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Fishing Willow Island: what the data says
36-acre lake near Nebraska. The lake tops out around 13 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.
The drawn water covers 36 acres wrapped in 1.1 miles of bank. A shoreline index of 1.3 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory.
Crappie fishing at Willow Island
Spring crappie on Willow Island hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 13 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 13 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 13 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| 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 | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (5 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Willow Island
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 13 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 13 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 13 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (13 ft) | |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dusk | Deep basin (13 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Willow Island
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 13 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 13 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 texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (5 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 13 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Break off the point (5 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Willow Island
Spring bluegill on Willow Island hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 3 to 13 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 13 ft. 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 and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
| 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 | 3 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Break off the point (5 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Walleye fishing at Willow Island
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 3 to 13 ft that time of year. Even in summer they hold at 4 to 13 ft; winter keeps them in 4 to 13 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. Throw a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 13 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 13 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (5 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (13 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
White Bass fishing at Willow Island
Start shallow in spring: white bass sit in 2 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 13 ft; cold water stacks them in 4 to 13 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 13-ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 4 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (13 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 3 to 13 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 4 to 13 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 13 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 5 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Willow Island fishing regulations
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 Willow Island specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Nebraska fishing regulations →
Common questions
How deep is Willow Island?
Willow Island is about 13 ft (4 m) deep 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 Willow Island?
Anglers target largemouth bass, walleye, white bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Willow Island.
Where is the best fishing spot on Willow Island?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
When is the best time to fish Willow Island?
For crappie, 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.
What are the fishing regulations for Willow Island?
Fishing on Willow Island 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.
Nearby waters
East Gothenburg WMA 2 mi · Cozad 5 mi · Lake Helen 7 mi · Darr 13 mi · Johnson Lake 17 mi · Brady Lake 18 mi · Dogwood WMA 27 mi · Medicine Creek 33 mi · Wellfleet Lake 36 mi · Arnold Lake 38 mi · Blue Hole West Lake 38 mi · Maloney Reservoir 39 mi
See how Willow Island 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 see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.