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Fishing Swanson Reservoir: what the data says
4,974-acre reservoir near Trenton. 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Walleye fishing at Swanson Reservoir
Spring walleye on Swanson Reservoir hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 15 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 35 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
White Bass fishing at Swanson Reservoir
In spring, white bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 9 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | see map |
Crappie fishing at Swanson Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Back-bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 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 | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Swanson Reservoir
Spring channel catfish on Swanson Reservoir hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Shallow feeding flat, a feeding flat in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday |
Flathead Catfish fishing at Swanson Reservoir
Spring flathead catfish on Swanson Reservoir hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 45 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 45 ft, rated prime for winter flathead catfish. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 45 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 35 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 20 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 18 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 11 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 9 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 6 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Swanson Reservoir?
Swanson Reservoir is about 45 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 Swanson Reservoir?
Anglers target walleye, white bass, crappie, channel catfish, flathead catfish on Swanson Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Swanson Reservoir?
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 35 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Swanson Reservoir?
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.
Nearby waters
Red Willow Reservoir · Hayes Center · Enders Reservoir · Rock Creek · Wellfleet Lake · Medicine Creek
See how Swanson Reservoir stacks up: best walleye lakes in Nebraska · best white bass lakes in Nebraska · best crappie 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.