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Best channel catfish lakes in Nebraska

127 Nebraska waters hold channel catfish, 121 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. Scent-driven bottom feeder. Holes, channels and inflows — best after dark.

1. Lake McConaughy — 110 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Channel Catfish
2. Elkhorn River — 6 ft max · Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Freshwater Drum, Common Carp
3. Calamus Reservoir — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
4. Harlan County Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
5. Merritt Reservoir — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Channel Catfish
6. Sherman Reservoir — 63 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
7. Red Willow Reservoir — 55 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Channel Catfish
8. Missouri River — 31 ft max · Walleye, Sauger, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish
9. Swanson Reservoir — 45 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
10. Medicine Creek — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Crappie
11. Desoto Bend — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Crappie
12. Platte River — 25 ft max · Walleye, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Freshwater Drum
13. Johnson Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
14. Lake Minatare — 48 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
15. Enders Reservoir — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Crappie
16. Pelican Lake — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Crappie
17. Maloney Reservoir — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Crappie
18. Lake Wanahoo — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, Bluegill
19. Missouri River (Gavins Point) — 30 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Sauger
20. Cottonwood Steverson Lake — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Crappie
21. Crescent Lake — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Crappie
22. Hackberry Lake — 6 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Crappie
23. Island Lake — 7 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Crappie
24. Willow Creek Lake — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Crappie
25. Niobrara River — 8 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Rock Bass

…plus 102 more Nebraska waters holding channel catfish.

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 walleye lakes · best white bass lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best white bass & hybrids lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes

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