Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeShared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
340-acre lake near Garden County. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission survey water. The lake tops out around 20 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. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
The outline encloses 340 acres, worked by 3.2 miles of shoreline. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.2) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. Roughly 80% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. The basin spans about 1.3 mi end to end and 0.5 mi across at its widest. It sits in Garden County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Crescent Lake, is 2 mi to the east.
Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 4 to 15 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 6 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 6 to 20 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 14 ft, rated prime for fall walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (14 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (14 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: saugeye in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 6 to 20 ft, wintering in 6 to 20 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 14 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a crawler harness (shallow) or a jig + crawler gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + twister tail, Blade bait |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Crawler harness (shallow), Jig + crawler |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (14 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging rap |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Blade bait |
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 6 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 6 to 20 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 5 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Come spring, look for northern pike tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (14 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (14 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, muskellunge slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 6 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 14 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Keep a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (14 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 6 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 8 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (14 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Break off the point (14 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Blue Lake also holds largemouth bass (8 to 20 ft in summer), crappie (6 to 20 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer), common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 20 ft.
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 Blue Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Nebraska fishing regulations →
Blue Lake is about 20 ft (6 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 walleye, saugeye, yellow perch, northern pike, muskellunge, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, common carp on Blue Lake.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Blue Lake 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.
Crescent Lake 2 mi · Island Lake 3 mi · North Platte River 27 mi · Lake McConaughy 44 mi · Smith Lake 48 mi · Lake Ogallala 53 mi · Lake Minatare 57 mi · Cottonwood Steverson Lake 61 mi · Box Butte Reservoir 62 mi · Oliver Reservoir 79 mi · Hershey Lake 85 mi · Packers Lake 85 mi, WY
See how Blue Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Nebraska · best smallmouth bass lakes in Nebraska · best walleye lakes in Nebraska · best saugeye lakes in Nebraska
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.