Southwest Region Fishing Reports
Fishing reports provide general angling information from KDWPT staff. The department cannot update the reports on a regular, frequent basis. Many factors determine angling success, and fishing conditions and individual fishing success may vary from the report. Anglers are responsible for deciding what species to fish for, what methods to use, and where and when to fish. You can help fellow anglers by sharing successful fishing notes at http://www.facebook.com/kdwpt.
BARBER STATE FISHING LAKE - LOWER - Last Updated: 4/10/2024
| Species | Rating | Sizes Possible | Baits, Method, & Location |
| Crappie | Poor to Fair | Up to 12 inches | Try jigs & minnows around brush and weeds near structure. |
| Channel Catfish | Fair | Most in the 1 lb. size range | Fishing cut bait or stink bait lake near shallow flats. |
| Largemouth bass | Fair to Good | Up to 4 lbs. | Try using soft plastics and crank baits near structure. |
| Sunfish | Fair | Up to 8 inches | Worms under a bobber and small jigs fished vertically around brush. |
| Walleye | Fair | Up to 4 lbs | Try using large crankbaits or jigs near rocks and points |
CLARK STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 4/12/2024
| Species | Rating | Sizes Possible | Baits, Method, & Location |
| Crappie | Slow | Up to 12 inches | Drifting jigs over deeper water in the main body of the lake or vertically fishing minnows, jigs, and slab spoons over the tops of the fish attractors and other deeper structures. Harvest regulations include 50/day creel limit. |
| Channel Catfish | Fair | Most in the 1 lb size range | Fishing cut bait or stink bait lake wide. Harvest regulations is 5/day creel limit. |
| Largemouth bass | No report | Up to 4 lbs | Casting soft plastics, swimbaits and jerk baits around fish attractors, shoreline brush and vegetation along sun-warmed shorelines. Harvest regulations include a 15-inch minimum length limit and 5/day creel limit. |
| Bluegill/Redear | No report | Up to 8 inches | Worms under a bobber and small jigs fished vertically around brush in deeper water. There are no harvest restrictions at this time. |
| Walleye | Slow | Up to 4 lbs | Casting crankbaits and swimbaits over points, shelves, and along rip-rapped shorelines adjacent to deeper water. Harvest regulations include a 15-inch minimum length limit and 5/day creel limit. |
| White Bass
| Fair | Whites up to 17 inches | Trolling crankbaits or vertically fishing slab spoons over the tops of fish attractors or prominent windblown main lake points and shelves. Most of the larger white bass range from 12 to 17 inches.. |
Water temps should be in the mid 50s. We have received very few reports from anglers. You may call the Dodge City Regional office as 620-227-8609 to make a report. Regular reporting will resume in April of 2023.
Please discard of leftover bait in a trash can, even baitfish. Remember it is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water!
HORSETHIEF RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 4/12/2024
| Species | Rating | Sizes Possible | Baits, Method, & Location |
| Crappie | Slow | Up to 12 inches | Crappie are starting to move shallower. Casting jigs over or vertically fishing minnows, jigs, and slab spoons over the tops of the fish attractors and other deeper structures. Harvest regulations include 50/day creel limit. |
| Channel Catfish | Slow | Most in the 1 lb size range | Fishing cut bait or stink bait lake wide. Harvest regulations are 5/day creel limit. |
| Largemouth bass | No report | Up to 4 lbs | Casting soft plastics, swimbaits and jerk baits around fish attractors, shoreline brush and vegetation along sun-warmed shorelines. Harvest regulations include a 15-inch minimum length limit and 5/day creel limit. |
| Bluegill/Redear | No report | Up to 8 inches | Worms under a bobber and small jigs fished vertically around brush in deeper water. There are no harvest restrictions at this time. |
| Walleye/saugeye | Slow | Up to 4 lbs | Still catching walleye/saugeye along the dam by casting small jigs, jerkbaits and swimbaits. Harvest regulations include a 15-inch minimum length limit and 5/day creel limit. |
Water temps should be in the mid 50s. We have received very few reports from anglers. You may call the Dodge City Regional office as 620-227-8609 to make a report. Regular reporting will resume in April of 2023.
Please discard of leftover bait in a trash can, even baitfish. Remember it is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water!
MEADE STATE LAKE - Last Updated: 4/12/2024
| Species | Rating | Sizes Possible | Baits, Method, & Location |
| Crappie | No report | Up to 12 inches | Drifting jigs over deeper water in the main body of the lake or vertically fishing minnows, jigs, and slab spoons over the tops of the fish attractors and other deeper structures. Harvest regulations include 50/day creel limit. |
| Channel Catfish | Slow | Most in the 1 - 2 lb size range | Fishing cut bait or stink bait lake wide. Harvest regulations are 5/day creel limit. |
| Largemouth bass | No report | Up to 4 lbs | Casting soft plastics, swimbaits and jerk baits around fish attractors, shoreline brush and vegetation along sun-warmed shorelines. Harvest regulations include a 13 - 18 inch slot length limit and 5/day creel limit. |
| Bluegill/Redear | No report | Up to 8 inches | Worms under a bobber and small jigs fished vertically around brush in deeper water. There are no harvest restrictions at this time. |
| Saugeye | No report | Up to 5 lbs | Casting crankbaits and swimbaits over points, shelves, and along rip-rapped shorelines adjacent to deeper water. Harvest regulations include a 15-inch minimum length limit and 5/day creel limit. |
Water temperature should be in the mid 50s. We have received very few reports from anglers. Crappie should be starting to move shallow. You may call the Dodge City Regional office as 620-227-8609 to make a report.
Please discard of leftover bait in a trash can, even baitfish. Remember it is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water!
PRATT COUNTY LAKE - Last Updated: 4/10/2024
| Species | Rating | Sizes Possible | Baits, Method, & Location |
| Crappie | Fair | 4-8" | Try jigs or minnows near structure. |
| Channel Catfish | Fair to Good | Most in the 1-2 lb size range but up to 7 lbs | Fishing cut bait or stink bait lake wide on warmer days. |
| Largemouth bass | Fair to Good | Up to 18 inches | Try using soft plastics or crank baits near rocks on warmer days. |
| Bluegill | Fair | Up to 8 inches | Worms under a bobber and small jigs fished vertically around brush and rocks. |
| Walleye | Fair | Up to 21" | Try large jigs, jerk baits, and crank baits near shallow rocks. |
| Wipers | Poor to Fair | Up to 18" | Jigs, spoons, and crank baits around windblown points. |
SCOTT STATE LAKE - Last Updated: 4/14/2024
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
| Channel Catfish | Fair | Most in the 13 to 18 inch range | Still fishing cut bait on shallow, sun-warmed flats. |
| Crappie | Fair/Good | Up to 15 inches | With recent warm weather, fish have begun to move shallow in preparation for spawning. Fishing jigs or minnows under a bobber in shallow water along rip rapped shore lines and in coves. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair/Good | Up to 5.5 lbs. | Casting un-weighted swimbaits and other soft plastics that enable a slow presentation along sun-warmed rocky or brushy shorelines is best this time of year. |
| Sunfish | Good | Up to 8 inches | Vertically fishing various presentations involving wax worms and nightcrawlers around deeper brushpiles. |
| Saugeye | Fair | Up to 7 lbs. | Casting shad imitating swim baits and crank baits along rip rapped shorelines, points, and areas possessing a hard bottom. |
| General Comments | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Release all saugeye less than 18 inches and largemouth bass less than 15 inches. Please discard of leftover bait in a trash can, even baitfish. Remember it is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water! | |||