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740-acre lake near Emerald. 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. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
The drawn water covers 623 acres wrapped in 6.3 miles of bank. A middling shoreline index (1.8) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 79% of this chart. End to end it runs roughly 1.8 mi, about 1 mi across. Lancaster County claims this one. If the bite dies, Twin Lakes WMA (East) is 4 mi to the west.
Spring largemouth bass on Pawnee Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 21 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.
| 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 (9 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (10 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Break off the point (9 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: walleye in 4 to 15 ft. As the season builds they drop to 6 to 21 ft, wintering in 6 to 21 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 9 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Secondary point (10 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (21 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 6 to 21 ft, then a winter hold in 6 to 21 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 21 ft that grades prime for 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 | 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 | 6 to 21 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Deep basin (21 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring flathead catfish on Pawnee Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 6 to 21 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 21 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 21 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (21 ft) | |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (21 ft) | |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (21 ft) | |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Deep basin (21 ft) |
Spring channel catfish on Pawnee Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 6 to 21 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 21 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 21 ft, prime for 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 | 6 to 21 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (21 ft) | |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | dusk | Deep basin (21 ft) | |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Deep basin (21 ft) |
The chart marks 6 structure features on Pawnee Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 21 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 Pawnee Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Nebraska fishing regulations →
Pawnee Lake is about 21 ft (6 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, walleye, crappie, flathead catfish, channel catfish on Pawnee 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. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
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 Pawnee 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.
Twin Lakes WMA (East) 4 mi · Twin Lakes WMA (West) 5 mi · Bowling Lake 5 mi · Conestoga Lake 6 mi · Branched Oak Lake 9 mi · Yankee Hill Lake 10 mi · Walnut Creek 2A 13 mi · Meadowlark Lake 13 mi · Wildwood Lake 13 mi · Holmes Lake 14 mi · Cottontail Lake 15 mi · Bluestem Lake 15 mi
See how Pawnee Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Nebraska · best walleye lakes in Nebraska · best crappie lakes in Nebraska · best channel catfish lakes in Nebraska
More water nearby: Lancaster County fishing maps (15 charts). 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.