Disclaimer: Always check local fishing regulations, water access rights and land ownership before fishing, regardless of any catches logged in that area by the Fishbrain community. Fishbrain has mapped millions of acres of government-owned land across the USA to help you identify potential fishing access, but you are responsible for ensuring compliance with all legal requirements.
Fishing regulations in Nebraska can change throughout the year. Make sure to check this page before fishing for the most up to date rules and regulations for the current season. Local regulations govern when you can fish, the max size of the fish you can keep, how many fish you can keep, and more.
Below you will see fishing regulations for catching Channel catfish as of April 1st, 2026. To view regulations for a different fish species, please click on your preferred species in the drop-down.
Channel catfish
Seasons
Open
Bag limit
5
Special gear
No length limit. Possession limit = 20 channel catfish.
Exceptions:
Flowing Water (rivers, streams and canals): bag limit = 10 channel catfish
Box Butte Reservoir: one 30-inches or longer
Calamus Reservoir: one 30-inches or longer
Fort Kearny SRA No. 2: catch and release only
Gallagher Canyon Reservoir: bag limit = 10 channel catfish
Jeffrey Reservoir: bag limit = 10 channel catfish
Johnson Lake: bag limit = 10 channel catfish
Lake Babcock: bag limit = 10 channel catfish
Lake Maloney: bag limit = 10 channel catfish
Lake North: bag limit = 10 channel catfish
Lewis and Clark Lake: bag limit = 10 channel catfish
Merritt Reservoir: one 30-inches or longer
Midway Canyon Reservoir: bag limit = 10 channel catfish
North Platte River west of Hwy. 26 bridge: bag limit = 10 channel catfish
Phillips Canyon Reservoir: bag limit = 10 channel catfish
Plum Creek Canyon Reservoir: bag limit = 10 channel catfish
Republican River upstream of Hwy. 89 bridge west of Orleans: bag limit = 10 channel catfish
Sutherland Reservoir: bag limit = 10 channel catfish
Two Rivers SRA Nos. 3 and 4: catch and release only
the Missouri River (NE) is a stream located in Washington County, Nebraska, United States. It is also intersecting with Fremont County, Iowa, Atchison County, Missouri, and Burt County, Nebraska. Its coordinates are:
41°30′19.6″N 96°01′38″W
.
Find the best fishing spots on the Missouri River (NE) by looking at where other anglers have caught fish. This can easily be done in the where it is also possible to see big fish potential and how good fishing is right now along with Garmin® depth maps.
The most common species in the Missouri River (NE) are:
Channel catfish - 88 members reported to have caught this fish
Common carp - 47 members reported to have caught this fish
Freshwater drum - 52 members reported to have caught this fish
The latest Missouri River (NE) fishing reports are: