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10-acre lake in Buffalo County, Nebraska. The lake tops out around 24 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Drawn out, this is 10 acres of water rimmed by 0.7 miles of bank. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.6) — enough points and pockets to pattern. Roughly 56% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 0.3 mi long. The water lies in Buffalo County. For a second option, Bufflehead lies 4 mi west.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 7 to 24 ft. Top water on the chart: Back-bay flat, a weed flat in the 5 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Deep basin (24 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 7 to 24 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 24 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 24 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Deep basin (24 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 24 ft. Back-bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Deep basin (24 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
In spring, brown bullhead run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 12 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 24 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 24 ft, rated prime for winter brown bullhead. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Deep basin (24 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 7 to 24 ft, wintering in 7 to 24 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 24 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (24 ft) | |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | dusk | Deep basin (24 ft) | |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Deep basin (24 ft) |
Spring puts common carp in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 7 to 24 ft. Back-bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring common carp. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (12 ft) | |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Deep basin (24 ft) |
Bassway Strip WMA carries 3 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 24 ft down.
Access data: Nebraska Game & Parks — Boat Ramps. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Nebraska waters are set by the Nebraska Game and Parks — and special regulations can apply to Bassway Strip WMA specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Nebraska fishing regulations →
Bassway Strip WMA is about 24 ft (7 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, channel catfish, common carp on Bassway Strip WMA.
Back-bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Bassway Strip WMA is regulated by the Nebraska Game and Parks. Check the official Nebraska regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Bufflehead 4 mi · Archway Lake 1 5 mi · Windmill Lake 1 6 mi · Kea Lake WMA 8 mi · Yanney Lake 8 mi · North Kearney Rest Stop 9 mi · Cottonmill Lake 11 mi · War Axe Lake 11 mi · Platte River 13 mi · Union Pacific SRA 16 mi · West Wood River Point 18 mi · Cheyenne 19 mi
See how Bassway Strip WMA stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Nebraska · best crappie lakes in Nebraska · best bluegill lakes in Nebraska · best channel catfish lakes in Nebraska
More water nearby: Buffalo County fishing maps (13 charts). Browse all Nebraska fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.