Lake Nanih Waiya Depth Map & Fishing Spots (OK)

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Lake depth chart

Lake Nanih Waiya, OK

Max 25 ft

Today's read

Where to start

Fall shad migration window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shad migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Dec 15 · upper ends and stained creeks turn on first, the main lake follows; Deep-South creeks hold bait into December

adultall day, best mid-afternoon as the sun warms the bait — the rare pattern where you can sleep in — follow the bait, not the structure: gulls, herons and egrets diving or stacked in a creek mean the shad (and the bass) are there — run and gun until you find flickering bait or surface activity

Concentrates hard but unevenly — whole stretches go empty while one creek loads up. The birds are the map.

Creek-arm run-and-gun: lipless crankbait and squarebill through the flats and ditches, walking topwater over surface schools, a 3/8 oz spinnerbait around isolated cover along the creek channel. Downsize to match the young-of-year shad; jerkbaits are the sleeper.

The event happens over backs of creek arms, pockets and ditches, secondary points on the way in, and main-lake flats where the bait balls roam

Willow fly (summer mayfly)Active window

Typical here: Apr 1 – Oct 31 · recurring broods all summer — the heart of it is June–July, famously around July 4th on the Tennessee River lakes; any one hatch lasts days to ~3 weeks

dunhatches at dusk — clouds of bugs just before dark, continuing into the night — after hatching they fly to shoreline foliage — trees near lighted docks get covered; the feeding zone is the water under bug-loaded overhanging bushes and willows
spinnerthe following days: mating, egg drop and spent flies falling from the overhangs — the bream bite under the bushes runs as long as the bugs do

A two-level event: bream stack under the bug trees, and the big bass stack under the bream. Fish the same bushes twice — small for bream, big for the bass just outside them.

Crickets or small poppers under a float tight to the bug-covered bushes for bream; beetle spins and hair jigs just under the surface; for the bass, run a bluegill-pattern topwater or squarebill down the outside edge of the overhangs.

The event happens over under and just outside overhanging willows and bushes on steep banks; trees near lighted docks after dark

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageFeb 15 – May 15 · in ~6 months

Shad spawn · baitfishMar 15 – Jun 15 · in ~6 months

Bluegill spawn (bream-bed bass) · forageMay 1 – Jul 31 · in ~8 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are generated from real agency depth surveys; use the survey badge for the provider, dataset, datum and measured coverage. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Lake Nanih Waiya

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Lake Nanih Waiya on the board.

Fishing Lake Nanih Waiya: what the data says

105-acre reservoir in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma. The lake tops out around 25 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.

On the chart, Lake Nanih Waiya draws 105 acres inside 2.4 miles of shoreline. Index 1.7 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 82% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. Call it 0.6 mi long by 0.5 mi wide at the broadest reach. The water lies in Pushmataha County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Sardis Lake, 6 mi west of here.

Bluegill fishing at Lake Nanih Waiya

The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 15 ft, wintering in 10 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 2 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 6 ft	midday & dusk	Shallow bay flat (2 ft)	1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings)
Summer	4 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (2 ft)	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday	Break off the point (10 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	10 to 25 ft	midday	Deep basin (24 ft)	Tiny spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at Lake Nanih Waiya

In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 25 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 24 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. Time it for after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Shallow bay flat (2 ft)
Summer	8 to 25 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (24 ft)
Fall	8 to 25 ft	dusk	Deep basin (24 ft)
Winter	8 to 25 ft	midday	Deep basin (24 ft)

Crappie fishing at Lake Nanih Waiya

Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 25 ft, wintering in 8 to 25 ft. Winter crappie concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 24 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (2 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (10 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Break off the point (10 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	8 to 25 ft	midday	Deep basin (24 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake Nanih Waiya

In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 25 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (2 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (10 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (4 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	8 to 25 ft	midday	Break off the point (10 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Notable structure

Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 24 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 24 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 10 ft
Secondary point: point, around 7 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 4 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp

Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Lake Nanih Waiya fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Oklahoma waters are set by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation — and special regulations can apply to Lake Nanih Waiya specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Oklahoma fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Lake Nanih Waiya?

Lake Nanih Waiya is about 25 ft (8 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.

What fish are in Lake Nanih Waiya?

Anglers target bluegill, channel catfish, crappie, largemouth bass on Lake Nanih Waiya.

Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Nanih Waiya?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish Lake Nanih Waiya?

For bluegill, 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Lake Nanih Waiya?

Fishing on Lake Nanih Waiya is regulated by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Check the official Oklahoma regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.

Nearby waters

Sardis Lake 6 mi · Carl Albert Lake 16 mi · Lloyd Church Lake 17 mi · Lake Wayne Wallace 25 mi · Lake Ozzie Cobb 27 mi · Cedar Lake 36 mi · Wister Lake 36 mi · Schooler Lake 37 mi · McGee Creek Reservoir 38 mi · Eufaula Lake 39 mi · Hugo Lake 39 mi · John Wells Lake 43 mi

See how Lake Nanih Waiya stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Oklahoma · best crappie lakes in Oklahoma · best bluegill lakes in Oklahoma · best channel catfish lakes in Oklahoma

Browse all Oklahoma fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.