FreeFishFishing in Nebraska: lake depth maps and where to start
Big reservoirs, Sandhills lakes and rivers. How to use Nebraska lake depth maps, notable waters, and where to find the official rules.
Nebraska's fishing ranges from big western reservoirs to natural lakes in the Sandhills and small lakes and ponds across the state. Nebraska Game and Parks publishes lake contour maps for many public waters, and FreeFish shows them on the map.
What you can fish for
Walleye, white bass, wipers (hybrid striped bass), largemouth and smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill and channel catfish are all popular. Some waters hold northern pike, muskellunge and yellow perch, and a few cold-water lakes and streams hold trout.
Waters to know
- Lake McConaughy: Nebraska's largest reservoir, on the North Platte River, with walleye, white bass, wipers and striped bass.
- Lewis and Clark Lake: a Missouri River reservoir on the South Dakota border, known for walleye, sauger and smallmouth bass.
- Merritt Reservoir: a Sandhills reservoir known for walleye, muskellunge and white bass.
- Sandhills lakes: shallow natural lakes, many on wildlife refuges, with bass, panfish, pike and perch. Some have special access rules.
Using Nebraska depth maps
On large reservoirs like McConaughy, look for points, humps and the old river channel, and follow baitfish, which wind pushes around on open water. Sandhills lakes are shallow and weedy, so focus on the edges of vegetation and small depth changes. In summer, many fish use the low-light hours to feed shallow. See our depth map guide for the basics.
Reservoir levels in the west can change a lot from year to year, which affects access and where fish set up.
Through the seasons
Spring brings white bass and walleye runs and a good crappie bite in shallow cover. Summer is prime time for wipers and white bass chasing baitfish in open water, often early and late in the day. Fall offers strong walleye and bass fishing as water cools. Winter ice fishing is popular on Sandhills lakes and smaller reservoirs for panfish, perch and pike when ice is safe.
Before you go
Check the Nebraska Game and Parks fishing guide, linked below, for limits and any special regulations on specific waters. Nebraska requires anglers to follow aquatic invasive species rules, including draining water from boats and live wells before leaving a water body.
Official rules
Seasons, limits and license requirements change. The official source is the state agency: Nebraska fishing regulations and licenses.