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North Fork Elkhorn River is a public river in Pierce County, Knox County and Madison County, Nebraska, managed by State of Nebraska (public / meandered water). You can fish it on a Nebraska fishing licence; bank access is at bridge crossings, NGPC access points and public parks. Nebraska riverbeds are private property up to the ordinary high-water mark except on a few federally-declared-navigable reaches, so wading or bank fishing away from a public access point needs the landowner's permission. Public access confirmed via public-trust river.
An eastern or central-Nebraska river (Elkhorn, Loup, North/South/Middle Loup, Cedar, Wood) — channel and flathead catfish, largemouth bass, walleye, carp and drum. The Loup system feeds the Sandhills' famously clear, spring-fed base flow.
It runs roughly 75 miles through the Northeast Nebraska region. Anglers here mostly fish for channel catfish, flathead catfish, largemouth bass, walleye; common carp, freshwater drum are also on record. Live flow and gauge height come from the North Fork Elkhorn River near Pierce, Nebr. USGS station shown below. The nearest other mapped waters on PiscaMaps are Willow Creek Lake and Yankton Slough.
Species from PiscaMaps water-type profiles, NGPC trout designations and hand research.
Night fishing: No statewide night-fishing closure in Nebraska. Snagging, gigging, bowfishing and trotlines/setlines for carp, gar, buffalo and catfish are legal on most waters with their own gear-tagging rules and seasons; some state recreation areas post gate hours after dark.
Boats: Most Nebraska rivers are waded or floated by canoe, kayak and jon boat over wide, shallow, braided sandy channels (the Platte is famously an inch deep and a mile wide in places); the Missouri and the lower Platte take full-size boats.
Bank & bivvy camping: Nebraska treats a river as public only where it was legally 'meandered' (surveyed as navigable) at statehood — the Missouri, the Platte and a handful of others qualify; most Sandhills and tributary streams have privately-owned beds. You can float a meandered river freely, but wading or bank access away from a bridge right-of-way, NGPC recreation area or public park generally needs the landowner's permission.
Tackle: Statewide largemouth/smallmouth bass daily limit is usually 5 (a 15-inch minimum on many reservoirs); walleye/sauger/saugeye 4 in combination (some waters carry a slot or minimum length); wiper/white bass generous; channel/blue/flathead catfish generous; crappie combined limit varies by water. Check the current NGPC fishing guide for this water.
Camping: 1 site mapped nearby — Off Road Ranch.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors.
Loading live flow & gauge height…
Live from USGS gauge 06799100 — North Fork Elkhorn River near Pierce, Nebr.. Full gauge data →
Anyone 16 or older needs a Nebraska fishing permit — the resident annual is about $34, the non-resident annual about $95, with non-resident 1-day (~$13) and 3-day licences also sold. A separate trout stamp (~$18) is required in addition to the fishing permit to fish for or keep trout at designated NGPC trout waters. Nebraska residents born before 1 January 1937 need no permit, and anyone under 16 fishes free. Buy from NGPC at outdoornebraska.gov. A Nebraska fishing permit covers this river where it is legally public. Nebraska treats a river as public only where it was surveyed 'meandered' (navigable) at statehood — the Missouri, the Platte and a handful of others qualify; most Sandhills and tributary streams have privately-owned beds, so bank/wading access away from a bridge or public site needs landowner permission.
Every water carries species, bank & boat access, current regulations and live water conditions — and members get Swim Mapper, Catch Logger and Trip Planner. It's the only US map with a dedicated carp-water layer.
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