Branched Oak Lake is a reservoir in Nebraska, near Lancaster County.
Branched Oak Lake is a reservoir in Lancaster County, Nebraska with 1,759.9 acres, a recorded maximum depth of 30 feet and about 122,255.6 acre-feet of storage.
Branched Oak is the largest lake near Lincoln. Its creek arms, rocky dam area and open middle hold very different groups of fish.
With only 30 feet at its deepest recorded spot, Branched Oak Lake often rewards careful work along weeds, flats and minor drops.
For the reservoir, treat one creek arm as a small lake for bass and crappie, then make a separate open-water pass for walleye, striped bass or wipers.
Fish listed for the reservoir include Black Crappie, Blue Catfish, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Flathead Catfish, Freshwater Drum, Largemouth Bass, Striped Bass, Walleye, White Crappie, White Perch, and Wiper.
For largemouth bass at Branched Oak Lake, try a plastic worm, jig or spinnerbait around weeds, wood and quiet points.
For black crappie at Branched Oak Lake, try a small jig or minnow beside brush, weed edges and drop-offs; for white crappie at the reservoir, try a small jig or minnow around wood, creek channels and open-water schools. For bluegill at Branched Oak Lake, try a worm, tiny jig or cricket near weeds and shallow cover; for white perch at the reservoir, try a small jig or minnow where schools gather along drops and open flats.
For walleye at Branched Oak Lake, try a jig and minnow, crawler rig or crankbait on points, flats and channel edges; for wiper at the reservoir, try a shad-colored swimbait, spoon or crankbait cast to fast-moving schools. For striped bass at the reservoir, try a shad-colored swimbait, spoon or crankbait worked at the depth of the bait; for freshwater drum at the reservoir, try a worm, jig or small piece of cut bait near bottom.
For channel catfish at Branched Oak Lake, try cut bait, a nightcrawler or prepared bait on flats and channel edges; for blue catfish at the reservoir, try fresh cut bait near deep holes, channel turns and moving water. For flathead catfish at Branched Oak Lake, try live bait or fresh cut bait near wood, rocks and deep channel bends; for common carp at the reservoir, try corn, dough bait or a worm on a simple bottom rig.
As Branched Oak Lake warms in spring, check shallow cover and the first drop leading away from it. By summer, use shade, wind and baitfish to choose a depth on Branched Oak Lake; the deepest hole is not an automatic answer. In fall, follow cooling water and moving bait toward points, green weeds and wind-hit banks at Branched Oak Lake.
On the first pass at Branched Oak Lake, use one moving bait to find active fish and one slower bait to work the best-looking cover, changing depth before replacing everything in the box.
Wind can help on Branched Oak Lake by pushing food toward a bank or point, but hard wind can muddy shallow water; compare the windy side with one protected area before settling in.
Keep a short note after fishing Branched Oak Lake: water color, wind direction, useful depth and the cover that produced. Those details from Branched Oak Lake make the next trip easier to plan.
A medium spinning rod with 8- to 12-pound line covers jigs, small crankbaits and many bait rigs on Branched Oak Lake; add a heavier outfit only when the listed fish or thick cover calls for it.
Compare a wind-hit point with a protected creek side on Branched Oak Lake, and let clearer water or visible bait decide the next move.
A good first choice on Branched Oak Lake is a simple lure or bait; change its depth before replacing everything in the box.
No. The number for Branched Oak Lake only marks its deepest recorded spot; fish may be much shallower near food, cover or comfortable water.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.
Source dates describe the evidence, not a live catch forecast. Check the managing authority before planning access or keeping fish.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.