Joe Bridal, the new district manager for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission(NGPC) Northwest District, told attendees during a public webinar that the agency is pursuing shoreline and access improvements at several Sandhill lakes while continuing fish population monitoring and stocking after the 202223 winter fish kills.

Bridal said the district has restructured its fisheries management from four to five districts, adding Brown and Blaine counties and bringing most Sandhill lakes into the Northwest District. "We chose to go with the decommissioning" of the Carter P. Johnson dam at Fort Robinson after the dam was reclassified as a high‑hazard structure, Bridal said, adding the decommissioning would allow work on Soldier Creek as part of that project.

The decommissioning plan is on hold pending passage of Legislative Bill 261, Bridal said; NGPC has sought grant funding to help cover project costs. While that project awaits funding authority, NGPC is advancing a separate access project at Smith Lake Wildlife Management Area (between Lakeside and Rushville). Bridal said the Smith Lake project, currently about 30% through design, would add riprap-style jetties and excavated fishing nodes to pierce dense cattail rings that now prevent bank access, and would repair a corroded outlet structure. The district expects most access jetties to be riprap jetties but said it will include at least one ADA-accessible feature.

Zach Brashears, NGPC fish biologist based in Valentine, described ongoing research and recent survey results, including a multi‑year muskie tagging project begun in 2020. Brashears said NGPC has implanted PIT tags in adult muskies and tracked stocked fish. "We can determine when we caught them, what length they were, what weight they were," he said, noting that Cottonwood‑Stevenson has produced muskies up to about 19 years old while Merritt Reservoir holds fish up to about 12 years. Survey and tagging totals presented by staff included roughly 53 adult muskies tagged at Cottonwood‑Stevenson (about 1,400 stocked) and about 45 tagged at Merritt (about 1,570 stocked). Population estimates shown by staff were about 477 muskies for Cottonwood‑Stevenson (whole lake) and about 257 in the Merritt sampling area near the dam, with the caveat that Merritt totals reflect sampling near the dam in spring and do not represent the entire reservoir.

Brashears also summarized broader spring sampling and stocking: NGPC staff have focused sampling on walleye, panfish and pike populations across the district and are continuing stockings after the 202223 winter kills. Staff reported large perch catches at Watts Lake (about 280 perch per net in recent samples) and strong crappie catches at Pelican and Clear lakes; pike protections include a new 24to34‑inch protected slot on several refuge lakes. "Anglers were reminded it is illegal to move fish," Brashears said during the webinar as he discussed unexpected pike numbers at some sites and emphasized rules to limit species transfers.

Bridal and Brashears reviewed several near‑term access projects and operational notes: Avocet and Fry (Frye) lakes have pre‑construction meetings completed and construction could begin imminently, with local closures and haul/fill operations to maintain some Hyannis‑area access during work. Frye project design includes a peninsula to reach deeper water and a new pit toilet. The district completed in‑house improvements at a Fair WMA access by rock surfacing approaches and enlarging cattle guards; another site at Giller Baker Pond received a relocated floating pier. Bridal said technicians hired for aquatic invasive species monitoring will staff boat ramps this summer to inspect watercraft and answer questions.

On refuge access, NGPC staff said a petition seeking more public fishing opportunities on the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge prompted planned meetings with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff; those agency discussions were rescheduled from March 7 to April 22 because of weather. Bridal said NGPC supports opening more waters where federal land managers permit it but that access decisions ultimately rest with the refuge manager.

Staff encouraged anglers to consult NGPC's district offices and the agency website (outdoornebraska.gov) for the latest lake survey reports and stocking information, and reminded the public that some ramps (Powder Horn ramp at Merritt) are expected to remain closed until the lake is drawn down later in the year. The webinar was recorded for the NGPC YouTube page, Bridal said.

Ends with contact information for Joe Bridal and Zach Brashears listed on the district slide deck and an invitation for anglers to call or email with questions.