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Fishing Lake McConaughy: what the data says
30,500-acre reservoir near Ogallala. The lake tops out around 110 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Walleye fishing at Lake McConaughy
Spring walleye on Lake McConaughy hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 15 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. Offshore hump is the standout, a offshore hump at roughly 17 ft, rated prime for summer 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
White Bass fishing at Lake McConaughy
Spring white bass on Lake McConaughy hold shallow, usually 2 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Offshore hump: a offshore hump around 17 ft that scores prime in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | see map |
White Bass & Hybrids fishing at Lake McConaughy
Start shallow in spring: white bass & hybrids sit in 3 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Offshore hump: a offshore hump around 17 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Lake McConaughy
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Rock reef: a rock pile around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Channel Catfish fishing at Lake McConaughy
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Feeding flat: a feeding flat around 15 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Lake McConaughy
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Rock reef: a rock pile around 14 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 110 ft
- Deepest basin: deep basin, around 100 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 72 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 63 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 59 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 38 ft
- Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 33 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 32 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 29 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 28 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 19 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 17 ft
- Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 15 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 14 ft
Common questions
How deep is Lake McConaughy?
Lake McConaughy is about 110 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Lake McConaughy?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, white bass, channel catfish, rainbow trout, white bass & hybrids on Lake McConaughy.
Where is the best fishing spot on Lake McConaughy?
Offshore hump is the top-rated area: a offshore hump in about 17 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Lake McConaughy?
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.
Nearby waters
Lake Ogallala · North Platte River · Crescent Lake · Island Lake · Blue Lake · Hershey Lake
See how Lake McConaughy stacks up: best walleye lakes in Nebraska · best white bass lakes in Nebraska · best channel catfish lakes in Nebraska · best white bass & hybrids lakes in Nebraska
Browse all Nebraska fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.