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Best crappie lakes in Nebraska

119 Nebraska waters hold crappie, 118 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. Schooling panfish that suspends around timber, brush and creek channels.

1. Calamus Reservoir — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, White Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites
2. Harlan County Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, White Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites
3. Merritt Reservoir — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites
4. Lewis and Clark Lake — 45 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, CrappieWhy #4: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
5. Sherman Reservoir — 63 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, White Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
6. Red Willow Reservoir — 55 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
7. Swanson Reservoir — 45 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, White Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites
8. DeSoto Bend at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge — 18 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
9. Desoto Bend — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
10. Medicine Creek — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
11. Branched Oak Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, White Bass & HybridsWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 12 public access sites
12. Pelican Lake — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
13. Maloney Reservoir — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
14. Lake Wanahoo — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
15. Box Butte Reservoir — 39 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
16. Cottonwood Steverson Lake — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
17. Crescent Lake — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Saugeye, Northern PikeWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
18. Hackberry Lake — 6 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Yellow PerchWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
19. Johnson Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, White Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
20. Willow Creek Lake — 24 ft max · survey depth data · 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 · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
22. Lake Minatare — 48 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, White Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
23. Enders Reservoir — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
24. Cunningham Lake — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Saugeye, CrappieWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
25. Flanagan Lake — 33 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site

…plus 94 more Nebraska waters holding crappie.

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When to fish crappie in Nebraska

• Spring 2–8 ft — The famous spring bite: brush, timber and docks in protected shallow pockets.
• Summer 10–25 ft — Find suspended schools over channel-edge brush piles and deep timber.
• Fall 8–20 ft — Schools follow shad into creeks; fish channel bends with cover.
• Winter 15–35 ft — Tight schools in deep holes and channel bends; slow 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 bluegill 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

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