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336-acre lake near Papillion. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission survey water. The lake tops out around 45 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
The drawn water covers 336 acres wrapped in 3.3 miles of bank. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.3) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. 61% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.4 mi with a 0.5-mi widest point. Sarpy County claims this one. If the bite dies, Wehrspann Reservoir is 2 mi to the west.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: walleye in 4 to 15 ft. As the season builds they drop to 15 to 35 ft, wintering in 20 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 41 ft range, prime in winter. 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 | open water | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow feeding flat (19 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Deep basin (41 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (41 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring largemouth bass on Prairie Queen Recreation Area hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 2 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 (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Dock / pier line (10 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (41 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for white perch tight to the bank in 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 15 to 40 ft in summer and finish the year down in 14 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 41 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning. A small spinner rig drifted or a 1/8 oz jigging spoon is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Summer | 15 to 40 ft | dawn | Deep basin (41 ft) | Small spinner rig drifted, 1/8 oz jigging spoon |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | midday | Deep basin (41 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Blade bait |
| Winter | 14 to 45 ft | dusk | Deep basin (41 ft) | Small rattle spoon, Tungsten + spikes |
Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 2 ft that grades prime for spring. 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 (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Dock / pier line (10 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Dock / pier line (10 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (41 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Early season bluegill use the shallows, holding in 1 to 6 ft. Summer is a 4 to 15 ft game here, winter a 10 to 25 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 2 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| 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 | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Dock / pier line (10 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Shallow feeding flat (19 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring channel catfish on Prairie Queen Recreation Area hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 41 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 | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (19 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Shallow feeding flat (19 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (41 ft) |
5 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 41 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Prairie Queen Recreation Area specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Nebraska fishing regulations →
Prairie Queen Recreation Area is about 45 ft (14 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 walleye, largemouth bass, white perch, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Prairie Queen Recreation Area.
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. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
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.
Fishing on Prairie Queen Recreation Area 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.
Wehrspann Reservoir 2 mi · Walnut Creek Reservoir 3 mi · Wehrspann Basin 3 mi · Zorinsky Lake 5 mi · Cedar Creek Lake 7 mi · Lawrence Youngman 9 mi · Standing Bear Lake 11 mi · Louisville 2 11 mi · Louisville 3 11 mi · Flanagan Lake 12 mi · Offutt AFB Lake 12 mi · Two Rivers Lake 5 13 mi
See how Prairie Queen Recreation Area stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Nebraska · best walleye lakes in Nebraska · best crappie lakes in Nebraska · best bluegill lakes in Nebraska
More water nearby: Sarpy County fishing maps (6 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.