Keller Park is the Sandhills lake park that fishes like two different places: four ponds for largemouth bass, bluegill, and channel catfish, and a fifth pond for rainbow trout — one of the few spots in Nebraska where you can pursue trout and warm-water species in the same park. The 196 acres sit tucked among rugged tree-covered bluffs on Bone Creek, with a rustic footbridge over the creek that’s become the park’s signature stroll.
Camping is Electric and Basic — shaded sites, water, dump-and-fill station, primitive restrooms. It’s small, remote, and quiet: cell service is limited to nonexistent, so arrive fully stocked because the nearest stores are a real drive. That’s the trade and the appeal in one.
Long Pine SRA is 11 miles south for more trout water on Long Pine Creek, and Smith Falls — Nebraska’s tallest waterfall — is about 50 minutes northwest, which makes Keller Park a strong base for a north-central loop. Only electric and non-powered boats are allowed on the ponds, and the whole place runs first-come. Go in spring for the trout and the clearest water.