Desoto Bend is a lake in Washington County, Nebraska.
Desoto Bend is a lake in Washington County, Nebraska with 760 acres, a recorded maximum depth of 24 feet and about 8,074.7 acre-feet of storage.
DeSoto Bend is an old Missouri River bend. Its curved shape, shallow flats and old channel edge are the main map clues.
With only 24 feet at its deepest recorded spot, Desoto Bend often rewards careful work along weeds, flats and minor drops.
For the lake, fish the old channel swing for depth, then check nearby wood and weeds for bass, crappie and catfish.
Fish listed for the lake include Black Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, and White Crappie.
For largemouth bass at Desoto Bend, try a plastic worm, jig or spinnerbait around weeds, wood and quiet points.
For black crappie at Desoto Bend, try a small jig or minnow beside brush, weed edges and drop-offs; for white crappie at the lake, try a small jig or minnow around wood, creek channels and open-water schools. For bluegill at Desoto Bend, try a worm, tiny jig or cricket near weeds and shallow cover.
For walleye at Desoto Bend, try a jig and minnow, crawler rig or crankbait on points, flats and channel edges; for white bass at the lake, try a small spoon, jig or shad-colored crankbait where baitfish bunch up.
For channel catfish at Desoto Bend, try cut bait, a nightcrawler or prepared bait on flats and channel edges; for common carp at the lake, try corn, dough bait or a worm on a simple bottom rig.
As Desoto Bend warms in spring, check shallow cover and the first drop leading away from it. Summer fishing on Desoto Bend is often best along healthy weeds, clean pockets and the windblown side before the water gets too dirty. In fall, follow cooling water and moving bait toward points, green weeds and wind-hit banks at Desoto Bend.
On the first pass at Desoto Bend, 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 Desoto Bend 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 Desoto Bend: water color, wind direction, useful depth and the cover that produced. Those details from Desoto Bend 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 Desoto Bend; add a heavier outfit only when the listed fish or thick cover calls for it.
Compare the windy weed edge with a protected bank on Desoto Bend, then stay with the side that has cleaner water and signs of bait.
A good first choice on Desoto Bend is a simple lure or bait; change its depth before replacing everything in the box.
No. The number for Desoto Bend 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.