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1,491-acre lake near Garden County. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission survey water. The lake tops out around 16 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Drawn out, this is 1,491 acres of water rimmed by 6.3 miles of bank. Its 1.2 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Figure 2.5 mi of water from one end to the other, 1.3 mi at the beam. You'll find it in Garden County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Blue Lake, 2 mi west of here.
Spring walleye on Crescent Lake hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 16 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 16 ft. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 5 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (5 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (16 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Come spring, look for saugeye tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 5 to 16 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 16 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 5 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is the evening and early morning. A crawler harness (shallow) or a jig + crawler is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + twister tail, Blade bait |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Crawler harness (shallow), Jig + crawler |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging rap |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (16 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Blade bait |
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 5 to 16 ft game here, winter a 5 to 16 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 16 ft, prime for fall. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dawn | Deep basin (16 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (16 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 16 ft before dropping to 5 to 15 ft for winter. Spring northern pike concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 2 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (5 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: muskellunge sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 16 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 16 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 5 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 4 to 16 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (5 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Deep basin (16 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 16 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 16 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring 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 (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (5 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Break off the point (5 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Crescent Lake also holds crappie (5 to 16 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 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.
Structure-wise the chart holds 5 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 16 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 Crescent Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Nebraska fishing regulations →
Crescent Lake is about 16 ft (5 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, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, common carp on Crescent Lake.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Crescent 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.
Blue Lake 2 mi · Island Lake 2 mi · North Platte River 26 mi · Lake McConaughy 43 mi · Smith Lake 49 mi · Lake Ogallala 51 mi · Lake Minatare 58 mi · Cottonwood Steverson Lake 61 mi · Box Butte Reservoir 63 mi · Oliver Reservoir 81 mi · Hershey Lake 83 mi · Shell Lake 86 mi
See how Crescent Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Nebraska · best walleye lakes in Nebraska · best saugeye lakes in Nebraska · best northern pike 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.