.
- White Crappie — Feeding water: 65–75°F.
Also recorded here: Common Carp, Western Mosquitofish.
Depth and bottom
Deepest measured point: at least 45 ft (13.7 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. USGS RESSED gives 98.5 ft (30 m) at the dam at full pool: a measured figure, not a survey map. 93.6% of the water is 42 feet or shallower. We hold 85 depth contour lines for this water.
- 0–3 ft: 8.6% of the water
- 3–6 ft: 5.7% of the water
- 6–9 ft: 6.9% of the water
- 9–12 ft: 7.4% of the water
- 12–15 ft: 7.5% of the water
- 15–18 ft: 9% of the water
- 18–21 ft: 6.9% of the water
- 21–24 ft: 4.6% of the water
- 24–27 ft: 4.9% of the water
- 27–30 ft: 5.2% of the water
- 30–33 ft: 5% of the water
- 33–36 ft: 10% of the water
- 36–39 ft: 4.3% of the water
- 39–42 ft: 7.6% of the water
- 42–45 ft: 6.3% of the water
Water and conditions
Water clarity runs 2.2–5.9 feet on our readings, averaging 3.7 feet, from 39 readings. Our water temperature readings average 74°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. pH averages 8.5. These readings span 2017–2024.
9 ramps and launches on this water
On this water we hold 8 trailer ramps and 1 boat ramp.
- Patterson Harbor — 2 lanes, lit for night fishing. Republican City, USACE. 12121 Road 3, Republican City 68971 · website pattersonharbor.com
- Harlan - Alma boat ramp — 2 lanes, lit for night fishing. On Harlan County Reservoir (COE), USACE.
- Harlan - Cedar Point ramp — 2 lanes, restrooms. USACE.
- Harlan - Gremlin Cove — 2 lanes, lit for night fishing, restrooms. USACE.
- Hunter Cove - main ramp — 2 lanes, lit for night fishing, restrooms. USFWS.
- Methodist Cove — 2 lanes, lit for night fishing, restrooms. USACE.
- Patterson Harbor - sand ramp — 2 lanes, lit for night fishing. USACE.
- Hunter Cove - low water ramp — 1 lane, lit for night fishing. USACE.
- North Shore Marina — Republican City. 70738 Lakeview, Republican City 68971 · phone +1-308-799-2315 · website harlanlake.com
Fee and opening hours are blank for all 9 places in this list: a blank means we hold no such field, not that it is free or always open, and this list may not be complete.
What is hard here
Wind is the limit, not the fish: 12,775 acres of open water build a short steep chop, and there is no shelter in the middle.
Where this data comes from
- Nebraska Game and Parks — Nebraska Game and Parks: depth contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.
- USGS RESSED — USGS RESSED reservoir sedimentation database: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.
- USACE CWMS — USACE CWMS elevation-area curves: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.
- EPA NLA — EPA National Lakes Assessment: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.
- Webster, K.E., McCullough, I.M., Soranno, P.A. LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0, EDI, doi:10.6073/pasta/64ddc4d04661d9aef4bd702dc5d8984f (CC BY 4.0); Cheruvelil et al. LAGOS-US LOCUS v1.0 (EDI) — LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0: Lake depth for 17,675 lakes in the conterminous U.S.: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.
