Lake Minatare fishing: Muskellunge, White Bass, White Crappie

Target species: Muskellunge, White Bass, White Crappie, Rock Bass, Yellow Perch

The reservoir

Lake Minatare covers 1,732 acres in Nebraska, across Scotts Bluff County. It is a reservoir: the deepest point measured is at least 48 feet (14.6 m); at the dam, USGS RESSED gives 99 feet (30.2 m) at full pool. Our records hold 6 species for this water.

5 target fish, led by Muskellunge

  • Muskellunge — Feeding water: 65–75°F.
  • White Bass — Feeding water: 65–75°F.
  • White Crappie — Feeding water: 65–75°F.
  • Rock Bass — Feeding water: 65–75°F.
  • Yellow Perch — Feeding water: 45–75°F.

Also recorded here: Common Carp.

Lake Minatare Lighthouse.jpg
Vince Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0

Depth and bottom

Deepest measured point: at least 48 ft (14.6 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. USGS RESSED gives 99 ft (30.2 m) at the dam at full pool: a measured figure, not a survey map. We hold 46 depth contour lines for this water.

  • 0–3 ft: 0.7% of the water
  • 3–6 ft: 0.8% of the water
  • 6–9 ft: 1.3% of the water
  • 9–12 ft: 2.6% of the water
  • 12–15 ft: 3.8% of the water
  • 15–18 ft: 4.5% of the water
  • 18–21 ft: 5.3% of the water
  • 21–24 ft: 7.1% of the water
  • 24–27 ft: 8.1% of the water
  • 27–30 ft: 9.8% of the water
  • 30–33 ft: 9.2% of the water
  • 33–36 ft: 8.8% of the water
  • 36–39 ft: 7.1% of the water
  • 39–42 ft: 6.7% of the water
  • 42–45 ft: 13% of the water
  • 45–48 ft: 11.4% of the water

Water and conditions

Water clarity runs 3–14.5 feet on our readings, averaging 8.2 feet, from 35 readings. Our water temperature readings average 70°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. pH averages 8.6. These readings span 2017–2024.

Lake Minatare Lighthouse (cropped).jpg
Vince Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0

What is hard here

Clarity swings from 3 to 14.5 feet between our readings — the water you meet is not the water someone photographed.

Where this data comes from

  • Nebraska Game and Parks — Nebraska Game and Parks: depth contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • USGS RESSED — USGS RESSED reservoir sedimentation database: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.
  • EPA NLA — EPA National Lakes Assessment: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.
  • U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (RISE) — USBR area-capacity tables (RISE): class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.
  • Webster, K.E., McCullough, I.M., Soranno, P.A. LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0, EDI, doi:10.6073/pasta/64ddc4d04661d9aef4bd702dc5d8984f (CC BY 4.0); Cheruvelil et al. LAGOS-US LOCUS v1.0 (EDI) — LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0: Lake depth for 17,675 lakes in the conterminous U.S.: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.