← Nebraska fishing maps

Best rainbow trout lakes in Nebraska

21 Nebraska waters hold rainbow trout, 21 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 stocked cold-water trout. Depth is everything: rainbows follow the temperature layer they like.

1. Lake McConaughy — 110 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Channel CatfishWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 16 public access sites
2. Lake Ogallala — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Common CarpWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
3. Holmes Lake — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
4. Twin Lakes WMA (East) — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
5. Fremont Lake 15 — 14 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites
6. Grove Lake — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, BluegillWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
7. Fremont Lake 20 — 18 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
8. Fremont Lake 10 — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
9. Fremont Lake 7 and 8 — 12 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
10. Bowling Lake — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
11. Fremont Lake 5 — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
12. Fremont Lake 12 — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
13. Fremont Lakes 2 — 18 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
14. Yanney Lake — 27 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
15. Fremont Lakes 1 — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
16. Fremont Lake 16 — 12 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
17. Fremont Lake 18 — 18 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
18. Fremont Lake 4 — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
19. Two Rivers Lake 5 — 27 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
20. Windmill Lake 1 — 27 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
21. Fremont Lake 9 — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site

Find the closest rainbow trout waters to you →

When to fish rainbow trout in Nebraska

• Spring 5–20 ft — Post-ice-out trout roam shallow; fish inflows and windblown shorelines.
• Summer 8–30 ft — Rainbows hold near cold inflows, current seams and the thermocline — find the cool water and you've found the fish.
• Fall 10–35 ft — Fall feeding on rock shoals, current and channel edges as water cools.
• Winter 8–40 ft — Trout are comfortable in cold water — one of the best winter targets; streams and tailwaters fish shallow, deep lakes hold on basin edges.

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 channel catfish 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

Rainbow Trout elsewhere: Ontario · Wisconsin · Minnesota · British Columbia · Québec · Michigan · Germany · Maine · New Hampshire · New York · Montana · Saskatchewan · Massachusetts · Wyoming · Washington · Indiana · North Dakota · Alberta · Connecticut · California · Missouri · Vermont · Alaska · Utah · Arizona · Colorado · New Mexico · West Virginia · Mississippi · Idaho · New Jersey · Kentucky · Alabama · Oregon · Tennessee · Georgia · Nevada · Rhode Island · Pennsylvania · Maryland