Willow Creek Lake

Willow Creek Lake is a reservoir in Pierce County, Nebraska with 714.8 acres, a recorded maximum depth of 24 feet and about 6,838 acre-feet of storage.

Willow Creek has a main creek arm, points and open-water room for saugeye, walleye, white bass and wipers.

How to Fish Willow Creek Lake

The best map clues on Willow Creek Lake are points, creek turns and places where shallow water meets a quick drop.

For the reservoir, check points that touch the old creek channel, and watch open water for bait pushed up by wind.

Fish and Baits at Willow Creek Lake

Fish listed for the reservoir include Black Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Walleye, White Bass, White Crappie, and Wiper.

Bass

For largemouth bass at Willow Creek Lake, try a plastic worm, jig or spinnerbait around weeds, wood and quiet points.

Crappie, Sunfish and Perch

For black crappie at Willow Creek 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 Willow Creek Lake, try a worm, tiny jig or cricket near weeds and shallow cover.

Walleye and Open-Water Fish

For walleye at Willow Creek Lake, try a jig and minnow, crawler rig or crankbait on points, flats and channel edges; for saugeye at the reservoir, try a jig, crankbait or crawler rig along rocky points and the old creek channel. For white bass at Willow Creek Lake, try a small spoon, jig or shad-colored crankbait where baitfish bunch up; for wiper at the reservoir, try a shad-colored swimbait, spoon or crankbait cast to fast-moving schools.

Catfish and Carp

For channel catfish at Willow Creek Lake, try cut bait, a nightcrawler or prepared bait on flats and channel edges; for common carp at the reservoir, try corn, dough bait or a worm on a simple bottom rig.

Seasonal Fishing at Willow Creek Lake

As Willow Creek Lake warms in spring, check shallow cover and the first drop leading away from it. During summer at Willow Creek Lake, fish early around shallow cover, then back out toward the creek path or a nearby drop. In fall, follow cooling water and moving bait toward points, green weeds and wind-hit banks at Willow Creek Lake.

A Practical Plan for Willow Creek Lake

On the first pass at Willow Creek 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 Willow Creek 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 Willow Creek Lake: water color, wind direction, useful depth and the cover that produced. Those details from Willow Creek Lake make the next trip easier to plan.

Tackle for Willow Creek Lake

A medium spinning rod with 8- to 12-pound line covers jigs, small crankbaits and many bait rigs on Willow Creek Lake; add a heavier outfit only when the listed fish or thick cover calls for it.

Willow Creek Lake FAQs

What should I check first after the wind changes on Willow Creek Lake?

Compare a wind-hit point with a protected creek side on Willow Creek Lake, and let clearer water or visible bait decide the next move.

What is a simple bait for white bass at Willow Creek Lake?

A good first choice on Willow Creek Lake is a spoon or small crankbait; change its depth before replacing everything in the box.

Does the 24-foot maximum tell me where fish hold in Willow Creek Lake?

No. The number for Willow Creek Lake only marks its deepest recorded spot; fish may be much shallower near food, cover or comfortable water.