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207-acre lake near Richardson County. 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Kirkmans Cove Lake maps at 207 acres behind 2.4 miles of shoreline. A shoreline index of 1.2 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 70% of this chart. Figure 1 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.5 mi at the beam. Richardson County claims this one. Iron Horse Trail Lake sits 11 mi southwest — the closest neighbouring chart.
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 7 to 24 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (11 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 | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Break off the point (11 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 7 to 24 ft, and by winter most fish are in 7 to 24 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 24 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (11 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (11 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 |
Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 24 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (4 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (11 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Deep basin (24 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 7 to 24 ft, then a winter hold in 7 to 24 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 24 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 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 common carp on Kirkmans Cove Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 3 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 24 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Deep basin (24 ft) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 5 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 24 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 Kirkmans Cove Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Nebraska fishing regulations →
Kirkmans Cove 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 Kirkmans Cove Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 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 Kirkmans Cove 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.
Iron Horse Trail Lake 11 mi · Verdon Lake 14 mi · Lake Burchard 17 mi · Pony Creek Lake 20 mi, KS · Wolf Wildcat Lake 27 mi · Brickyard Hill Conservation Area 30 mi, MO · Rockford Lake 31 mi · Centralia Lake 35 mi, KS · Lake Virginia 37 mi, IA · Big Indian Creek Reservoir 38 mi · Hedgefield Lake 42 mi · Wagon Train 44 mi
See how Kirkmans Cove 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
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.