Fish Stocking Records
A bag of walleye fry wait inside a cooler before being stocked.
They are sorted by species of fish and then by size of fish.
The table then lists the name of the location, type of location, date the fish were stocked, where those fish came from, and the number of fish that were stocked on that date.
| Water Types Include: | Hatcheries Sources Include: |
| RESV = Reservoir | FARH = Farlington Fish Hatchery |
| COML = Community Lake | PRFH = Pratt Fish Hatchery |
| RPND = Rearing pond | MILH = Milford Fish Hatchery |
| SFLS = State Fishing Lakes | MEFR= Meade Fish Hatchery |
Species Highlight – Catfish: Did you know more than 150,000 harvest-sized channel catfish are stocked around urban areas every year? These catfish are farm-raised through a local fish producer making them easier to catch and lighter on taste than wild catfish. Anglers can have a successful outing by using a basic split-shot and hook baited with a worm or piece of hotdog straight out of the package. The simplicity makes this an ideal opportunity for new anglers of any age to catch these fish for harvest or photos! Even experienced anglers enjoy the stress-free experience of urban catfish fishing.
The Program
To improve fishing opportunities in urban areas where the demand for fish exceeds the supply, we created an urban fish stocking program. More than 85 lakes statewide are stocked with 3/4- to 1 1/2-pound channel catfish, hybrid sunfish, and wipers as often as every two weeks from April through September. All metropolitan areas that have a human population over 40,000, with available public fishing waters, are served by this program. In addition, communities in western Kansas with high populations relative to county and adjacent counties, also receive stockings.
Where To Fish
If you live in the listed counties, you have an urban lake near you. These are great locations for a quick family fishing trip. Just throw the gear in the car and make the short drive to the nearest designated urban fishing lake. The counties served by the program are Atchison, Barton, Butler, Douglas, Ellis, Ford, Finney Johnson, Leavenworth, Lyon , Ottawa, Pottawatomie, Reno, Riley, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Thomas, and Wyandotte.
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Stocking Schedules
Urban Stocking Schedule: April - July
Urban Stocking Schedule: August - October
The blue catfish looks much like the channel cat, except the blue has a humped back, a longer anal fin, and grows bigger. Blues are native to several rivers in northeastern Kansas including the Kansas and Missouri. Blues are seldom caught on the concoctions used for channel cats, preferring cut or live bait. The largest blue cat on record weighed 143 pounds. The Kansas record weighed 102.8 pounds.
| Water | Water Type | Stocking Date | Number Stocked | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaCygne Reservoir | RESV | 9/22/2020 | 2449 | INTERMEDIATES |
| Pomona Reservoir | RESV | 9/23/2020 | 3934 | FINGERLINGS |
The bluegill is one of the most common panfish in Kansas, and it provides many youngsters with their first fishing thrill. Although it doesn't grow to enormous weights, the tenacious, saucer-shaped fish makes up for size with a scrappy fight. Common in most farm ponds and smaller community and state fishing lakes, bluegill are most easily caught when they move into shallow water and begin dishing out spawning beds. The state record bluegill weighed 2 pounds, 5 ounces. The world record is 4 pounds, 12ounces.
The channel catfish is the bread and butter of Kansas fishing. Found in nearly all waters from large rivers and reservoirs to small prairie streams, good channel cat fishing is never far away. State lakes are also popular places to catch channel cats. Department hatcheries produce millions of channel cats each year. The state record channel cat weighed 36 pounds, 8 ounces. The world record is 58 pounds.
Part of a group known as the black basses, including the smallmouth and spotted basses, the largemouth grows the biggest. Common in farm ponds, the largemouth likes shallow, murky water and usually associates with structure such as weeds or submerged timber. Some of the newer reservoirs and smaller lakes with standing timber also provide good largemouth fishing. Of the black basses, the largemouth is the only one with a mouth that extends behind the eye. The world record weighed 22 pounds, 4 ounces. The Kansas record is 11 pounds, 12 ounces.
The paddlefish is a plankton eater that resembles prehistoric fishes. Common only in two Kansas rivers – the Marais des Cygnes and the Neosho – the paddlefish is taken by fishermen during the spring spawning runs, and then only during the special snagging season. Stocking paddlefish in Oklahoma’s Kaw Reservoir and in Tuttle Creek Reservoir may bring the paddle-snouted fish back to some of its former range. The largest paddlefish on modern record weighed 144 pounds and measured 54 1/4". This is the Kansas record.
Perhaps the most aggressive fish in Kansas waters, the wiper is a cross between a white bass and a striped bass. Wipers grow fast, strike hard, and fight like no other fish. There are two types of wipers, the palmetto bass made using the striped bass egg and white bass sperm, and the sunshine bass made using the white bass egg and striped bass sperm. The department stocks the palmetto bass version. The wiper, like its striper parent, has two rows of teeth near the rear of the tongue. The white bass has a single tooth patch on its tongue. The state record wiper weighed 22 pounds. The world record wiper is listed at 27 pounds, 5 ounces.
The redear sunfish has been stocked into select lakes and reservoirs. Although the redear resembles the bluegill, it usually prefers deeper water and is more difficult to catch. The redear has a narrow band of red on the gill cover lobe and usually shows vertical barring. Redears are popular locally because of the challenge they provide. The state record weighed 1 pound, 8 ounces. The world record tipped the scales at 5 pounds, 8 ounces.
This close cousin to the walleye loves murky water and current. Sauger are being stocked in several northeastern Kansas reservoirs where walleye haven't done well because of high flowthrough and murky water conditions. Sauger are less likely than walleye to be flushed from a reservoir. Smaller than the walleye, the world record sauger weighed 8 pounds, 12 ounces. The state record is 4 pounds, 13 ounces.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions during producing and stocking season, no Sauger were stocked in 2020.
The saugeye is a cross between a walleye and a sauger and is another promising hybrid. The saugeye has been successfully stocked in reservoirs where walleye populations are difficult to maintain. Similar in appearance to the parents, the saugeye will grow faster than either but probably won't get as big as the walleye. The world record saugeye weighed 15 pounds, 10 ounces. The state record weighed 9 pounds, 13 ounces.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions during producing and stocking season, no Sauger and Saugeye were stocked in 2020.
The smallmouth is a hard-fighting sport fish native only to a few waters in the southeastern corner of Kansas. Introduced in several larger reservoirs, the smallmouth has adapted well and attracts a growing number of angler fans. Smallmouths prefer clear water and rocky structure. The mouth of the smallmouth extends to just below the eye. The world record smallmouth weighed a whopping 11 pounds, 15 ounces. The Kansas record is 6 pounds, 6 ounces.
A saltwater native, the striped bass has adapted well to freshwater existence and has prospered in several Kansas lakes. Striped bass don't reproduce in Kansas waters, however, populations are maintained through stocking programs. Stripers are legendary for their hard fighting nature and long, drag-sizzling runs. The Kansas state record is 43 pounds, 8 ounces. The freshwater world record is 67 pounds, 1 ounce.
The walleye has become a highly-sought game fish for Kansas anglers and has been stocked in most federal reservoirs and some larger state and community lakes. To help maintain these fisheries, millions of young walleye are collected and stocked each spring by department biologists and culturists. The state record weighed 13 pounds, 3 ounce. The world record is 22 pounds, 11 ounces.