Fly Fishing Long Pine Creek, Nebraska: Sections, Seasons and Trip Plan
Location Details / Nebraska / Long Pine Creek
Fly Fishing Long Pine Creek, Nebraska: Sections, Seasons and Trip Plan
Long Pine Creek is a spring-fed Brown County trout stream with naturally reproducing brown and rainbow trout over about 20 miles, running north through the town of Long Pine toward the Niobrara. Public access is at Long Pine State Recreation Area, Long Pine WMA and the hike-in Pine Glen WMA canyon. Fish it in spring and fall.
The best Long Pine story we know is not ours. In NEBRASKAland Magazine's July 2023 issue, Eric Fowler wrote up Joel Klammer, an Ainsworth angler and former Game and Parks fisheries biologist, fishing Pine Glen on a December afternoon. Klammer started on a woolly bugger, then switched to a big brown rubber-legged nymph: fast water gives a trout less time to decide, so the fly has to be easier to see. Most of his fish came from the deep holes below the new rock structures (NEBRASKAland). The honest part: as of November 8, 2026, the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast archive has no episode on Long Pine Creek, so every tip below is labeled transferable.
Species
Naturally reproducing brown and rainbow trout; browns dominate the lower creek
Best months
Spring and fall; Klammer fishes it mostly in fall, when flows drop
Character
Spring-fed Sandhills canyon stream, Class A coldwater, never above 77 degrees
Nearest towns
Long Pine and Ainsworth, on U.S. Highway 20
Nearest airports
Omaha (OMA) and North Platte (LBF), both long drives
Rule to know
Most banks are private; fish only the public areas or with landowner permission
Long Pine Creek Section by Section
Upper Creek: Seven Springs and the Long Pine Wellfield
Game and Parks' 2002 stream guide lists public access at Seven Springs and the town of Long Pine's wellfield, and says the middle creek from Seven Springs down to Camp Witness, a church camp, has the best habitat and the most fish (Game and Parks stream guide). Confirm both before you park; small, brushy water.
Long Pine State Recreation Area and Long Pine WMA
This is the easy water. At Long Pine SRA, popular for camping and summer tubing, you can almost drive to the bank. Wood lunker structures from the mid-1990s line the banks, and Game and Parks biologists sample more trout there than in all but one other stream reach in Nebraska (NEBRASKAland, 2023). Long Pine WMA sits immediately downstream (Game and Parks blog); an access road and a primitive trail of under 300 yards get you to the creek. Fish early or late in summer to dodge the tubes.
Pine Glen WMA: the Hike-In Canyon
Pine Glen is the wild one. The maintenance road down drops 230 feet in a little over 700 yards and is closed to public vehicles; an unmarked trail on the south side is about 100 yards shorter. In 2019 Game and Parks rebuilt 1,800 feet of straight runs with 38 structures, from cross-vane weirs to boulder clusters. Browns here reach about 15 inches and rainbows 14, bigger than upstream. Later surveys found fewer trout, which biologists blame on high water and two 2019 floods; they expect a rebound.
Lower Creek to Bone Creek
Fish get larger as you move downstream, but the 2002 guide says few trout live below the Bone Creek confluence.
Reading Long Pine Creek's Flows
Live USGS gauge: Long Pine Creek near Riverview, downstream of the public water. USGS monthly means since 2000 hold remarkably steady, about 160 to 200 cfs every month, because the base flow comes from Ogallala Aquifer springs. In 1989 it became the first Nebraska water granted an instream flow right for trout.
Our reading: with flows that steady, a spike on the gauge means rain and sand, so give it a day or two. Klammer favors fall's lower water.
When to Fly Fish Long Pine Creek
| Target | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown trout | ||||||||||||
| Rainbow trout | ||||||||||||
| Hoppers and terrestrials | ||||||||||||
| Summer tubing crowds at the SRA |
Intensity:LightModerateHeavy
Our reading, built from Game and Parks' spring and fall advice for Niobrara Valley streams and Klammer's fall and December days; blank cells mean not worth planning around.
Long Pine Creek Rules to Know
- Trout stream gear: seines, baitfish dip nets and bait traps are unlawful on Long Pine Creek and its tributaries in Rock and Brown counties, and on Bone Creek (2026 Nebraska Fishing Guide).
- Trout limits: statewide daily bag of five browns with one 16 inches or longer and five rainbows with one 16 inches or longer (Nebraska Fishing Guide).
- Private land: fishing on private land requires landowner permission; outside the SRA and WMAs, ask first.
- Pine Glen road: the WMA maintenance road is closed to public vehicles; walk it (NEBRASKAland).
Plan a 3-Day Long Pine Creek Trip
Day 1: Easy access
Long Pine SRA and WMA
Base in Long Pine or Ainsworth. Nymph the lunker structures at the SRA, then walk the short trail into Long Pine WMA for the evening.
Day 2: Hike in
Pine Glen WMA Canyon
Walk down early and fish the pools below the rock structures with a bugger or big rubber-legs.
Day 3: Pick by season
Upper Creek or the Niobrara
Spring or fall: fish Seven Springs once access is confirmed. Summer: drive an hour west and float the Niobrara.
What to bring: a 4- or 5-weight rod 7 to 8 feet long (Game and Parks' advice), buggers and rubber-legged nymphs, late-summer hoppers, sturdy boots and a Nebraska fishing permit.
Want it planned for you?
Book a Local Pro on Long Pine Creek
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Plan a Long Pine Creek Trip with Frontiers
No Long Pine lodge is on our Frontiers list. We represent many great lodges through Frontiers International Travel, roughly 250 worldwide; ask anyway.
Long Pine Creek Tips from Podcast Guests
No guest fishes Long Pine Creek on the show; these are the closest matches.
-
Approach spring creek pools from downstream, bottom to top
Transferable: small, clear spring-fed pools at the SRA.
Mel Hayner, Minnesota Driftless guide and shop owner -
Hike a few miles off the road for less-pressured fish
Transferable: the walk-in Pine Glen canyon.
Donny Brenkendor, aquatic ecology researcher -
Approach the water like a predator, not a commuter
Transferable: tight, brushy banks on the upper creek.
Jan Axtell, Livingston, Montana spring creek guide -
Treat low, clear water as skill-building, not a lost cause
Transferable: fall low water on Long Pine.
Pat Dorsey, South Platte tailwater guide, on Guided EP #22
Browse every tip in the Fly Fishing Tips Library.
Hear It on the Podcast: Closest Episode
Not a Long Pine episode, but the same kind of spring-fed trout water.
Mel Hayner on spring creek stealth: the Driftless Fly Fishing Company owner on approaching small, clear trout water. Read the episode notes.
Shop the Water: Flies for Long Pine Creek
Brown Woolly Bugger, Size 8
Jigged Pat's Rubber Legs, 14 Flies
Bead Head Pheasant Tail, Size 14
Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear, Size 14
Dave's Hopper, Size 10
Hi-Viz Parachute Adams, Size 14
Black Elk Hair Caddis, Size 16
Brookie Short Furled Leader
Long Pine Creek Fly Fishing Questions, Answered
Where can you fish Long Pine Creek on public land?
Long Pine Creek has public access at Long Pine State Recreation Area, Long Pine Wildlife Management Area just downstream, and Pine Glen Wildlife Management Area, a hike-in canyon. Game and Parks' 2002 guide also lists Seven Springs and the Long Pine town wellfield. The rest of the creek is private and needs landowner permission.
When is the best time to fly fish Long Pine Creek?
Spring and fall are the best times to fly fish Long Pine Creek. Game and Parks recommends spring after high water and fall for Niobrara Valley streams, and former biologist Joel Klammer fishes it mostly in fall, when flows are lower. Spring-fed water keeps it fishable in winter.
What flies work on Long Pine Creek?
Woolly buggers and big, rubber-legged stonefly nymphs drifted through the deep pools below rock structures worked for Joel Klammer at Pine Glen, per NEBRASKAland. Game and Parks' stream guide adds the Adams, elk hair caddis, Dave's hopper, black ant, hare's ear and pheasant tail in sizes 8 to 20.
Is Long Pine Creek good for beginners?
Yes, at Long Pine State Recreation Area, where you can nearly drive to the bank and the 1990s lunker structures hold some of the densest trout numbers Game and Parks samples in Nebraska. Pine Glen WMA suits fit anglers: the walk drops 230 feet in about 700 yards.
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Tight lines, everyone!
By Christian Bacasa, host of the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast. Last reviewed November 2026.
Prices, availability, flight routing and entry requirements change. Every figure on this page is the starting rate published by the lodge or by Frontiers International Travel at the time of writing, per angler, and is a starting point for a quote, not a quote. Seasons, lodge capacity, charter schedules, visa and passport rules and license requirements can all change without notice. Confirm current pricing, availability and entry requirements with your Frontiers specialist before you book anything.
Sources: NEBRASKAland, Long Pine Creek (Eric Fowler, 2023), Game and Parks, Long Pine habitat restoration (2021), NEBRASKAland, Pine Glen WMA project (2018), Game and Parks, Trout Fishing in Nebraska Streams (2002), 2026 Nebraska Fishing Guide. Flows: USGS.