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903-acre lake near Carter Lake. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission survey water. 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. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Drawn out, this is 903 acres of water rimmed by 4.5 miles of bank. A shoreline index of 1.1 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 95% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. The basin spans about 1.5 mi end to end and 1.2 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Pottawattamie County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Carter Lake, 0 mi north of here.
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 7 to 24 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 12 ft, rated prime for winter largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (12 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Break off the point (12 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 7 to 24 ft before dropping to 7 to 24 ft for winter. Winter crappie concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 23 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Dock / pier line (5 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (12 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (12 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Deep basin (23 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 7 to 24 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 1 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Dock / pier line (5 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (12 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Deep basin (23 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 7 to 24 ft; cold water stacks them in 7 to 24 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 23 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | open water | |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (23 ft) | |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | dusk | Deep basin (23 ft) | |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Deep basin (23 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: common carp sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 24 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 23 ft of water that rates prime for common carp in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow feeding flat (19 ft) | |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Deep basin (23 ft) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 8 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 23 ft.
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 Carter Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Nebraska fishing regulations →
Carter Lake 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, channel catfish, common carp on Carter Lake.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in winter. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
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 Carter 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.
Carter Lake 0 mi, IA · Lake Manawa 7 mi, IA · Cunningham Lake 8 mi · Standing Bear Lake 11 mi · Offutt AFB Lake 13 mi · Walnut Creek Reservoir 13 mi · Prairie Queen Recreation Area 14 mi · Flanagan Lake 14 mi · Zorinsky Lake 14 mi · Wehrspann Reservoir 16 mi · Prairie View Lake 16 mi · Lawrence Youngman 16 mi
See how Carter Lake 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: Pottawattamie County fishing maps (5 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.