Up on the South Dakota border, Lewis and Clark Lake offers excellent fishing for a number of species, including largemouth and smallmouth bass, bluegills, catfish, crappie, saugers and walleyes. The Cornhusker State's second-largest lake is seven miles north of Crofton along Nebraska Highway 121.

You'll find several camping options around the lake, and there are cabins available. This is one of those out-of-the-way spots that don't feel so out of the way, because you'll find plenty of facilities nearby, along with lots of fun things to do.

In addition to being the largest lake in the state, Lake McConaughy is home to fishing for large specimens of bass, catfish, trout and walleyes. This North Platte River impoundment lies just a few minutes north of I-80 near the town of Ogallala.

You can learn lots about the lake and its ecosystem in the Lake McConaughy Visitors Center and Water Interpretive Center, which opened in 2005. Among the educational displays are two 1,500-gallon aquariums.

And wait until you see the beaches! Martin Bay is one of four public areas around the lake, and it offers shoreline beaches like you wouldn't expect to find in Nebraska. Other spots to consider as your base of operations on a trip here include Cedar Vue, Spring Park/Otter Creek, and Spillway Bay.

KANSAS
Southeastern Kansas is home to some great fishing options, and Big Hill Lake is near the top of the list. One of the Sunflower State's top bass fisheries is located northeast of Independence and near Cherryvale. It's 1,240 acres, with camping and full facilities available. Although Big Hill Reservoir is the destination here, keep in mind that visiting this part of the state also will bring you close to the Mined Land Wildlife Area, a series of parcels that are chockfull of reclaimed strip mine pits loaded with great fishing.

Once you start exploring Big Hill, however, it might be really tough to leave for another nearby fishing hole. You'll find all three species of black bass (largemouth, smallmouth and spotted), along with a variety of panfish species, including bluegills, crappie, redear sunfish, green sunfish and white bass. Channel and flathead catfish prowl the lake, as do walleyes. Talk about an angling smorgasbord!

North of Big Hill and practically in the shadow of Kansas City, Hillsdale Reservoir makes for a great family fishing destination for a number of reasons. The fishing, of course, is good, and the species list includes largemouth bass, white bass, bluegills and green sunfish, crappie, walleyes, and channel and flathead catfish.

Hillsdale State Park is a full-service facility, so you can make your home for the trip right there. But Kansas City is so close and offers so many things to do that you just might want to find lodging in, say, Johnson County and visit Hillsdale as part of a trip that includes all kinds of other activities. Hillsdale sits a short drive south of I-35 and is easily accessible.

Just as easily accessible from I-70 and Junction City is Milford Reservoir, which is the largest lake in Kansas at 16,020 acres. Like Big Hill, you'll find all three subspecies of black bass here, along with a myriad of sunfish, channel and flathead catfish, wipers and white bass, and walleyes.

Facilities are among the most diverse you'll find. There are full-service marinas, cabins, RV hookups, primitive camping -- even a horse camping area. You'll also find ATV trails that will give you a chance to literally bounce around the area if you enjoy off-roading.