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8-acre lake in Buffalo County, Nebraska. The lake tops out around 27 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
The drawn water covers 8 acres wrapped in 0.5 miles of bank. Nearly circular (index 1.1), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. About 52% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Buffalo County claims this one. Bassway Strip WMA sits 6 mi west — the closest neighbouring chart.
When the water first warms, rainbow trout slide up into 5 to 20 ft. Summer is a 7 to 27 ft game here, winter a 5 to 27 ft one. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 18 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 7 to 27 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (18 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 27 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 5 to 27 ft | dawn | Break off the point (18 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Spring largemouth bass on Windmill Lake 1 hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 27 ft. The chart's best answer is Main-lake point — point, 9 ft, prime for fall. 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 | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (18 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Break off the point (18 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
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 8 to 27 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 26 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 | open water | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (18 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (18 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 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 Deep basin — deep basin, 26 ft, prime for winter. 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 | open water | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (18 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring channel catfish on Windmill Lake 1 hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 27 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 26 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 | open water | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (26 ft) | |
| Fall | 8 to 27 ft | dusk | Deep basin (26 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) |
The chart marks 3 structure features on Windmill Lake 1; the deepest is Deep basin at about 26 ft.
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 Windmill Lake 1 specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Nebraska fishing regulations →
Windmill Lake 1 is about 27 ft (8 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 rainbow trout, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Windmill Lake 1.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For rainbow trout, 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 Windmill Lake 1 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.
Bassway Strip WMA 6 mi · War Axe Lake 6 mi · Platte River 8 mi · Bufflehead 9 mi · Archway Lake 1 11 mi · West Wood River Point 13 mi · Kea Lake WMA 13 mi · Cheyenne 14 mi · Yanney Lake 14 mi · North Kearney Rest Stop 15 mi · Cottonmill Lake 16 mi · Union Pacific SRA 22 mi
See how Windmill Lake 1 stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Nebraska · best crappie lakes in Nebraska · best bluegill lakes in Nebraska · best channel catfish lakes in Nebraska
More water nearby: Buffalo County fishing maps (13 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.