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Best channel catfish lakes in Nebraska

125 Nebraska waters list channel catfish (official records or labelled estimates), 118 mapped with survey or official-chart depth data. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality, leading with the waters in our reviewed search catalog — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. Scent-driven bottom feeder. Holes, channels and inflows — best after dark.

1. Lake McConaughy — 110 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 16 public access sites
2. Elkhorn River — 6 ft max · Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Freshwater Drum, Common CarpWhy #2: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 4 public access sites
3. Calamus Reservoir — 60 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites
4. Harlan County Lake — 40 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Northern PikeWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites
5. Merritt Reservoir — 70 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites
6. Sherman Reservoir — 63 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, White Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
7. Red Willow Reservoir — 55 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
8. Missouri River — 31 ft max · Walleye, Sauger, Channel Catfish, Flathead CatfishWhy #8: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
9. Swanson Reservoir — 45 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites
10. DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge — 18 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
11. Desoto Bend — 24 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
12. Medicine Creek — 40 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
13. Branched Oak Lake — 30 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 12 public access sites
14. Maloney Reservoir — 20 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
15. Lake Wanahoo — 24 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
16. Box Butte Reservoir — 39 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
17. Missouri River (Gavins Point) — 30 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugerWhy #17: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites
18. Cottonwood Steverson Lake — 20 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
19. Johnson Lake — 30 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugerWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
20. Willow Creek Lake — 24 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugeyeWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
21. Pawnee Lake — 21 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Saugeye, CrappieWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
22. Niobrara River — 8 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Rock BassWhy #22: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
23. Lake Minatare — 48 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
24. Enders Reservoir — 60 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
25. Cunningham Lake — 20 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Saugeye, CrappieWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site

…plus 100 more Nebraska waters holding channel catfish.

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When to fish channel catfish in Nebraska

• Spring 3–12 ft — Warm inflows and shallow mud flats after rain.
• Summer 8–25 ft — Deep holes by day; cats roam shallow flats to feed at night.
• Fall 10–30 ft — Fish concentrate in river/creek channels and deeper holes.
• Winter 20–40 ft — Stacked in the deepest holes; slow natural baits.

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 bluegill 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

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