Long Pine Creek is the argument against anyone who says Nebraska can’t do trout. This is a genuine cold-water stream tumbling through a pine-filled canyon in Brown County, and the browns and rainbows here aren’t just stocked — they reproduce naturally in the creek’s gravel beds, which is rare enough in this state to matter.
The sweet spot is the middle section, from Seven Springs (the town of Long Pine’s wellfield) down to Camp Witness, where the riffles, undercut banks, and pools stack up. Fish get bigger downstream. Public access comes through Long Pine State Recreation Area, Long Pine WMA, and Pine Glen WMA; the rest is private, so respect the boundaries. Trout daily bag is four.
Two things to know: summer brings tubers, who have as much right to the creek as you do — fish early morning or come in spring and fall for solitude. And the town itself is worth a look; Long Pine was a resort town a century ago, when Lawrence Welk played the Hidden Paradise dance pavilion and tourists came for the springs.