← Nebraska fishing maps

Best bluegill lakes in Nebraska

116 Nebraska waters hold bluegill, 116 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The classic panfish. Shallow cover in summer, deeper weed edges otherwise.

1. DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge — 18 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
2. Desoto Bend — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
3. Pelican Lake — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
4. Maloney Reservoir — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
5. Lake Wanahoo — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
6. Cottonwood Steverson Lake — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
7. Crescent Lake — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Saugeye, Northern PikeWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
8. Hackberry Lake — 6 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Yellow PerchWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
9. Willow Creek Lake — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugeyeWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
10. Cunningham Lake — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Saugeye, CrappieWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
11. Flanagan Lake — 33 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
12. Blue Lake — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, SaugeyeWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
13. Willow Lake — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Saugeye, CrappieWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
14. Zorinsky Lake — 33 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
15. Kramper Lake (Pigeon Jones) — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
16. Summit Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
17. Yankee Hill Lake — 14 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
18. Smith Lake — 14 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
19. Maple Creek Reservoir — 29 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
20. Bluestem Lake — 15 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
21. Prairie Queen Recreation Area — 45 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
22. Goose Lake — 6 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Bluegill, Yellow PerchWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
23. Swan Lake — 8 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
24. Holmes Lake — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
25. West Long Lake — 6 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Bluegill, Yellow PerchWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site

…plus 91 more Nebraska waters holding bluegill.

Find the closest bluegill waters to you →

When to fish bluegill in Nebraska

• Spring 1–6 ft — Bedding colonies on sandy shallow flats — sight-fish the light spots.
• Summer 4–15 ft — Weed edges and dock shade; bigger 'gills hold slightly deeper.
• Fall 6–18 ft — Schools tighten on remaining green weeds and first drops.
• Winter 10–25 ft — Soft-bottom basins with invertebrates; finesse presentations.

Also in Nebraska: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best white bass lakes · best saugeye lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best white bass & hybrids lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes · best white perch lakes · best brown bullhead lakes

Bluegill elsewhere: Ontario · Wisconsin · Minnesota · Québec · Michigan · New Hampshire · Montana · New York · Wyoming · Massachusetts · Washington · Florida · Indiana · North Dakota · Iowa · Texas · Ohio · Connecticut · Missouri · Vermont · California · Oklahoma · South Dakota · Utah · Arizona · Colorado · Illinois · New Mexico · Kansas · West Virginia · Mississippi · Idaho · New Jersey · Kentucky · Alabama · Tennessee · Puerto Rico · Georgia · North Carolina · Delaware · Virginia · Rhode Island · Louisiana · South Carolina · Pennsylvania · Arkansas · Maryland · Hawaii