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OT: Camping Eastern Nebraska / Western Iowa

chrsmneric

Walk On
May 30, 2017
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Anyone have a recommendation for a good campground within 2 hours of Omaha? Hoping to have a body of water to get my pole wet and some trails to walk the dog if you know what I'm saying. Enjoyed a day trip to Summit in Tekemah last summer but unaware of the camping scene on a weekend and if there's any decent bank fishing.

Thanks in advance for any advice.
 
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Indian Cave state park. Use to go there a lot when I was younger, and now we take our kids there when we are up that way. I haven’t camped there in years, but plan to sometime.
I use to live within 15 miles of it, but have lived near or in Columbia Mo since I was 4.
 
Indian Cave state park. Use to go there a lot when I was younger, and now we take our kids there when we are up that way. I haven’t camped there in years, but plan to sometime.
I use to live within 15 miles of it, but have lived near or in Columbia Mo since I was 4.
You're not far from Mark Twain... Thoughts on hiking there? We never hiked anything East of the Loess Hills, a lot of the continental divide but looking forward to a new scenery. I imagine fall for the color change be best?
 
You're not far from Mark Twain... Thoughts on hiking there? We never hiked anything East of the Loess Hills, a lot of the continental divide but looking forward to a new scenery. I imagine fall for the color change be best?


I haven’t ever looked for hiking trails at Mark Twain. We go there a few times in the summer months and stay at a place my BIL has there. It’s a really nice lake though.
 
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Ponca State Park or up by Gavin’s Point dam. Just a smidge over 2 hours though
 
I really like the campground at Gavin's Point especially in the fall! Just wish the fishing was better...the lake still has a ways to go after they killed it off
Early fishing at G.P. (in tailwaters of the river) is much better than the fall. Walleyes/sauger/pike in April - mid May. When the weather gets hot - fishing falls off quickly. If you go there early (now) - try fishing the little pond by the S.E. side of Lake Yankton run-off. The pond is between the lake and the river. Really did well there this time of the year, and of course, you don't need a boat. Caught an 8 lb pike, 6lb pike, crappie, walleye, white bass, catfish all in an hr of fishing. Nobody else was even trying it. Only problem might be too much water coming through right now. I live in Rapid City now, and not close to Yankton.
 
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Lewis and Clark State Park by Onawa Iowa is a nice smaller rec area. I haven't fished there in years. Lots of big cottonwoods and some hiking trails. I learned to water ski there!
 
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Early fishing at G.P. (in tailwaters of the river) is much better than the fall. Walleyes/sauger/pike in April - mid May. When the weather gets hot - fishing falls off quickly. If you go there early (now) - try fishing the little pond by the S.E. side of Lake Yankton run-off. The pond is between the lake and the river. Really did well there this time of the year, and of course, you don't need a boat. Caught an 8 lb pike, 6lb pike, crappie, walleye, white bass, catfish all in an hr of fishing. Nobody else was even trying it. Only problem might be too much water coming through right now. I live in Rapid City now, and not close to Yankton.
Are you referring to the "bubble" as the locals call it? The spillway from Lake Yankton to the River just downstream from the boat ramp?
 
Are you referring to the "bubble" as the locals call it? The spillway from Lake Yankton to the River just downstream from the boat ramp?
Yes. Early in the year, it is a "sleeper" - because it's not very large or impressive. But the river stays cold early on, and that water warms more quickly which fish prefer. The couple of times I fished it in the spring, it produced very well.
 
Waubonsie State Park in SW Iowa is great for hiking and camping not much in the way of fishing however. Highly recommend the Sunset Trail and Ridge Trail on nice sunny evenings. Probably will have to wait for I-29 to be open to make it right now.
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Waubonsie State Park in SW Iowa is great for hiking and camping not much in the way of fishing however. Highly recommend the Sunset Trail and Ridge Trail on nice sunny evenings. Probably will have to wait for I-29 to be open to make it right now.
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I stayed at Waubonsie last summer and enjoyed it but only did a trail or two right off the campground, the pics you shared are impressive! I'll definitely be staying there again soon, and yea the drawback was no water.
 
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Yes. Early in the year, it is a "sleeper" - because it's not very large or impressive. But the river stays cold early on, and that water warms more quickly which fish prefer. The couple of times I fished it in the spring, it produced very well.
Good insight, will be there in 2 weeks for a bachelor party, I've had good luck in the past but never fished it this early in the year
 
Yes. Early in the year, it is a "sleeper" - because it's not very large or impressive. But the river stays cold early on, and that water warms more quickly which fish prefer. The couple of times I fished it in the spring, it produced very well.
Lots of big drum get caught below that bubble. Drum is a better fish to eat than it gets credit for. Years ago I used to take my kids to that spot and you could catch anything from northerns, walleye, small mouth to Crappies. Lots of fun. If you filet Drum and remove most of the dark sideline it really is pretty good. It doesn't tend to get mossy like lake caught bass and sunfish do. A couple of hours in baking soda in a bowl then fried in butter or olive oil with maybe some Club crackers crumbled on it with Italian seasoning....yummmie.
 
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