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Fishing Merganser Lake: what the data says
40-acre lake near Lancaster County. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission survey water. The lake tops out around 12 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 is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Merganser Lake
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 12 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 12 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Merganser Lake
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 3 to 12 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 12 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Crappie fishing at Merganser Lake
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 12 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 12 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 12 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Merganser Lake
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer fish stay in 4 to 12 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 12 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 12 ft that scores prime in winter. 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 | 4 to 12 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 12 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 9 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 5 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 4 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Merganser Lake?
Merganser Lake is about 12 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 Merganser Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Merganser Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Merganser Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Merganser Lake?
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.
Nearby waters
Olive Creek Lake · Wild Plum Lake · Bluestem Lake · Walnut Creek 2A · Cottontail Lake · Yankee Hill Lake
See how Merganser 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 every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.