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Best walleye lakes in Nebraska

70 Nebraska waters hold walleye, 65 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. Low-light predator with reflective eyes. Feeds on structure edges at dawn, dusk and night.

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. Calamus Reservoir — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, White Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites
3. Harlan County Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, White Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites
4. Merritt Reservoir — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites
5. Lewis and Clark Lake — 45 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, CrappieWhy #5: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
6. Sherman Reservoir — 63 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, White Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
7. Red Willow Reservoir — 55 ft max · survey depth data · 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 · survey depth data · Walleye, White Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #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 · survey depth data · 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 · survey depth data · 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 · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
13. Platte River — 25 ft max · Walleye, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Freshwater DrumWhy #13: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
14. Branched Oak Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, White Bass & HybridsWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 12 public access sites
15. Maloney Reservoir — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
16. Box Butte Reservoir — 39 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #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 · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
19. Crescent Lake — 16 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Saugeye, Northern PikeWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
20. Johnson Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, White Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
21. Willow Creek Lake — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, SaugeyeWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
22. Pawnee Lake — 21 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
23. Lake Minatare — 48 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, White Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
24. Enders Reservoir — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
25. Blue Lake — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, SaugeyeWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached

…plus 45 more Nebraska waters holding walleye.

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When to fish walleye in Nebraska

• Spring 4–15 ft — Spawning runs to gravel shoals, rocky shorelines and inflows.
• Summer 15–35 ft — Deep humps and breaklines by day; edges and flats in low light.
• Fall 12–40 ft — Fish steep structure near deep basins; big fish move shallow at night.
• Winter 20–40 ft — Deep basin flats and humps; short dawn/dusk feeding windows.

Also in Nebraska: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best white bass lakes · best saugeye lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie 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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