NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/1408550
24 Nebraskaland • October 2021 all buttes rising over pine forests and sweeping grasslands. Herds of bison, pronghorn, bighorn sheep and other megafauna. Historical architecture. Theatrical performances, weekly rodeos, two museums, cookouts and an indoor swimming pool. More than 120 miles of trails suited for horse hooves and hiking shoes. With so much to see and do at Fort Robinson State Park, it is understandable that whatever is below the surface may get overshadowed. Those inclined to carry a rod and reel, though, have long known it is wise to divert attention from the park's terrestrial sights to see what swims in the 10 fi shing ponds and coldwater streams in or near this 22,000-acre Pine Ridge playground in the northwestern corner of the state. Al Hanson, fi sheries supervisor for Nebraska Game and Parks Commission's northwestern district, bestows Fort Robinson a lofty ranking among the eight state parks. He refers to it as "Nebraska's fi shing state park." "Some of our other state parks have excellent fi shing opportunities, but none off er anglers what Fort Robinson does," he said. Having said that, Fort Robinson anglers should leave their big motorboats — or any gas-powered watercraft, for that matter — at home. This is a place for those who prefer to fi sh from foot, belly boat or kayak. Whether it be families with small children and elderly anglers, or adventurous fl y-fi shermen, an array of aquatic species are on tap to provide a tug of the line. Game and Parks has made a great thing even better by investing in major enhancements to about half of those ponds, with the fi rst phase of a $2.8 million renovation project completed in spring 2020. Major improvements have occurred at the Grabel Ponds, Cherry Creek Ponds and the Ice House Ponds, and more are planned at other locations. The most obvious changes to the ponds are structures such as fi shing piers and ramps for launching kayaks and canoes. Workers deepened a number of the ponds, replaced water control structures, created fi sh habitat features, and developed access points for anglers. Where anglers battled steep banks and thick vegetation before the renovations, they now enjoy casting from wooden piers, angler access pads and gently sloping shorelines near artifi cial structures, gravel beds and rock piles that attract fi sh. The improvements were funded from the sale of Aquatic Habitat Stamps, required by most anglers, and matched by federal Sport Fish Restoration Program dollars generated from taxes on fi shing equipment and grants from many sources including the Nebraska Environmental Trust. The renovations have provided the opportunity for Game and Parks to restock waters with a goal to develop populations best suited for habitat and usage. Anglers can often fi nd both coldwater and warmwater species by taking a short walk. All four species of the state's Trout T The colorful tiger trout is among the species that swims in and near Fort Robinson, as do browns, brooks, rainbows and cutthroats.