Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeShared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
242-acre lake near Swan Lake. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission survey water. The lake tops out around 8 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.
Traced from the shoreline, Swan Lake runs 242 acres with 2.8 miles of edge. Its 1.3 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Call it 1.2 mi long by 0.5 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in Holt County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Calamus Reservoir, 23 mi southwest of here.
Spring yellow perch on Swan Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 8 ft in summer, 2 to 8 ft once it turns cold. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 2 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Deep basin (8 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Deep basin (8 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (8 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 8 ft, and they winter in 2 to 8 ft. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 2 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. 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 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Break off the point (6 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Deep basin (8 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 2 to 8 ft before dropping to 2 to 8 ft for winter. 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 | 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 | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Deep basin (8 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 8 ft, and they winter in 2 to 8 ft. Winter channel catfish concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 8 ft. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dusk | Deep basin (8 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Deep basin (8 ft) |
Swan Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 8 ft down.
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 Swan Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Nebraska fishing regulations →
Swan Lake is about 8 ft (2 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 yellow perch, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Swan Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For yellow perch, the summer bite is best in 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 Swan 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.
Calamus Reservoir 23 mi · Goose Lake 25 mi · Twin Lakes South 25 mi · Twin Lakes North 25 mi · Pibel Lake SRA 38 mi · Grove Lake 49 mi · Willow Lake 54 mi · Sherman Reservoir 59 mi · Willow Creek Lake 75 mi · Niobrara River 77 mi · Roosevelt Lake 77 mi, SD · Arnold Lake 79 mi
See how Swan 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 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.