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Fishing Oliver Reservoir: what the data says
521-acre reservoir near Kimball County. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission survey water. The lake tops out around 21 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 Oliver Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 21 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. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Oliver Reservoir
Spring bluegill on Oliver Reservoir hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 21 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Crappie fishing at Oliver Reservoir
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 21 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 21 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 21 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. 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 | 6 to 21 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Oliver Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 21 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 21 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 21 ft that scores prime in winter. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday |
Walleye fishing at Oliver Reservoir
Spring walleye on Oliver Reservoir hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 6 to 21 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 21 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for fall 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 | 6 to 21 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
White Bass fishing at Oliver Reservoir
Spring white bass on Oliver Reservoir hold shallow, usually 2 to 12 ft. They move out to 6 to 21 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 21 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 21 ft of water that rates prime for white bass in winter. 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 | 6 to 21 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Fall | 5 to 21 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | see map |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 21 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 20 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 6 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Oliver Reservoir?
Oliver Reservoir is about 21 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 Oliver Reservoir?
Anglers target largemouth bass, walleye, white bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Oliver Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Oliver Reservoir?
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 Oliver Reservoir?
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
Lake Minatare · Box Butte Reservoir · Blue Lake · Crescent Lake · Island Lake · North Platte River
See how Oliver Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Nebraska · best walleye lakes in Nebraska · best white bass lakes in Nebraska · best crappie 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.