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Harlan County Reservoir sits in Nebraska and is classified as a reservoir. Sitting at around 1,946 feet of elevation, it drops to a maximum depth near 55 feet. It covers roughly 13,250 surface acres (about 21 square miles). Research-grade observations nearby include Channel Catfish, White Bass, and Common Carp. Nearby alternatives include Harlan County Lake. A nearby water gauge supplies level and temperature readings where available. The page brings together an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, water readings, fishing conditions, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Current weather, wind, and activity conditions for Harlan County Reservoir are updated throughout the day.
Updated
No active alerts for this lake as of the last check (Oct 10, 5:07 PM CDT). Alerts are re-checked automatically; see the official source for updates.
Overall Fair (70/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Sailing (83/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 91/100 across these hours. Wind 10 mph from the south. Dawn hours (07:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 86° | 84° | 81° | 80° | 75° | 74° | 73° | 72° | 70° | 70° | 69° | 67° | 67° | 66° | 65° | 66° | 67° | 71° | 75° | 79° | 83° | 85° | 87° | 88° |
| Wind (kts) | 17 | 17 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Direction | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW |
| Gusts (kts) | 25 | 28 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 22 |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 0% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, 5 PM CDT | 86°F | 20 mph S (180°) | 29 mph | 0% | 0% | Sunny |
| Sat, 6 PM CDT | 84°F | 20 mph S (180°) | 32 mph | 0% | 0% | Clear |
| Sat, 7 PM CDT | 81°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 29 mph | 0% | 1% | Clear |
| Sat, 8 PM CDT | 80°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 30 mph | 0% | 2% | Clear |
| Sat, 9 PM CDT | 75°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 29 mph | 0% | 3% | Clear |
| Sat, 10 PM CDT | 74°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 28 mph | 0% | 4% | Clear |
| Sat, 11 PM CDT | 73°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 27 mph | 0% | 2% | Clear |
| Sun, 12 AM CDT | 72°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 25 mph | 0% | 2% | Clear |
| Sun, 1 AM CDT | 70°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 24 mph | 0% | 11% | Mostly Clear |
| Sun, 2 AM CDT | 70°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 24 mph | 0% | 6% | Mostly Clear |
| Sun, 3 AM CDT | 69°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 24 mph | 0% | 18% | Mostly Clear |
| Sun, 4 AM CDT | 67°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 23 mph | 0% | 23% | Mostly Clear |
| Sun, 5 AM CDT | 67°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 23 mph | 0% | 23% | Mostly Clear |
| Sun, 6 AM CDT | 66°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 23 mph | 0% | 26% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 7 AM CDT | 65°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 22 mph | 0% | 37% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 8 AM CDT | 66°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 22 mph | 1% | 45% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 9 AM CDT | 67°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 23 mph | 0% | 58% | Partly Sunny |
| Sun, 10 AM CDT | 71°F | 10 mph SSW (203°) | 23 mph | 0% | 47% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 11 AM CDT | 75°F | 15 mph SSW (203°) | 24 mph | 1% | 56% | Partly Sunny |
| Sun, 12 PM CDT | 79°F | 15 mph SSW (203°) | 24 mph | 1% | 64% | Partly Sunny |
| Sun, 1 PM CDT | 83°F | 15 mph SSW (203°) | 23 mph | 1% | 37% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 2 PM CDT | 85°F | 15 mph SSW (203°) | 24 mph | 1% | 37% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 3 PM CDT | 87°F | 15 mph SSW (203°) | 25 mph | 1% | 40% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 4 PM CDT | 88°F | 15 mph SSW (203°) | 25 mph | 0% | 19% | Sunny |
| Sun, 5 PM CDT | 89°F | 15 mph SSW (203°) | 25 mph | 0% | 24% | Sunny |
Official National Weather Service hourly forecast. Showing 10 of 25 hours. Wind arrows point the way the wind is blowing; the compass point and degrees show where it comes from.
| Period | This Afternoon October 10, 2026 | Tonight October 10, 2026 | Sunday October 11, 2026 | Sunday Night October 11, 2026 | Columbus Day October 12, 2026 | Monday Night October 12, 2026 | Tuesday October 13, 2026 | Tuesday Night October 13, 2026 | Wednesday October 14, 2026 | Wednesday Night October 14, 2026 | Thursday October 15, 2026 | Thursday Night October 15, 2026 | Friday October 16, 2026 | Friday Night October 16, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 89° | 65° | 89° | 70° | 91° | 57° | 76° | 55° | 70° | 52° | 69° | 48° | 64° | 42° |
| Wind | S 20 mph | S 15 to 20 mph | S 10 to 15 mph | S 10 to 15 mph | SW 10 to 15 mph | N 5 to 10 mph | NE 5 to 10 mph | NE 5 to 10 mph | ENE 10 to 15 mph | NE 10 mph | N 10 to 15 mph | NNW 10 to 15 mph | NNW 10 to 15 mph | NNW 5 to 10 mph |
| Gusts | 30 mph | 35 mph | 25 mph | 25 mph | 25 mph | 21 mph | 22 mph | 21 mph | 23 mph | 23 mph | 23 mph | 24 mph | 29 mph | 20 mph |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 2% | 3% | 53% | 53% | 52% | 52% | 14% | 13% | 11% |
| Forecast |
Fair for fishing (72/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: 0% chance of precipitation. Afternoon hours (17:00 local). Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend, water temperature. Confidence is moderate (74%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Fair for boating (63/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. 0% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Gusts to 29 mph. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility and conditions, verified water access. Confidence is moderate (84%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Good for sailing (83/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 20 mph from the S is workable but not ideal. No active official alerts for this lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Fair for kayaking (62/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. 0% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Gusts to 29 mph. Confidence is high (90%).
Water temperature is not available from a verified source for this lake. No swimming score is shown without it.
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Individual boat ramp GPS coordinates are maintained under the jurisdiction of NE Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Harlan County Reservoir in NE offers a welcoming freshwater setting for recreational boaters, dedicated anglers, and shoreline explorers. Its waters present diverse fishing opportunities alongside scenic vistas of the surrounding terrain. Public access facilities and shoreline parklands are overseen by state and local natural resource agencies.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is required for anglers age 16+. Digital license on mobile is accepted.
Current motorized watercraft registration mandatory. Practice Clean, Drain & Dry protocols: drain all livewells and inspect props before launching. Life jackets required for all passengers.
Public shoreline and boating access managed by State & Local Authorities. Verify seasonal gate hours, launch fees, and parking rules before travel.
High-speed motorboating, pontoon cruising, wakeboarding, and water skiing across main channels. Target gamefish include Channel Catfish, White Bass, Common Carp. Morning hours typically provide optimal glassy conditions for kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) touring.
Warm water temperatures, peak swimming, active watersports, and open full-service campgrounds. Highest weekly attendance; plan early arrivals on summer weekends.
Spring pre-spawn and fall feeding transitions create prime trophy angling conditions. Cooler air, lower boat traffic, and vibrant seasonal shoreline foliage.
Mild year-round outdoor climate. Uncrowded waters, active winter bass and crappie fishing, and open year-round boat launch access.
No external source rows are cited by the data currently shown on this page.
Updated
Scores are heuristics, not safety guarantees. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
All telemetry for Harlan County Reservoir is synchronized directly from authorized federal and state monitoring networks (USGS, NWS, NOAA, and state environmental authorities). Observations are strictly instrumented readings — unmonitored sensors are transparently disclosed rather than synthetic estimates.
Last source audit: Oct 10, 5:07 PM CDT