The Nebraska Walleye Trail and Nebraska Walleye Association today jointly announced the inaugural season of the Nebraska Walleye Series will take place in 2026.
The Nebraska Walleye Series will be sponsored by Good Life Proteins, and includes six qualifying events and a championship, with the season spanning from April to October.
Anglers must fish in three events to be eligible for the championship. These events include a combination of both live weigh-ins and e-tournament fishing app scoring.
The 2026 season will open up on April 19 with the Sherman Reservoir Shoot-Out. This event will feature e-tournament fishing app scoring.
“Sherman Reservoir is an extremely fun fishery and has many quality walleyes present in the system,” said Nick Harrington, Owner of Lip Ripper Fishing. “There are not many fisheries anglers can expect multiple walleyes in the mid to upper 20 inch range throughout a day, but Sherman is certainly one of them.”
The next stop will be Harlan Reservoir for the Rod Marshal Tournament May 2 and 3. This event will feature a live weigh-in. The entry form is available through the Harlan Anglers Facebook page or website.
The third stop of the series will take place May 30-31 on Merritt Reservoir near Valentine. This will feature e-tournament fishing app scoring similar to Sherman Reservoir.
“Merritt Reservoir is one of my personal favorite fisheries,” continued Harrington. “Late May the fish should be just transitioning into their summer patterns, and the bite should be fantastic.”
The fourth stop of the series will then head to South Dakota, fishing on Lake Francis Case out of Pickstown on June 27-28. This event will feature a live weigh-in.
“Mid-summer can produce a very good bite on the lower end of Lake Francis Case,” detailed Harrington. “This event will certainly see some quality walleyes come across the scales.”
The fifth stop will take place on August 22 with the Kevin J Murray Tournament, which takes place on Lewis and Clark Lake. This event will feature a live weigh-in, and entry forms can be found on the Kevin J Murray Facebook page or website.
The sixth event will immediately follow the Kevin J Murray Tournament, taking place August 23 on Lewis and Clark Lake.
Anglers who have fished three or more events will then be eligible to fish the Nebraska Walleye Series State Tournament, which will take place October 24-25 on Lake McConaughy. This will feature an e-tournament fishing app scoring system similar to Sherman and Merritt reservoirs.
“It’s fantastic to see a comprehensive walleye series for Nebraska,” concluded Harrington. “The schedule features some of the best fisheries in the area, and I’m excited to see the success the series can have.”
Complete 2026 Schedule:
- April 19: Sherman Reservoir Shoot-Out, Sherman Reservoir – Loop City, Nebraska
- May 2-3: Rod Marshal Tournament, Harlan Reservoir – Harlan, Nebraska
- May 30-31: Merritt Reservoir Tournament, Merritt Reservoir – Valentine, Nebraska
- June 27-28: Lake Francis Case Tournament, Lake Francis Case – Pickstown, South Dakota
- August 22: Kevin J Murray Tournament, Lewis and Clark Lake – Yankton, South Dakota
- August 23: Lewis and Clark Tournament, Lewis and Clark Lake – Yankton, South Dakota
- October 24-25: Nebraska Walleye Series State Championship, Lake McConaughy – Ogalalla, Nebraska
All events are pending approval and water levels.
Additional information will be available regarding the Nebraska Walleye Series.
Find More Walleye Fishing Tournament Information
Anglers looking for more information regarding tournament fishing across South Dakota and Nebraska are encouraged to explore our Fishing Tournament News page, which includes a 2026 Tournament Schedule Tracker highlighting many of the major events taking place across the region.
