Fishing Reports
For up-to-date information, look up the fishing report for the lake of your choice. Field staff update the fishing reports each week through the fishing season, reporting on fishing success, lake levels, water temperatures, and other important information.
You also can get helpful information from the Fishing Forecast.
Below are links to Google .kmz files for all fish attractors statewide.
All statewide fish attractors' GPS (KMZ)
All artificial statewide fish attractors' GPS (KMZ)
All artificial statewide fish attractors' GPS (PDF)
Listing of Downloadable Bathymetric Maps
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.
OTTAWA STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 12/20/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | Slow | 1-4 pounds | Winter bass fishing is fairly slow, but fish can still be caught. Fishing around the flooded cattails, jetties, and lily pads are good places to try. Soft plastics, crankbaits, and spinnerbaits are good lures to try this time of year. |
| Bluegill | Slow | 4 to 6 Inches | Look for bluegill around the rocks on the piers and around any brush in the water. Worms and small jigs are a good bet. These guys can be caught throughout the year using a variety of techniques. Some anglers prefer to fly fish with small nymphys or dry flies fished on the surface. |
| Channel Catfish | Slow | 12-25 inches | If there is any inflow, catfish will normally congregate there to feed. Shad sides, shad gizzards, shrimp, and chicken livers are all good baits to try for catfish. Fishing in the evening and after dark may yield the best results. There are normally a lot of catfish around the outlet area near the dam throughout the year. |
| Saugeye | Slow | 12-24 inches | Saugeye can be found along the creek channel in 8 to 10 feet of water this time of year. The lower half of the lake is probably holding the best numbers. Many of the saugeye in the lake are of legal size and anglers should be able to have some success if targeting saugeye. Jig and crawler, minnows, crankbaits, and swim baits are all good options to use for catching saugeye now. The minimum length limit for saugeye will drop from 18 inches to 15 inches in 2019. Anglers should immediately realize the benefits of harvesting more saugeye with the lower length limit. The daily creel limit will remain at 5 fish per day. |
| Crappie | Fair to Good | Most 8-13 inches | Some very nice crappie up to 13 inches can be caught now using jigs and jigs tipped with minnows. Also, casting road runners and Panther Martins along the jetties and brush near shore may also yield some nice crappie this time of year as they are feeding on shad now. Anglers might also target the brush piles which are marked with fish attractor buoys. |
| General Comments | |||
| This is a generic winter fishing report. It will only be changed when there are new reports or conditions change. Check back for updates on open boat ramps, ice conditions, fishing reports, etc. Water temperature: 35ºF CAUTION: LONGER BOAT TRAILERS MAY FALL OFF EDGE OF BOAT RAMP WHEN WATER IS LOW The cabin can now be rented - call the Hays Regional Office - 785-628-8614 - for reservations or more information. | |||
CEDAR BLUFF RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 1/11/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
| Crappie | No Report | Up to 15 inches | Vertically fishing minnows or jigs around the fish attractors has been the best bet. Anglers report catching some real nice fish in the 12 to 14 inch range. Remember, a 10 inch minimum length limit is in effect on black and white crappie. |
| Walleye | No Report | Up to 28 inches | Vertically fishing slab spoons over deeper drop-offs. Remember a 21 inch minimum length limit went into effect January 1, 2018 and the creel limit remains 5 fish/day. |
| White Bass/Wipers | No Report | Whites up to 17 inches Wipers up to 13 lbs. | Vertically fishing slab spoons near drop offs or around the edges of the fish attractors. White bass anglers are catching a few wipers here and there fishing vertically. |
| ICE REPORT-The reservoir is approximately 20% ice covered with most of the ice existing in coves and at the upper end of the reservoir. Any existing ice is too thin and weak to support ice fishing activities. The Overland and Muley boat ramps are iced in. WATER TEMPERATURE-33 degrees F SURFACE ELEVATION- 2122.81-21.19' below conservation pool NEW FOR 2018: Effective January 1, 2018 changes to fish harvest regulations are as follows; Walleye-21" minimum length limit, 5 fish/day creel limit Crappie-10" minimum length limit, 50 fish/day creel limit ATTENTION: An established zebra mussel population has been documented at this water making Cedar Bluff an ANS designated water. With this designation, regulations are in effect primarily aimed at discouraging water containing microscopic zebra mussel larvae from leaving the property and establishing in new waters. Any time one leaves the reservoir it is best to clean mud, vegetation, or attached zebra mussel adults off of boats and other equipment, drain any thing on a boat or other equipment that holds water, and allow boats and other equipment to dry completely before using them at another body of water. It is now illegal to use wild-caught bait from Cedar Bluff at any other water. Live fish are not to be taken off the property. And all livewells and bilges must be drained prior to leaving the property. It is illegal to release fish into public water unless it was taken from that water. So please discard any leftover bait in a trash can. Cedar Bluff District Newsletter: A biannual newsletter detailing fishing related prospects and activities in the Cedar Bluff District, which includes such waters as Cedar Bluff Reservoir, Sheridan and Scott State Fishing Lakes, Antelope Lake, and other public fishing waters in northwest Kansas are available. If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter you can go to the following link to get on the mailing list. The link is: http://kdwp.state.ks.us/news/KDWP-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Cedar-Bluff-Fishing-District | |||
GLEN ELDER RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 1/3/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Fair to Good | 8-13 inches | Anglers have been reporting improved crappie catch rates from deep drops along the river channel and in the marina slips. Small jigs and minnows are working best. The bite is often best early in the morning and late in the afternoon. There have also been some fish caught off the brush piles around the state park area. Beginning in January 2019 there will be a 10 inch minimum length limit on crappie at Glen Elder! |
| Walleye | Fair | 14-22 inches | Anglers do not catch many walleye during the winter out here. Best bets to catch some now would be to target deeper water along the river channel in the lower half of the reservoir. During the day, fish can be found as deep as 40 feet, but they will move shallower at night. |
| Trout | Good | 10-15 inches | The latest trout stocking occurred on December 31st and the fish looked very good. The pond is currently covered with a thin layer of ice so it will be difficult for anglers to fish until the ice thickens or clears off. Once anglers are able to fish, the best baits to try include Powerbait, minnows, and worms. Don't forget to purchase a trout permit!!! |
| White Bass | Good | 11-18 inches | White bass can be caught in good numbers out here throughout the winter in a variety of locations. Check around the outlet area with the high outflows occurring right now. Also, fish can be found off main lake points along the north shore and near the south bluffs. Fish will also be stacking up west of the causeway and anglers should be able to find some along the river channels in that area. |
| All of the boat ramps are iced in. The reservoir is 30% ice covered, but the ice is not safe for ice fishing!!! Anglers can try fishing off the docks or fish in the outlet below the dam. This is a generic winter fishing report. It will only be changed when there are new reports or conditions change. Check back for updates on open boat ramps, ice conditions, fishing reports, etc. Anglers can now find GPS locations for each of the brush piles located in the reservoir. Simply click on this link Good Fishing Spots and select the individual brush pile. As we enhance these brush piles throughout the year, we'll make a note under each individual location. Current Water Temperature: 32°F Current Water Level: 1.0 feet above conservation 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! | |||
JEWELL STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 1/4/2019 Print
KANOPOLIS RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 1/8/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Catfish | Good | 16 - 21" | Fair. No winter reports. |
| Crappie | Fair | 10 to 14 inches | Fair. Try jigs on fish attractors. |
| Trout | The third stocking of Rainbow Trout occurred on 1/7/2019. Most pools, including the lower pool, were stocked. We stocked 1,300 trout. | ||
| Walleye/Saugeye | Fair | 14 - 22" | Fair. Try trolling or jigging in 12-20' of water near the river channel, along the dam, and deeper areas off of points. |
| White Bass | Fair | All sizes - up to 17 inches | Fair. Try jigging small spoons and road runners near the river channel in the middle and lower portions of the reservoir. |
| Wiper | Fair | All sizes | Slow. No reports for this species. |
| General Comment | |||
| Elevation: Water level is 3.8 feet above conservation pool and dropping. Water Temperature: 43 degrees. Current lake elevation and water temperature is available on the location page linked to this fishing report. It is updated daily by the Corps of Engineers. | |||
KEITH SEBELIUS RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 1/18/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Fair | 7 to 16 inches | Crappies have migrated to their winter haunts concentrating around deeper brush, the artificial brushpiles under private boat slips, and the fish attractor structures close to the public fishing dock near the mouth of Leota Cove. Just a few reports received, but the anglers able to access these locations have been successful using jigs, small slab spoons, and minnows. |
| Saugeye/Walleye | no reports | Due to the iced-up conditions, boat access to traditional saugeye hideouts has been limited. If the ice becomes sufficient to allow foot access to these locations, anglers should seek underwater breaks and the outside edges of brush structure to tempt saugeyes and/or walleyes. Slab spoons, jigs, or jigs tipped with live baits would work best. An 18" minimum length limit is in effect. | |
| Wiper | no reports | Again, ice has been the limiting factor regarding access to wiper locations. However, if ice fishing activity commences, wipers would be found in areas of more dense forage (shad) concentrations: towards the upper end of the reservoir over underwater flats. Slab spoons and bucktail jigs mimicking the shad are the better baits to use. Five (5) fish daily creel limit. | |
| Catfish | no reports | If a warming trend would happen and ice would thaw, channel catfish would go on a feeding spree foraging on shad and other fish having succumbed to the effects of cold temps and ice. Shad undergo a degree of mortality each winter with many embedded in the ice. As ice melts, the dead shad sink or wash up on wind-blown shores making for an easy meal for catfish. This is a great time for catfish anglers! | |
| Largemouth/Spotted Bass | Fair | 10 to 20 inches | A few black bass are reported by crappie anglers from time to time when fishing the underwater brush and the shade provided by boat slips and docks. Live bait, namely minnows, help out this scenario. |
| General Comments | |||
| WATER TEMPERATURE- 33° SURFACE ELEVATION- 2294.28 ---- 10.02' below conservation Currently, the water level is 2.61 feet higher than it was one year ago, at this time. All boat ramps are iced in at this time. Ice conditions however, are not safe enough to allow foot access and angling throughout most of the lake. Use extreme caution when venturing out on any ice and never traverse the ice alone! Remember it is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water. Please discard leftover bait in a trash can. Now Available: A Webster District newsletter that includes fisheries related information about Webster, Kirwin and Keith Sebelius Reservoirs is available. If you would like to subscribe to this spring and fall newsletter you can go to the following link to get on the mailing list. | |||
KIRWIN RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 1/18/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Fair | 7 to 17 inches | Access to crappie concentration spots is limited due to iced-up ramps, and walking across the ice at Kirwin is strongly discouraged! If cold air would create suitable ice thickness, crappies will be willing using jigs and slab spoons when fishing the deeper brushpiles. |
| Walleye | no reports | No boat access due to ramps being frozen in have kept anglers from the traditional winter walleye areas. | |
| White Bass/ Wiper | no reports | As above, boat access has prevented anglers from being able to get out to deeper water where white bass and wipers are spending the colder months. | |
| Catfish | no reports | If ice would thaw, look for catfish to concentrate in slightly shallower water near wind-swept shores as they scavenge on dead shad that dislodge from ice as it melts. Catfish angling opportunities usually improve under these conditions. | |
| Largemouth Bass | no reports | About the only winter-time black bass angling that takes place is reported from crappie anglers while fishing the submerged brush. An occasional small largemouth is caught when minnows are employed to entice crappies. | |
| General Comments | |||
| WATER TEMPERATURE- 33° SURFACE ELEVATION- 1730.37 ---- 1.07' above conservation pool Currently, the water level is 1.93' higher than it was one year ago, at this time. All boat ramps are currently iced in, and ice conditions throughout the reservoir are unstable and not of sufficient thickness to safely allow walking on. Use extreme caution if venturing out on the ice in frozen coves, and never traverse across the ice alone! A current release rate of 90 cfs from Kirwin Reservoir is being conducted to stabilize the lake's level. Fish cleaning station is NO LONGER on the NE corner of the square in Kirwin. The USFWS, BOR and KDWPT constructed a new facility just West of the water tower. The fish cleaning station is now CLOSED for the winter. The Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) is in effect at Kirwin. If you have any questions regarding Kirwin Reservoir and the surrounding public lands, contact the USFWS at 785-543-6673 or stop by their office at 702 Xavier Road. Remember it is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water. Please discard leftover bait in a trash can. Now Available: A Webster District newsletter that includes fisheries related information about Webster, Kirwin and Keith Sebelius Reservoirs is available. If you would like to subscribe to this spring and fall newsletter you can go to the following link to get on the mailing list. | |||
LOVEWELL RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 1/4/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | Slow | 18-27 inches | Anglers do not catch many walleye during the winter out here. Best bets to catch some now would be to target deeper water along the river channel in the lower half of the reservoir. During the day, fish can be found as deep as 25 feet, but they will move shallower at night. |
| White Bass/Wipers | Fair | 7-13 inches 12-25 inches | The best concentrations of white bass and wipers can be found in 20-25 feet of water off Walleye Point, off the dam in 10-15 feet of water, and in the John's Creek area in 8 to 10 feet. Slabbing on the deeper schools of fish should work very well, but trolling along main lake points and casting a variety of small crankbaits and road runners will also work. There is a big year class of wipers between 12 and 14 inches. They look very similar to white bass so make sure and carefully identify your catch. The daily creel limit on wipers is 2! |
| Crappie | Fair | 7-13 inches | Anglers should be able to find very good numbers of crappie around the marina, close to the outlet area, off Cabin Point, and near Cedar Point. Traditional methods include fishing with jigs and minnows or minnows only. The fish can be found in 15-20 feet of water near brush during the day, but will move in shallow in the evening to feed. There are a lot of smaller crappie to go along with fish over 10 inches and anglers are encouraged to release these young fish. We also found decent numbers in some of the creeks including Windmill and John's Creek. |
| Comments | |||
| The reservoir is 100% ice covered, but the ice is not safe for ice fishing at this time. This is a generic winter fishing report. It will only be changed when there are new reports or conditions change. Check back for updates on open boat ramps, ice conditions, fishing reports, etc. ATTENTION ANGLERS: The crappie regulations at Lovewell will change in January 2019. There will be a new creel limit of 20 fish per day and a minimum length limit of 10 inches for all crappie. These regulations are intended to improve the quality and quantity of crappie in Lovewell and will be strictly enforced. Anglers can now find GPS coordinates, descriptions, and histories of some of the major brush piles in Lovewell. Simply follow this link Good Fishing Spots and select the individual brush pile to find out more information. Current water temperature: 100% Ice Covered Current water level: 0.7 feet high 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! | |||
ROOKS STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 1/4/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| CURRENT FISHING | |||
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | 6-18 inches | Stocked in 6,700 largemouth bass fingerlings on 06-08-2018. |
| Bluegill | Fair | 3-9 inches | Would try use worms under a bobber around the jetty and along the Dam. |
| Catfish | Fair | 10-25 inches | Would try using worms, stinkbait and shrimp on the bottom. Stocked 140 channel catfish that averaged 7 pound a piece on 08-15-2017. Stocked in another 6,700 channel catfish that averaged 4 fish/pound on 09-19-2017. |
| Black Crappie | Good | 4-6 inches | Catching them lake wide using jigs, jigs with worms and jigs with minnows. |
| General Comments | |||
| Water Temp. 32 Degrees Lake is currently full. Have stocked channel catfish and bluegill and stocked in 6,700 largemouth bass fingerlings on 05-16-2017. Also, stocked 140 channel catfish that averaged 7 pounds a piece on 08-15-2017. Stocked another 6,700 channel catfish that averaged 4 fish/pound on 09-19-2017. Stocked 28,750 bluegill (mix of adult, intermediate and fingerling) on 09-27-17. Now Available: A Webster District newsletter that will include Webster, Kirwin and Keith Sebelius Reservoir's will be coming out soon. If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter you can go to the following link to get on the mailing list. The link is: http://kdwp.state.ks.us/news/KDWP-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Webster-Reservoir-Fishing-District | |||
SHERIDAN STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 12/21/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Slow/Fair | Up to 13 inches | Drifting or trolling small crank baits and jigs over deeper water or vertically fishing jigs around deep fish attractors. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair/Good | Up to 5 lbs. | Casting swim baits and soft plastics around shoreline brushpiles, along the dam, or around the fishing pier. |
| Saugeye | Good | Up to 3 lbs. | Casting or trolling crankbaits along the dam and over shelves adjacent to creek channel drop-offs. |
| Bluegill | Fair | Up to 8 inches | Worms under a bobber around deeper brush. |
| Channel Catfish | Fair | Up to 19 lbs. | Cut bait fished off the bottom on warmer days. |
| Wiper | Fair/Good | Up to 2 lbs. | Casting small, shad imitating baits like white road runners. |
| Comments | |||
| ATTENTION: This is a generic winter fishing report and will be updated as notable changes warrant. Weekly updated fishing reports will resume around March 2019. It is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water, so please discard any unused bait in a trash can. Cedar Bluff District Newsletter: A biannual newsletter detailing fishing related projects and activities in the Cedar Bluff District, which includes such waters as Cedar Bluff Reservoir, Sheridan and Scott State Fishing Lakes, Antelope Lake, and other public fishing waters in northwest Kansas are available. If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter you can go to the following link to get on the mailing list. The link is: http://kdwp.state.ks.us/news/KDWP-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Cedar-Bluff-Fishing-District | |||
WEBSTER RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 1/18/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | no reports | 7 to 17 inches | Ice has been problematic relative to accessing typical winter time crappie hangouts. If cold air creates thick enough ice to get out on, the fish attractor brushpiles would be target locations to fish. Jigs, small slab spoons, or minnows fish deep in or near the submerged cedar trees should produce. |
| Walleye | no reports | It won't be long before pre-spawn female walleye will begin cruising the dam and adjacent shallow underwater breaks. We still have six weeks of winter and cold water temps to endure, but the walleye spawn will be here before you know it. | |
| White Bass/Wiper | no reports | With no boating due to iced-up launching facilities, access to white bass and wipers has been non-existent. | |
| Catfish | Catfish are concentrated in deeper regions of the lake for the winter. If ice thaws, the dinner bell rings and catfish become slightly more active seeking dead shad that become dislodged from the ice. Shallow areas near wind blown shores where the shad will pile up are good places to fish. This scenario can be short-lived so anglers are encouraged to keep abreast of melting/thawing conditions. | ||
| Largemouth Bass | no reports | If crappie action commences with improved ice thickness, a few smaller black bass are normally creeled when fishing live bait such as fathead minnows. However, the better, consistent bass fishing is still several months away. | |
| Rainbow Trout | Good | 8 to 18 inches | The past two stockings of trout have barely been pressured due to the limitations imposed by the weather and associated ice (it's not been thick enough to get out on, yet too thick to easily break to create open areas to fish). The best trout baits are assorted powerbaits, salmon eggs, and small spinners. The next stocking is slated for the later half of January. The stilling basin currently has approx. 1-3 inches of ice cover. Stay tuned for conditions, if warm air arrives, trout success could be excellent as the ice melts, or conversely, if cold air creates good, thick ice, ice fishing would be good! |
| General Comments | |||
| WATER TEMPERATURE- 33° SURFACE ELEVATION- 1893.05 ---- 0.60' above conservation pool The water level is 0.24' lower than it was one year ago at this time. All high-water boat ramps are usable (Old Marina, Rock Point and Goose Flats) at this level. However, they are all currently iced in and ice thickness throughout the lake ranges from variable in thickness, to open out over the deeper reaches. Ice cover in frozen coves is not suitable for foot traversing and is highly discouraged! Use extreme caution if venturing out on any ice in any area of the reservoir, and never travel across the ice alone! A current release rate of 180 cfs from the irrigation canal is being conducted to maintain the lake level. Remember it is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water. Please discard leftover bait in a trash can. Now Available: A Webster District newsletter which includes informative fisheries information about Webster, Kirwin and Keith Sebelius Reservoirs is currently available. If you would like to subscribe to this spring and fall newsletter you can go to the following link to get on the mailing list. | |||
WILSON RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 11/19/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Poor | 10-14 inches | Poor. No reports. Few crappie occur in Wilson Reservoir. |
| Striped Bass | Fair | 2-25 pounds | Fair. Reports are that stripers have moved near deeper points but remain close to the river channel in the upper and middle portions of the reservoir. Try jigging spoons and smaller swimbaits. |
| Walleye | Fair | 16-25 inches | Fair. The walleye bite is still slow. Most walleye have likely moved deeper. Try jigging near offshore ledges. |
| Blue/Channel Catfish | Good | 2-20 pounds | Channel Catfish) There have been no reports for catfish. The bite is slow but you can try cutbait this time of year. Blue Catfish) Blue catfish are being caught throughout the reservoir but upper end seems to have the most fish. Areas closer to the mouths of creeks and the main river channel seem to hold the most fish. Try cut bait (shad, carp, bluegill) for blue catfish. Be on the lookout for blue catfish which are also in the reservoir. They are not legal size yet so make sure and take care to return them to the water. There is a 35 inch minimum length limit on blue catfish at Wilson Reservoir! |
| White Bass | Fair | 12-18 inches, up to 3 pounds | Fair. White bass are scattered. Try jigging deep shoreline near the bluffs and throughout horseshoe bend. |
| Black Bass | Fair | 12-19 inches | Fair. Bass fishing has become very tough with the cold water temperatures. |
| White Perch | Good | 9 to 13 inches | Good. White perch have moved, mostly, to deeper areas of the lake. - IT IS ILLEGAL TO HAVE A WHITE PERCH ALIVE IN YOUR POSSESSION - IF YOU CATCH IT AND WANT TO KEEP IT - IT HAS TO BE DEAD IN A COOLER OR LIVEWELL. THEY ARE NO LONGER LEGAL AS LIVE BAIT FOR STRIPERS OR OTHER FISH!!!!! The white perch numbers are down in Wilson right now which is the goal of managing aquatic nuisance species. While this species will continue to thrive and reproduce in Wilson, they are still an ANS species and KDWPT has managed the predator base in such a way to limit their numbers. The hope is that the white bass will be able to make a comeback at the expense of the white perch numbers declining. |
| General Comments | |||
| Lake Elevation = 0.5' ABOVE conservation pool & rising. Surface Temperature = 44 degrees. BOAT RAMP UPDATE: All boat ramps are useable. WEAR YOUR LIFE JACKETS and be courteous at boat ramps! We have two Aquatic Nuisance Species - white perch and zebra mussels and have joined Cheney and El Dorado as lakes with both species. The law now says that if anyone leaves the lake with water in your livewell or boat, you are subject to a ticket for transporting Zebra Mussels since they will spawn and the microscopic little mussels will probably be in every drop of water in the lake. Make sure you drain all water from the boat before you leave the boat ramp area!!! We have been taking veliger samples and the samples were high so be sure to drain and dry everything!!!!!! | |||
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.
ATCHISON STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 11/27/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perry Newsletter | Good to Excellent | 4 pages (lots of pics) | Twice a year I will be publishing a newsletter with Perry and other waters in my district. If you would like the newsletter e-mailed to you click here and fill in the blanks. |
| Black Crappie | Fair | up to 0.9 lbs | For best luck, try a jig and minnow over brush piles. Fish may be deeper in the morning and moving into the shallower water as the day warms the water. |
| Bluegill | Fair to Good | up to 0.5 lbs | Bluegill can be caught with a night crawler under a bobber near brushpiles. |
| Channel Catfish | Fair | up to 7.7 lbs | The fish feeders should be empty and will not be filled until next spring. Channel catfish are being caught from shore using cut shad, dough balls, or chunks of worm. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair to Good | up to 2.0 lbs | Spinnerbaits or plastics worked around brush piles and rocks. |
| Redear Sunfish | Fair | up to 0.75 lbs. | Redear can be caught jigging a chunk of worm near shoreline structure. |
| General Comments | |||
| If you have information that you would like to contribute to the fishing report contact Nick Kramer at 785-246-4514 | |||
BROWN STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 11/27/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perry Newsletter | Good to Excellent | 4 pages (lots of pics) | Twice a year I will be publishing a newsletter with Perry and other waters in my District. If you would like the newsletter e-mailed to you click here and fill in the blanks. |
| Black Crappie | Fair | up to 1.0 lbs. | Best luck for Crappie would come from fishing the brush piles next to and in between the fishing jetties. |
| Bluegill | Fair - Good | up to 0.3 lbs. | Bluegill may be caught using a chunk of worm and jigging it over brush piles. |
| Channel Catfish | Fair to Good | up to 5.5 lbs | The fish feeders are empty and will not be filled until next spring. Catfish can still be caught from shore using cut bait, dough baits, or chicken livers. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair to Good | up to 4.0 lbs. | Spinner or plastics working the shallows, along the face of the dam and the brush piles. |
| Redear Sunfish | Fair | up to 0.4 lbs. | Redear may be caught using a chunk of worm near shoreline structure. |
| General Comments | |||
| If you have information that you would like to contribute to this fishing report, contact Nick Kramer at 785-246-4514 | |||
CENTRALIA CITY LAKE - Last Updated: 1/15/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Catfish | Slow | Up to 12 pounds | The lake has a great channel catfish population. |
| White Bass | Slow to Fair | 1/2 to 1 lb. | Not a lot of white bass this year but the fish are nice sized. Schooled up in deeper water by dam. |
| Wiper | Slow | Up to 26" | Wiper were introduced to help control the gizzard shad population. There are moderate numbers of 15 to 22" wiper in the lake. Wiper creel limit is 2 a day. To determine if it is a wiper or white bass, you can look at the tooth patch on the tongue. Wiper has two tooth patches. White bass has only one tooth patch. The fishing regs has good pictures for identification. |
| Crappie | Fair to Slow | 1/2 to 1 pound | The crappie population has come down from the historically high numbers seen in 2017, but there is still good numbers of crappie over 10 inches. Fishing has been spotty this winter and hearing of a few anglers having fair days. |
| Saugeye | Fair | 2 to 8 lbs. | The saugeye population has also come down from the exceptional numbers seen in 2017. However, there are still good numbers of saugeye in the lake and 44.7% of the fish sampled in fall of 2018 were over the 18 inch minimum length limit. |
| Largemouth Bass | Poor | 1/2 to 5 pounds | Bass are few and far between at this lake, but they are big. Best places are the rock piers, standing timber and around the West boat ramp. Bass are covered by an 18 inch minimum lenght limit. |
| General Comments | |||
| Centralia Lake is a 400 acre lake that is noted for good channel cat, saugeye and crappie fishing. The lake facilities include multiple ramps, picnic tables, plenty of camping pads and many sites with electricity. Centralia is enrolled in the CFAP program, which means a City permit is not required for fishing visits. Perry Reservoir has zebra mussels and with Centralia Lake being close it is at high risk. Please, always clean your boat when moving to different water bodies. Do you want some more information on fishing in the Manhattan area? You can subscribe to the free Manhattan Fisheries Newsletter by clicking the link. | |||
CLINTON RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 12/20/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zebra Mussels are present at Clinton Reservoir Be sure to CLEAN, DRAIN and DRY all equipment that comes in contact with the water to keep from spreading them to another lake. | |||
| Current Fishing Conditions | |||
| Blue Catfish | 35 inch minimum length limit and 5 daily creel limit went into effect January 1, 2016. This regulation was implemented to protect brood fish, so that the population could have a chance to improve. | ||
| Smallmouth Bass | 18 inch minimum length limit went into effect Jan. 1, 2016. This regulation change makes smallmouth bass regulations the same as those for largemouth bass. | ||
| Wiper | Fair | 4-6 lbs | jigs near deeper points |
| Blue Catfish | Fair | up to 40lbs | Drifting cut bait near channel ledges.. |
| White bass | Fair/Good | 0.5-2 lbs | Same techniques as for wiper. |
| Crappie | Good | up to 2lbs | Minnows and jigs near brush piles. |
| District Newsletter | If you want to keep up with what is going on with Clinton Reservoir (including GPS coordinates to any newly placed brush piles) and other lakes in DG, SN, and OS Counties sign up for the Lawrence District Newsletter by clicking this link: http://kdwp.state.ks.us/news/KDWP-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Lawrence-Fishing-District | ||
| General Comments | |||
| Feeders should be emptying out of feed for this year. They will began operating again prior to Memorial Day 2019. Brush piles placed into Clinton August 11 and 12, 2008. GPS locations in degrees, minutes, seconds using Datum WGS 84: 1) N38 55.755 W095 24.146, 2) N38 56.4444 W095 24.466, 3) N38 56.283 W095 23.465, 4) N38 56.014 W095 23.096, 5) N38 55.036 W095 22.568, 6) N38 56.011 W095 23.085, 7) N38 55.073 W095 22.565, 8) N38 55.785 W095 22.235. | |||
DOUGLAS COUNTY-LONE STAR LAKE - Last Updated: 11/13/2018 Print
| Fisheries Newsletter | If you want to keep up with fisheries developments at Lonestar (including GPS coordinates for any newly placed brush piles), sign up for the Lawrence District Newletter at the following link: http://kdwp.state.ks.us/news/KDWP-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Lawrence-Fishing-District | ||
| Bluegill/Redear Sunfish | Fair | Up to 0.33 lb | Using pieces of worm under bobber, small spinners and jigs. |
| Channel catfish | Fair | 0.5-6 lbs | Liver and stinkbait, and minnows have been producing some fish. |
| Largemouth bass | Fair | 0.5-3 lbs | Casting crankbaits and jigs. |
| General Comments | |||
DOUGLAS STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 11/13/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
| Fisheries Newsletter | If you want to keep up with what's going on at Douglas State Fishing Lake sign up for the Lawrence District Newsletter at the following link: http://kdwp.state.ks.us/news/KDWP-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Lawrence-Fishing-District | ||
| Bluegill | Fair | Up to 0.3 lbs | Using pieces of worm under bobber, jigs, and small spinners around rock piers. |
| Channel catfish | Fair | 1-4 lbs | Using stinkbait, and livers. |
| Largemouth bass | Slow-Fair | 0.5-2 lbs | Using crankbaits, and jigs. |
| General Comments | |||
|---|---|---|---|
GARDNER CITY LAKE - Last Updated: 11/21/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Fair | Up to 8 inches | Livebait under a bobber fished near structure. |
| Channel Catfish | Slow | Up to 14 lb. | Channel catfish can be taken now on a variety of live or prepared baits. Fishing near the feeder and by docks is producing some fish. |
| Crappie | Fair | Up to 12 inches | Minnows and jigs near vegetation edges. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | Up to 4 lbs | Finesse plastics, jigs, or spinner-baits target docks and deeper structure. |
| White Bass | Slow | 14 to 17 inches | A good population of white bass exists in this lake. White bass can be taken in open water on shad imitation lures. |
| General Comments | |||
GEARY STATE FISHING REPORT - Last Updated: 11/13/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Fair/Good | near brush/rock drop offs and channel ledges 10 ft deep on jigs, minnows, and spinners | |
| Catfish | Fair | near wind blown flats on cut bait and worms | |
| Saugeye | Fair | near dam and rock points on jigs, worms, and crankbaits | |
| Black bass | Fair | near rock and brush on jigs and crankbaits | |
| Bluegill | Fair | on small jigs and worms in coves and near brush | |
| General Comments | |||
| This deep clear lake offers a diverse fishery. Best for 2018 should be for saugeye, crappie, and largemouth bass. WARNING..ZEBRA MUSSELS NOW PRESENT!!! | |||
HERINGTON CITY LAKE (NEW) - Last Updated: 11/13/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catfish | Good | near wind blown flats and creeks on cut bait and worms | |
| Crappie | Fair | near points, brush, and rock 10ft deep on jigs and minnows | |
| Walleye | Fair | along the dam and edges of flats and points on jigs, worms, and spoons | |
| White Bass/Wipers | Good | along creeks, dam and points on spinners, jigs, and crankbaits | |
| General Comments | |||
| This lake provides a diverse fishery, but best in 2018 should be crappie, wiper, and white bass. | |||
HERINGTON CITY LAKE (OLD) - Last Updated: 11/13/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catfish | Good | near wind blown flats and creeks on cut bait and worms | |
| Crappie | Fair | near brush and rock 5ft deep on jigs and minnows | |
| Largemouth Bass | Poor | ||
| Bluegill | Fair | near brush/rock 5ft deep on jigs and worms | |
| White Bass | Fair | along creeks and dam on spinners and crankbaits | |
| General Comments | |||
| This shallow lake has the best fishing for crappie and channel catfish which are stocked annually. Blue-Green Algae: Current advisories and warnings are listed here: http://www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/algae_advisories.htm | |||
HILLSDALE RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 12/28/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | Slow | Up to 9 lbs. | Some walleye are being caught off main lake points and flats. Early morning and shallow seems to be the best bite. Vertical jigging with worms and trolling with crankbaits are both producing some fish. |
| Crappie | Good | Most fish are 8 to 11 inches and few up to 13 inches | Crappie are in their winter pattern and some are being caught off deeper structure and channel breaks. Target brush piles and structure in 15-20 feet of water. Jigs and smaller ice spoons are productive baits right now. Some crappie are being caught off the marina docks. |
| White Bass | Slow | Up to 2 lbs. | Target white bass off wind blown points. Jigs and shad imitation lures are the best baits right now. Trolling crankbaits is producing some fish. |
| Largemouth Bass | Slow | Up to 4 lbs. | Largemouth bass should be transitioning to deeper structure right now. Target bait fish to find the bass. |
| Newsletter | Good | 4 pages | Click the following link to sign up for the newsletter http://kdwp.state.ks.us/news/KDWP-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Kansas-City-Fishing-District |
| Channel Catfish | Fair | Up to 10 lbs. | Channel catfish can be taken on a variety of baits using prepared or live baits. Channel catfish are biting lakewide right now. |
| General Comments | |||
| WATER LEVEL: As of December 28th the water level is 1.0 feet above conservation pool. You can check current water conditions at http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/Locations/DistrictLakes/HillsdaleLake/DailyLakeInformation.aspx Zebra mussel infestation has been confirmed at Hillsdale Reservoir. As of 6/17/16 the lake has been designated an Aquatic Nuisance Species water. Fish may not be transported alive from ANS designated waters. Please remember to CLEAN, DRAIN, and DRY your boats and equipment before using another waterbody. Dispose of all bait on dry land. Please search ksoutdoors.com for more information about zebra mussels.
| |||
HOLTON - BANNER CREEK - Last Updated: 11/27/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Contour Map | Pretty Good | 8.5"x11" Color | Banner Creek has been mapped by the Kansas Biological Survey and there is a map available at Contour Map |
| Perry Newsletter | Good to Excellent | 4 pages (lots of pics) | Twice a year I will publish a newsletter discussing Perry and other waters in the district. If you would like the newsletter emailed to you click here and fill in the blanks. |
| Black Crappie | Fair | up to 1.25 lbs. | Crappie can be caught by vertical jigging minnows over brush piles or standing timber. |
| Bluegill | Fair | up to 0.5 lbs. | Bluegill can be caught over brush piles using chunks of worm or small jigs. |
| Channel Catfish | Fair to Good | up to 12.5 lbs. | Catfish can be caught from shore using cut bait, stink bait, or livers. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | up to 3.5 lbs. | Crankbaits, spinners or plastics along the shoreline, rip rap and structure. |
| Walleye/ Sauger | Slow to Fair | Walleye up to 6.25 lbs. Sauger up to 2 lbs. | Some anglers are having luck catching Walleye along the dam or off of submerged humps. |
| White Bass | Fair | up to 2.5 lbs. | Recent netting efforts sampled a lot of nice White Bass in this reservoir if anglers wish to pursue them. Cast a jig along the rocks or along the dam to target them. |
| General Comments | |||
| If you would like to contribute to this fishing report, contact Nick Kramer at 785-246-4514 Recently, the Leavenworth Elite Bass Club received a small grant to install some artificial habitat structures into Banner Creek. They placed seven clusters of Mossback artificial trees at the following locations: N 39 27.113, W 095 46.355 N 39 26.547, W 095 46.648 N 39 27.034, W 095 46.448 N 39 27.230, W 095 46.448 N 39 27.015, W 095 46.440 N 39 26.946, W 095 47.041 N 39 26.946, W 095 47.140 And the fisheries biologist placed 30 Georgia cubes at the following spots: 3 @ N 39 27.560, W 095 46.227 5 between jetty and danger buoy @ N 39 27.305, W 095 46.636 3 @ N 39 27.480, W 095 46.224 3 @ N 39 27.450, W 095 46.222 3 @ N 39 27.533, W 095 46.130 3 @ N 39 27.188, W 095 46.355 3 @ N 39 26.870, W 095 46.638 5 surrounding jetty @ N 39 27.402, W 095 46.566 2 on north side of jetty @ N 39 27.054, W 095 46.338 Please leave all habitat at these locations. Do not drag these to your own secret locations. | |||
JEFFREY ENERGY CENTER - MAKE-UP LAKE - Last Updated: 1/15/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bass | Slow to Fair | 1 to 5 pounds | The lake has traditionally had a good smallmouth bass population, but the current population abundance is well below the historical average. Hopefully, the population rebounds in the near future. The dam and along the East bank are the best places for smallmouth. |
| Crappie | Slow | 1/2 to 1 pound | Crappie numbers have been trending downwards the last few years due to poor spawning success. There will be few fish available for harvest in 2019. There is a brushpile just south of the dock. |
| Channel Catfish | Slow | 1/2 to 6 pounds | The lake supports a good channel catfish harvest rate during the summer months. |
| Walleye | Slow to Fair | 1 to 5 pounds | Walleye numbers have been improving nicely due to good survival from stockings efforts the last three years. The 2018 fall gill net samples collected the most walleye since 2009, with 69% over 15 inches. There are some older fish around with decent numbers of walleye over 18 inches. Walleye regulations are 2 a day and a 15 inch minimum length limit. |
| White Bass | Fair | 1/2 to 2 pounds | The lake has a very good white bass population with 61.5% of the fish collected last fall were over 12 inches. Can be caught in the winter months with spoons in deep water schools. |
| Wipers | Fair to Slow | Up to 12 pounds | Wiper numbers are near the long-term average with the most of the fish seen last fall were 18 to 20 inches long. |
| General Comments | |||
| Anglers need to check into the Jeffrey Energy Center Guard House located north of St. Mary's, then west off K-63 Hwy. You can call the Guard House to check on availability at (785) 456-6149. The Jeffrey Energy Center allows 30 anglers to fish at any one time. If the inlet is flowing, then good fishing can usually be found there. Make-Up Lake has zebra mussels which makes the lake designated as a Aquatic Nuisance Species water. It is illegal to transport alive fish from ANS designated waters. To help prevent the spread of invasive species, please CLEAN, DRAIN & DRY all equipment when changing water bodies and dump your bait. Do you want some more information on fishing in the Manhattan area? You can subscribe to the free Manhattan Fisheries Newsletter by clicking the link. | |||
JEFFREY ENERGY CENTER AUX. LAKE - Last Updated: 1/15/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bass | 1 to 4 lbs | The 2018 sample documented that smallmouth bass numbers are down, but the size of fish is up with 58.8% of the fish seen this spring were over 14 inches. The lake is well known for the excellent smallmouth fishing along most of the rocky shoreline. The lake has a low level largemouth bass population dominated by smaller fish. The population is improving with the 2018 sample collecting the most fish in 15 years. The East bank and around the island are usually the best largemouth spots. | |
| White Bass | Up to 3 lbs | White bass fishing should be great in 2019 as the population is well above average for abundance with 59.2% of the fish sampled last fall being over 12 inches and 16.9% were over 15 inches. | |
| Wiper | Up to 12 lbs | There are fairly good numbers of wiper in the lake with most of the fish sampled last fall being over 20 inches. | |
| Walleye | Up to 5 lbs | The walleye population is finally recovering due to good survival of stocked fish the last two years. There should be good harvest in 2019 with most of the population right around the legal length. Walleye regulations are 2 a day and a 15-inch minimum length limit. | |
| Crappie | Up to 1.5 lbs | Crappie numbers have been improving the last three years and the population is offering decent numbers of fish over 10 inches. There are some habitat cubes along the dock. | |
| General Comments | |||
| Attention: Auxiliary Lake is closed to fishing during the waterfowl hunting season and will be open to fishing again in March (Make-Up Lake is still open to fishing during the winter months). Anglers need to check into the Jeffrey Energy Center Guard House located north of St. Mary's, then west off K-63 Hwy. You can call the Guard House to check on availability at (785) 456-6149. The Jeffrey Energy Center allows 30 anglers to fish at any one time. Auxiliary Lake has zebra mussels which makes the lake designated as a Aquatic Nuisance Species water. Fish may not be transported alive from ANS designated waters. To help prevent the spread of invasive species, please CLEAN, DRAIN & DRY all equipment when changing water bodies and dump your bait. | |||
LEAVENWORTH STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 11/27/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invasive Species Alert | Not Good | Brittle Naiad has been found near the boat ramp. Please inspect your boat and trailer before leaving to ensure you are not transporting this invasive plant. | |
| Perry Newsletter | Good | 4 pages (Lots of pics) | Twice a year I will be publishing a newsletter with Perry and other waters in the district. If you would like the newsletter e-mailed to you click here and fill in the blanks. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair to Good | up to 2.5 lbs | Bass are being caught by anglers using jigs or plastics along the shoreline and in & around brush piles, rip-rap, and fallen trees. |
| Channel Catfish | Fair to Good | up to 2.5 lbs | Channel Catfish may be taken occasionally from shore using cut bait or livers. The feeders are still empty and will not be filled until spring. |
| Flathead Catfish | Fair to Good | up to 30 lbs | This lake has a decent number of Flathead Catfish. They can be caught using a small sunfish along the dam or other rocky areas. |
| Bluegill | Fair | up to 0.4 lbs | Bluegill can be caught using a chunk of worm jigged over brush piles and weed beds. |
| Crappie | Slow to Fair | up to 1.25 lbs | The best bet for crappie would be to fish a jig and minnow near brush piles and rip rap or vertical jigging along steep drop offs. |
| Redear Sunfish | Slow to Fair | up to 0.75 lbs | This lake has a good population of shellcrackers. Redear can be caught using a small chunk of worm near brushpiles and shoreline habitat. |
| Wiper | Fair | up to 4.0 lbs | Wiper can be caught near points in the lake using baits that resemble shad. Schools can also be located by shad breaking the surface. More Wiper were sampled this year than in previous years. |
| Walleye | Slow | Up to 3.25 lbs | Fish a jig and minnow along the dam. |
| General Comments | |||
| If you have information that you would like to contribute to this fishing report, contact Nick Kramer at 785-246-4514. Construction on the spillway is underway resulting in an 8 ft. drawdown of the lake. More updates can be found here as available. Special note: The lake has non-native aquatic plants! Please inspect your trailer and fishing gear before leaving the lake to ensure you are not transporting these plants to any other lakes. Please pick up and take home any trash that you may have brought with you.
| |||
LOUISBURG-MIDDLE CREEK SFL - Last Updated: 11/21/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Catfish | Fair | 1/2 to 11 lbs. | Channel catfish can be taken right now on a variety of baits lakewide. |
| Flathead Catfish | Fair | Most 4-10lbs. But some up to 30lbs. | Target structure and vegetation edges with live bait. Boulders south of the dam also hold some flathead catfish. |
| Crappie | Fair | Up to 12 inches | Minnows and jigs are producing the most fish right now. Majority of the population is 8-10 inches, but some nicer ones can be found. |
| Saugeye | Good | Up to 3 lbs. | Jigs tipped with a nightcrawler fished near submerged roadbed. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | Up to 3 lbs. | Largemouth can be taken on finesse plastics and spinnerbaits fished near trees in the coves and at vegetation edges. Some are being taken on the flats with crankbaits. |
| Wiper/White Bass | Good | Up to 4 lbs. | Crankbaits and shad imitation baits fished near submerged road also target near schools of gizzard shad. |
| General Comments | |||
MIAMI STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 11/21/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | 0.5-4 lbs | Plastic finesse baits along vegetation edges are producing the best right now. |
| Bluegill | Good | Up to 0.33 lbs | Jigs or worms fished near shoreline structure. |
| Channel Cat | Fair | 1-10 lbs | Channel cats can be taken now on a variety of live or prepared baits. |
| Crappie | Good | Up to 16 inches | Crappie can be taken on jigs near culvert and rock jetties. Crappie are being caught on both sides of the culvert at this time. |
| White Bass | Slow | 14-17 inches | A good population of white bass exists in this lake and is not often targeted. White bass can be taken on shad imitation lures and white marabou jigs. |
| General Comments | |||
| The curly-leaf pondweed stand is gone for the year and there are currently no vegetation issues at the waterbody. | |||
MILFORD RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 12/20/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catfish | Fair | Blues up to 73lbs | along main river channel on cut bait LOOK FOR RECENTLY TAGGED BLUE CATS!!! New regulation for Blue Catfish in 2018...all between 25"-40" must be released...creel limit is still 5, but only 1 can be 40" or longer |
| Crappie | Fair | 10-20ft deep suspended near points, flooded brush, and ledges on jigs and minnows | |
| Walleye | Fair | scattered near points and ledges on jigs, worms, and crank baits 20-30ft deep 21" minimum length limit, 2/day creel limit. | |
| White Bass/Wipers | Fair | along windy banks and points using jigs New regulation for Wiper in 2018...creel limit is now 5/day | |
| Smallmouth Bass | Fair | ||
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | ||
| Outlet | Good | catfish on cut bait; walleye, white bass, and wipers on jigs | |
| General Comments | |||
| LOOK FOR RECENTLY TAGGED BLUE CATS!!! New regulation for Wiper in 2018...creel limit is now 5/day New regulation for Blue Catfish in 2018...all between 25"-40" must be released...creel limit is still 5, but only 1 can be 40" or longer CLICK THIS LINK TO LEARN ABOUT THE MILFORD WALLEYE TAGGING STUDY!!! CAUTION: DO NOT TRANSFER LIVE BAIT FROM ONE BODY OF WATER TO ANOTHER!!! ALONG WITH ZEBRA MUSSEL INFESTATION, ASIAN CARP ARE IN DRAINAGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE KANSAS RIVER AND CAN EASILY BE MISTAKEN FOR SHAD!!! Blue-Green Algae: Current information listed here: http://www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/algae_advisories.htm WARNING! ZEBRA MUSSELS NOW IN RESERVOIR AND OUTLET! Sign up for the most recent Milford district fisheries newsletter today! | |||
NEBO STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 11/27/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fish Feeders | The feeders are empty and will not be filled until next spring. | ||
| Perry District Newsletter | Good to Excellent | 4 pages (lots of pics) | Twice a year I will be publishing a newsletter with Perry and other waters in my district. If you would like to have the newsletter e-mailed to you click here and fill in the blanks. |
| Bluegill | Slow to Fair | up to 0.3 lbs. | Bluegill can be caught using a small chunk of worm or small ice jigs over brush piles |
| Channel Catfish | Fair to Good | up to 5.0 lbs | Channel catfish can still be caught using worms, cut shad, or doughballs. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair to Good | up to 7.0 lbs | The lake contains a nice population of larger fish for a small State Fishing Lake. They can be caught using spinnerbaits, plastics, or crankbaits around the brush piles. |
| White/ Black Crappie | Fair | up to 1.0 lbs. | Tube jig or minnow along shoreline and around the brush piles. Water is cloudy so choose baits that will make a lot of noise both in color and in sound. Best luck would come near the islands on the north shore. |
| Comments | |||
| If you have information that you would like to contribute to this fishing report, contact Nick Kramer at 785-246-4514. | |||
OLATHE - LAKE OLATHE - Last Updated: 11/21/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Slow | Up to 8 inches | Nightcrawler under a bobber fished near shoreline structure. |
| Channel Catfish | Good | Up to 5 lbs. | Channel catfish are being taken on live and prepared baits. The bite is very good in the upper end. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | Up to 6 lb. | Target largemouth bass in deeper structure and drop-offs. |
| Saugeye | Slow | Up to 3 lbs. | Jigs tipped with a nightcrawler fished on the flat. |
| Wiper | Slow | Up to 11 lbs. | Jigs and shad imitation baits fished near mainlake points. Some nice sized wiper (14-19 inches) have been being taken on the north end of the reservoir. |
| White Crappie | Fair | Most fish around 7 inches, but some are greater than 10 inches. | Jigs or minnows fished near brushpiles. |
| General Comments | |||
| Caution!!! Asian Carp have made their way up stream to below Lake Olathe dam. Remember it is illegal to move fish from below dam to above the dam or use fish captured below dam for bait above the dam. Boats will not be allowed on Lake Olathe during weekdays till mid-June 2018 due to construction efforts and blasting. Boats will be allowed on evenings and weekends. | |||
PAOLA CITY LAKE - LAKE MIOLA - Last Updated: 11/21/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | 0.5-4 lbs | Finesse plastics fished near vegetation edges and structure. |
| Channel catfish | Slow | 0.5-6 lbs | Chicken liver or worms fished near mainlake points. |
| Crappie | Fair | 0.5-1 lbs | Minnows fished near brushpiles. |
| Saugeye | Slow | Up to 22 inches | Saugeye can be found drifting or trolling mudflats using jigs tipped with nightcrawler or jigging spoons. |
| Wiper | Fair | Up to 24 inches | Use shad imitation baits fished near main lake points. |
| Bluegill and Redear Sunfish | Fair | Up to 10 inches | The bluegill and redear sunfish populations are in really good shape right now with many fish in the 7-9 inch length range. Use piece of nightcrawler or small jig at vegetation edges and rocky structures to target the panfish. |
| General Comments | |||
| Zebra mussels have been found at Paola City Lake (Lake Miola). The lake has been designated as an Aquatic Nuisance Species water. Fish may not be transported alive from ANS designated waters. To help prevent the spread of invasive species, please CLEAN, DRAIN & DRY all equipment when changing water bodies and dump your bait. New Brushpiles were added on 3/9/18. Many of the new brushpiles can also be accessed by casting from the shore. GPS Coordinate locations for brushpiles. N 38.58540, W 094.84338 N 38.58954, W 094.84549 N 38.58493, W 094.84037 N 38.59411, W 094.84538 N 38.58334, W 094.84544 | |||
PERRY RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 11/27/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zebra Mussels | Invasive! | up to 3/4" | Since the infestation was discovered in Oct. of 2007 these mussels have spread throughout the lake. It's up to all of us to make sure these are not spread to other area lakes, Clean-Drain-Dry everything that is taken out of Perry. Mussels will start spawning as the water temperature rises to around 54 degrees. Please do not move water from Perry Reservoir. |
| Perry District Newsletter | Good-Excellent | 4 Pages (lots of pics) | We publish a newsletter for Perry and other waters in the district twice a year. If you would like the letter e-mailed to you click here and fill in the blanks. |
| Channel Catfish | Good | up to 10.0 lbs | Catfish can be along deeper mudflats using cut shad, night crawlers, shrimp, or stink bait. |
| Sauger | Slow | up to 2.6 lbs. | There are good numbers in the reservoir but are difficult to target. Try trolling crankbaits along the dam or mudflats in early morning. Casting a jig or crankbait in areas under a light may produce some fish during the night. |
| Smallmouth Bass | Fair Fair | up to 5.0 lbs. up to 5.0 lbs. | Recent Bass tournaments have landed some nice fish including a few of both species over 5 lbs and numerous over 4 and 3. There are some nice fish in the lake for folks to hook into. |
| White Bass | Fair | up to 1.5 lbs. | White Bass can be caught using any bait resembling a shad or even from crappie jigs. Try casting around rocks or look for schools of fish breaking up the balls of shad. |
| White Crappie | Slow to Fair | up to 1.5 lbs. | Many anglers have been out recently targeting crappie. Target brush piles or brush locations in areas near creek or old river channels in 10-15 feet of water. |
| Blue Catfish | Fair | up to 25.0 lbs. | Anglers are catching a few Blue Cats using cut and whole shad along the river channels in the upper end of the reservoir. A few nice fish in the 35 inch length limit range can be taken, many fish are below the length limit, with a few blue catfish over the 35 inch minimum length limit. Remember blue cats look similar to channel catfish, so be careful with identification. |
| Comments | |||
| As of November 27th, the current lake elevation is at 895.34 (3.8' above conservation pool) and staying steady with a release of 25 cfs. For current lake conditions click here and for the lake forecast click here. If you would like to place habitat in Perry Reservoir or contribute to the fishing report, please contact the Fish Biologist, Nick, at 785-246-4514 to obtain a permit. 39 Georgia Cube fish habitat structures were recently placed in the reservoir in the following locations: 5 cubes @ N 39.1563, W 095.4885 6 cubes @ N 39.1537, W 095.4931 3 cubes @ N 39.1516, W 095.4849 4 cubes @ N 39.1506, W 095.4825 3 cubes @ N 39.1292, W 095.4662 3 cubes @ N 39.1468, W 095.4707 3 cubes @ N 39.1313, W 095.4700 3 cubes @ N 39.1480, W 095.4809 (GPS plot doesn't agree with my memory, may not be in this exact spot) 3 cubes @ N 39.1352, W 095.4724 3 cubes @ N 39.1421, W 095.4774 3 cubes surrounding the jetty at the north ramp of Perry State Park This is a generic report and will be updated as information becomes available. | |||
POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY LAKE - Last Updated: 1/15/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Crappie | Slow | 1/3 to 1 lb. | Crappie numbers are below average and harvest rates will likely be down for 2019. |
| Bluegill | Slow to Fair | 6 to 10 inches | The lake has a nice bluegill population. |
| Channel Catfish | Slow | 1/2 to 6 lbs. | The lake contains good numbers of catfish for a small lake. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | 1/2 to 4 lbs. | The lake has a great largemouth bass population. Bass 13 to 18 inches long are protected. |
| General Comments | |||
| This small 49 acre lake is located in northeast Pott. County. The fishing conditions are very similar to that of a large farm pond. The lake is noted for good catch and release largemouth bass fishing due to the abundance of the species. | |||
POTTAWATOMIE STATE FISHING LAKE NO. 1 - Last Updated: 1/15/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Fair | Up to 9 inches | The bluegill population offers good numbers of 6 to 8 inch fish. |
| Channel Catfish | Slow | 3/4 to 5 pounds | The lake has a low level catfish population. |
| Crappie | Slow | 1/2 to 1 pound | Crappie abundance continues to be below average with few fish over 10 inches. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | 1/2 to 5 pounds | The 2018 annual sampling effort documented that the population has come down from the very high abundance seen the last few years, but the lake can still be characterized as having lots and lots of bass. Of the fish collected in 2018, 71.4% were over 12 inches. The lake is known for being a good spot for catch and release bass fishing. |
| General Comments | |||
| This small 24 acre lake is similar to pond fishing. The lake is known for catch and release of largemouth bass and harvest of nice bluegill. The lake's channel catfish are protected by a 15 inch minimum length limit. Do you want some more information on fishing in the Manhattan area? You can subscribe to the free Manhattan Fisheries Newsletter by clicking the link. | |||
POTTAWATOMIE STATE FISHING LAKE NO. 2 - Last Updated: 1/15/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bass | Slow to Fair | 1/2 to 4 pounds | The lake has good numbers of largemouth bass and a low level smallmouth bass population. The 2018 sample collected the most largemouth bass in 5 years and 32% were over 15 inches. The 2018 sample also documented improved numbers of smallmouth bass with most of the fish being from 11 to 15 inches long. Bass in this lake can be tough to catch because they have all seen a lot of lures. |
| Channel Catfish | Slow to Fair | 3/4 to 3 pounds | The lake is in the Urban Stocking Program and is frequently stocked with 12 to 18 inch channel catfish. The most recent stocking was on September 26th of 550 pounds of channel catfish. Total for 2018 the lake was stocked with 3,810 channel catfish. Channel catfish creel at the lake is 5 a day. |
| Crappie | Slow to Fair | 1/4 to 1 pound | The lake does not support a robust crappie population but there is usually some good crappie fishing in the spring. There are some artificial habitat structures just out from each dock that can be good in the winter and early spring. |
| General Comments | |||
| Pott. # 2 is noted for family outings, scenic views, catch and release bass fishing, harvest of small crappie and channel catfish. Do you want some more information on fishing in the Manhattan area? You can subscribe to the free Manhattan Fisheries Newsletter by clicking the link. | |||
ROCKY FORD FISHING AREA - Last Updated: 1/15/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catfish | Slow | 1 to 20+ pounds | Channel can be caught on worms, cut bait or prepared bait. Flathead can be taken on live bait or lures. Blue catfish are usually caught on fresh cut bait. Please check any blue catfish for a yellow tag in its back as we have been tagging some to collect more information on the species in Tuttle Creek Lake and the Big Blue River. Feel free to harvest or release the fish, but please report the tag number and the general location of the catch to (785) 539-7941 or ely.sprenkle@ks.gov A big THANK YOU to all who report their catch! |
| White Bass and Wipers | Slow to Fair | 1/2 to 8 pounds | Fishing for whites and wiper has been hit or miss with the changes in release rates. To distinguish between the two species you can look at the tooth patch on the tongue. Wiper has two tooth patches. White bass has only one tooth patch. The fishing regs has good pictures for id. Starting in 2018: Wiper daily creel is 5 per day. |
| Drum | Slow to Fair | 1/2 to 5 lbs. | Drum are an abundant species at Rocky Ford and can be caught on worms, minnows, and jigs. |
| Saugeye | Fair to Good | 3/4 to 5 pounds | The amount of water being released from Tuttle Creek dam has been all over the place the last two months, but when it has been steady for a few days then saugeye fishing has been pretty good. Best baits have been brightly colored jigs. Starting in 2017, the statewide 15-inch minimum length limit for walleye, sauger and saugeye does not apply to rivers, streams and tailwaters. |
| General Comments | |||
| Rocky Ford , a river fishery, is located just south of the Tuttle Creek Dam on the Big Blue River. Anglers have the opportunity to harvest fishes generally associated with moving water. Saugeye, white bass, the catfishes, drum, crappie and carp can be harvested. Angler access and success is affected by release rates from the nearby Tuttle Creek Reservoir. You can check current conditions HERE Zebra mussels were found in Tuttle Creek on August 16, 2017. This makes the Reservoir, River Pond and Rocky Ford as designated Aquatic Nuisance Species waters. Fish may not be transported alive from ANS designated waters. To help prevent the spread of invasive species, please CLEAN, DRAIN & DRY all equipment when changing water bodies, do not move fish and dump your bait. Do you want some more information on fishing in the Manhattan area? You can subscribe to the free Manhattan Fisheries Newsletter by clicking the link. | |||
SABETHA PONY CREEK - Last Updated: 11/27/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perry District Newsletter | Good to Excellent | 4 pages (lots of pics) | Twice a year I will be publishing a newsletter with Perry and other waters in my district. If you would like the newsletter e-mailed to you click here newsletter and fill in the blanks. |
| Black Crappie | Good | up to 1.5 lbs | Crappie can be caught over brush piles or near standing timber using a small jig tipped with a plastic lure or minnow. There are a good number of nice fish to be caught if you can find a brush pile. |
| Bluegill | Fair to Good | up to 0.5 lbs | Bluegill may be caught using a chunk of worm or a small jig over brush piles. |
| Channel Catfish | Fair to Good | up to 17.0 lbs | There are some nice sized Channel Catfish in this impoundment. They can be caught from shore using cut bait or livers |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair to Good | up to 5.0 lbs. | Best success for bass is coming by using soft plastic worms near structure in 3-10 ft or water or just off of the many ledges. |
| Walleye | Slow to Fair | up to 5.5 lbs. | Walleye should be along the dam and off of points. |
| Wiper | Great | up to 7.5 lbs. | Wipers can be caught by fishing along points in the lake using any lure that resembles a shad. Luck could also be had by trolling along the dam and open areas. |
| General Comments | |||
| Attention anglers, If you fish this water body and would like to contribute your knowledge to the fishing report give me a call at 785-246-4514. Thanks! This is a generic report and will be updated as information becomes available. | |||
SHAWNEE CO. LAKE SHAWNEE - Last Updated: 11/13/2018 Print
| Fisheries Newsletter |
If you want to keep up with what's going on at Lake Shawnee (including GPS coordinates for any new brush piles placed into the lake) sign up for the Lawrence District Newsletter at the following link: http://kdwp.state.ks.us/news/KDWP-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Lawrence-Fishing-District | ||
| Zebra Mussels were | found | in Lake | Shawnee during the summer of 2013. Lake users should Clean, Drain, and Dry boats, trailers, and any equipment that comes in contact with the water to keep from moving zebra mussels elsewhere. |
| Trout | Good | spinners, jigs, and prepared baits | |
| Bluegill | Fair | Up to 0.25 lbs | Using worms under bobber, small spinners, and jigs around cover. |
| Channel catfish | Fair | 1-5 lbs | Stinkbait, liver, and minnows. |
| Largemouth bass | Fair | 0.5-3 lbs | Using crankbaits and jigs. |
| General Comments | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Brushpiles were constructed and placed at 5 locations in April 2010. Locations were marked with GPS using datum NAD83: 1) N38.99217 W095.63188, 2) N39.00736 W095.62968, 3) N38.99254, W095.63210, 4) N38.99619 W095.632202, 5) N39.01043, W095.63014. November 07 locations were marked with GPS using datum WGS84 in decimel degrees: 1) N39.00740 W095.62978; 2) N39.00819 W095.63046; 3) N39.00810 W095.63055; 4) N39.00806 W095.63043; 5) N39.00638 W095.62261; 6) N39.00247 W095.62495; 7) N38.99622 W095.63205; 8) 39.00274 W095.63202. | |||
SHAWNEE MISSION PARK LAKE - Last Updated: 11/21/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Fair | Up to 8 inches | Livebait under a bobber fished near shoreline structure. |
| Crappie | Fair | Up to 15 inches | Jigs near structure are producing the best. |
| Channel Catfish | Fair | Up to 6 lbs. | Some being caught lake wide using dough-bait and cut bait. |
| Wiper | Fair | Up to 9 lbs. | Live bait and shad imitation baits along the dam are producing the best. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | Up to 4 lbs. | Finesse plastics are working best right now fished near deeper structure. |
| Trout | Good | Catchable | Trout have been stocked and are biting on worms or power bait. |
| General Comments | |||
| In addition to a state fishing license, a Johnson County fishing permit is required. If you plan to fish for trout, a Johnson County trout permit is also required. Johnson County fishing/trout permits are available through Johnson County Parks and Recreation District and other select vendors. | |||
SHAWNEE STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 1/15/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | 1/2 to 5 pounds | The lake has a very good population of largemouth bass and the 2018 sample produced the second highest abundance seen in the last decade. In addition, there is a great size structure with 41% of the fish were over 15 inches. The lake has been stocked several times with smallmouth bass but so far they have not flourished and few are caught by anglers. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Crappie | Slow to Fair | 1/2 to 1 pound | The crappie size structure continues to be dominated by small fish with only 6% of the crappie sampled in 2018 were over 10 inches. Brush pile coordinates below should hold fish during the winter months. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Channel Catfish | Fair | 1/2 - 4 pounds | The lake is in the Urban Stocking Program and is frequently stocked with 12 to 18 inch catfish which leads to good catch rates of fish in this range. The most recent stocking was on September 12th of 780 pounds of catfish. For 2018 the lake received 7,430 channel catfish. Channel catfish daily limit is 5. The two fish feeders have been repeatedly vandalized and the program has been suspended at the lake. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Comments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Located north of Silver Lake, Shawnee State Fishing Lake is the site of good catch and release largemouth bass fishing. The lake is also noted for channel catfish harvest since the lake receives frequent stockings of harvestable sized catfish from March through September. The Jeffrey Energy Center Lakes and Perry Reservoir both have zebra mussels and with Shawnee State Lake being close it is at high risk. Please, always clean your boat when moving to different water bodies. Do you want some more information on fishing in the Manhattan area? You can subscribe to the free Manhattan Fisheries Newsletter by clicking the link.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
TUTTLE CREEK - Last Updated: 1/15/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Slow | 1/2 to 2 pounds | High water, dropping water and muddy water has greatly hampered the normally good winter crappie fishing. Hoping for a good spring. |
| White Bass | Slow | 1/2 to 2 pounds | White bass numbers continue to be low due to poor spawning success the last six years. |
| Catfish | Slow to Fair | Up to 40 pounds | The lake and the connected river system maintains a good channel catfish population and is one of the best places around to catch channel over 8 pounds. The blue catfish population is finally starting to get established. The vast majority of the fish are below 28 inches and not sexually mature yet. To protect these fish until they have a chance to spawn, a new 35-inch minimum length limit is in place starting January 1, 2018. The plan is to only have a length limit on blue catfish for a few years until the population can sustain itself through natural reproduction. Please check any blue catfish for a yellow tag in its back as we have been tagging some to collect more information on the species in Tuttle Creek Lake. It is up to you if you wish to release the fish or harvest it (if legally applicable), but please report the tag number and the general location of the catch to (785) 539-7941 or ely.sprenkle@ks.gov A big THANK YOU to all who report their catch! |
| Largemouth Bass | Slow | 1 to 5 pounds | Coves in southern third of the Reservoir have some locally good largemouth bass populations. The McIntyre Cove area tends to produce the best fishing. |
| Saugeye | Fair | Up to 6 pounds | The high release rates have been moving fish from the Reservoir downstream which has led to some good fishing in the river pond, the river below the dam or at Rocky Ford. Starting in 2017, the minimum length limit does not apply to saugeye in the River Pond or at the "tubes". The 15-inch minimum length limit is still in effect in the Reservoir. |
| Rainbow Trout | Good! | Up to 5 pounds | Trout season is underway at Willow Lake, which is located in the Southeast corner of the Tuttle Creek State Park below the dam. Willow Lake was stocked with 800 pounds of rainbow trout on 01/08/19. So far this trout season the lake has been stocked with 5,260 catchable sized rainbow trout. Fishing has been good with the ice gone. Best baits are commercial trout baits, worms, corn or lures. Best places have been the rock piers or the North bank. Limit is 5 fish a day. A trout permit is needed to fish at Willow Lake during the trout season, except that anyone under 16 years of age with a properly licensed adult can fish and harvest up to 2 trout without a trout permit. |
| General Comments | |||
| Fishing has been slow in the reservoir with the fluctuating water levels. You can check current water conditions HERE Zebra mussels were found in Tuttle Creek on August 16, 2017. This makes the Reservoir, River Pond and Rocky Ford as designated Aquatic Nuisance Species waters. Fish may not be transported alive from ANS designated waters. To help prevent the spread of invasive species, please CLEAN, DRAIN & DRY all equipment when changing water bodies and please do not move fish you have caught or your bait. Do you want some more information on fishing in the Manhattan area? You can subscribe to the free Manhattan Fisheries Newsletter by clicking the link. | |||
WASHINGTON STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 1/15/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Slow | Up to 1/3 lb | The lake has a decent bluegill population. Just North of the boat ramp is usually a good spot for bigger gills. |
| Channel catfish | Slow | Up to 7 lbs | Good numbers of channel cats are available. The North bank is a popular spot to fish for cats. |
| Crappie | Slow | Up to 1lb | The lake has lots of crappie, but not too many over 10 inches. Along the dam or East bank tends to be the best spots. |
| Largemouth bass | Slow | Up to 4 lbs | The largemouth bass population has been really improving the last few years and the 2018 sample recorded the highest abundance in over a decade. Most of the population is still below 15 inches but there are a few big fish around. |
| Saugeye | Slow | Up to 3 lbs | The lake has fair numbers of saugeye over the 21 inch minimum length limit. |
| General Comments | |||
| Do you want some more information on fishing in the Manhattan area? You can subscribe to the free Manhattan Fisheries Newsletter by clicking the link. | |||
WYANDOTTE COUNTY LAKE - Last Updated: 11/30/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Crappie | Up to 12 inches | ||
| Bluegill | Up to 8 inches | ||
| Channel Catfish | Up to 10 lbs. | ||
| Largemouth Bass | Up to 5 lbs. | ||
| Smallmouth Bass | Up to 2 lbs. | ||
| Wiper/White Bass | Up to 6 lbs. | ||
| Walleye | Up to 2 lbs. | ||
| Rainbow Trout | Catchable | ||
| General Comments | |||
| Fishing at Wyandotte County Lake is closed for the winter. Look for it to reopen Saturday March 2, 2019. A Wyandotte County fishing permit is required to fish this property. A Wyandotte County trout permit is required for trout fishing. Please contact Wyandotte County Unified Government Parks and Recreation Department at 913-573-8327 for more information. | |||
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: 11/27/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, & Location |
| Crappie | No report | Up to 12 inches | Fish around any deeper brush or vegetation you can find especially in the creek channels or around a drop-offs. Use minnows, small slab spoons, or jigs. |
| Channel catfish | No report | Up to 5 lbs | Try fishing on the sunny, wind blown side of the lake. Try prepared stinkbait, cut bait or liver under a bobber or on the bottom. Also try drifting nightcrawlers. |
| Largemouth bass | No report | Up to 4 lbs | Try jigs and finesse plastics around sunny banks later in the day daily warm-up. |
| Bluegill | No report | Up to 8 inches | Try small jigs, crickets or worms under a bobber around brush and rock piles. |
| Walleye | No report | Up to 4 lbs | Try jigs tipped with worms, minnows or leaches or small minnow type crank baits as the bottom presentation. You can also try slab spoons. |
This is a generic winter fishing report and will be updated only if a hot report is reported to theDodge Cityoffice at 620-227-8609. A trout permit is required to fish for and possess trout during the trout season. Local fishing reports depend on information from local anglers themselves. Regular weekly fishing reports will resume in April 2017.
If you would like to post a fishing report go to http://ksfishing.blogspot.com/ and post a report for Region 3 and the lake you have been fishing. You may also 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!
A Dodge City District newsletter is available. Information about fishing and fisheries management throughout southwest Kansas will be updated at least twice each year. If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter you can go to the following link to get on the mailing list. http://kdwp.state.ks.us/news/KDWP-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Dodge-City-Fishing-District
CLARK STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 11/27/2018 Print
Work to repair the Clark County State Fishing Lake spillway will begin in December and will entail drawing the reservoir down 20 feet. To learn more, CLICK HERE.
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, & Location |
| Crappie | No report | Up to 15 inches | Fish around any deeper brush or vegetation you can find especially in the creek channels or around a drop-offs. Use minnows, small slab spoons, or jigs |
| Channel catfish | No report | Up to 5 lbs | Try fishing on the sunny, wind blown side of the lake. Try prepared stinkbait, cut bait or liver under a bobber or on the bottom. Also try drifting nightcrawlers |
| Largemouth bass | No report | Up to 6 lbs | Try jigs and finesse plastics around sunny banks later in the day daily warm-up. |
| Bluegill | No report | Up to 8 inches | Try small jigs, or crickets & worms under a bobber around brush and rock piles. |
| Walleye | No report | Up to 25 inches | Try jigs tipped with worms, minnows or leaches or small minnow type crank baits as the bottom presentation. You can also try slab spoons. |
| White bass | Fair | Up to 1.5 lbs | Try small white jigs off windblown points as well as crank baits,small jigs and spinners in areas the wind is blowing into the shore. |
As of 11.19.18, Clark was about 8 feet below spillway level and dropping about 2.25 inches per day. This is a generic winter fishing report and will be updated only if a hot report is reported to theDodge Cityoffice at 620-227-8609. A trout permit is required to fish for and possess trout during the trout season. Local fishing reports depend on information from local anglers themselves. Regular weekly fishing reports will resume in April 2017.
If you would like to post a fishing report go to http://ksfishing.blogspot.com/ and post a report for Region 3 and the lake you have been fishing. You may also 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!
A Dodge City District newsletter is available. Information about fishing and fisheries management throughout southwest Kansas will be updated at least twice each year. If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter you can go to the following link to get on the mailing list. http://kdwp.state.ks.us/news/KDWP-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Dodge-City-Fishing-District
DODGE CITY LAKE CHARLES - Last Updated: 3/16/2017 Print
HORSETHIEF RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 11/27/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, & Location |
| Crappie | No report | Up to 10 inches | Fish around any deeper brush or vegetation you can find especially in the creek channels or around a drop-offs. Use minnows, small slab spoons, or jigs |
| Channel catfish | No report | Up to 11 lbs | Try fishing on the sunny, wind blown side of the lake. Try prepared stinkbait, cut bait or liver under a bobber or on the bottom. Also try drifting nightcrawlers. |
| Largemouth bass | No report | Up to 4 lbs | Try jigs and finesse plastics around sunny banks later in the day daily warm-up. |
| Bluegill | No report | Up to 8 inches | Try small jigs & worms under a bobber around riprap. |
| Walleye | No report | Up to 4 lbs | Try jigs tipped with worms, minnows or leaches or small minnow type crank baits as the bottom presentation. You can also try slab spoons. |
This is a generic winter fishing report and will be updated only if a hot report is reported to theDodge Cityoffice at 620-227-8609. A trout permit is required to fish for and possess trout during the trout season. Local fishing reports depend on information from local anglers themselves. Regular weekly fishing reports will resume in April 2017.
If you would like to post a fishing report go to http://ksfishing.blogspot.com/ and post a report for Region 3 and the lake you have been fishing. You may also 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!
A Dodge City District newsletter is available. Information about fishing and fisheries management throughout southwest Kansas will be updated at least twice each year. If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter you can go to the following link to get on the mailing list. http://kdwp.state.ks.us/news/KDWP-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Dodge-City-Fishing-District
MEADE STATE LAKE - Last Updated: 11/27/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, & Location |
| Crappie | No report | Up to 12 inches | Fish around any deeper brush or vegetation you can find especially in the creek channels or around a drop-offs. Use minnows, small slab spoons, or jigs. |
| Channel catfish | No report | Up to 5 lbs | Try fishing on the sunny, wind blown side of the lake. Try prepared stinkbait, cut bait or liver under a bobber or on the bottom. Also try drifting nightcrawlers. |
| Largemouth bass | No report | Up to 5 lbs | Try jigs and finesse plastics around sunny banks later in the day daily warm-up. |
| Flathead catfish | No Report | Up to 50 lbs | Live bait fished around cover. |
This is a generic winter fishing report and will be updated only if a hot report is reported to theDodge Cityoffice at 620-227-8609. A trout permit is required to fish for and possess trout during the trout season. Local fishing reports depend on information from local anglers themselves. Regular weekly fishing reports will resume in April 2017.
If you would like to post a fishing report go to http://ksfishing.blogspot.com/ and post a report for Region 3 and the lake you have been fishing. You may also 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!
A Dodge City District newsletter is available. Information about fishing and fisheries management throughout southwest Kansas will be updated at least twice each year. If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter you can go to the following link to get on the mailing list. http://kdwp.state.ks.us/news/KDWP-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Dodge-City-Fishing-District
PRATT COUNTY LAKE - Last Updated: 11/27/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, & Location |
| Crappie | No report | ||
| Channel catfish | No report | ||
| Largemouth bass | No report | ||
| Bluegill | No report | ||
| Wiper | No report | ||
| Walleye | No report |
Pratt County Lake will be drained in the spring of 2019 to make repairs to the road and both inflow and outflow structures that were compromised by the flood in 2018. Length and Creel limits will be removed by posted order sometime in early December 2018.
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!
A Dodge City District newsletter is available. Information about fishing and fisheries management throughout southwest Kansas will be updated at least twice each year. If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter you can go to the following link to get on the mailing list. http://kdwp.state.ks.us/news/KDWP-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Dodge-City-Fishing-District
SCOTT STATE LAKE - Last Updated: 12/21/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
| Channel Catfish | Slow | Most in the 13 to 18 inch range | No Reports. |
| Crappie | Fair | Up to 13 inches | Fishing jigs around the fish attractors or drifting jigs in open water of the main lake is usually productive. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | Up to 5.5 lbs. | Soft plastics and swimbaits fished around brushpiles, laydown trees, and along rocky shorelines especially on the warmer days. |
| Rainbow Trout | Good | 0.5 lb. average | The third stocking of the 2018/2019 trout season was conducted December 19, 2018 with the release of approximately 600 trout that averaged a little better than 0.5 lbs. each. There were a fair number of fish in the stocking that ranged from 1.5 to 3.0 lbs. each. Anglers 16 years old and older are required to possess a valid trout permit in addition to their fishing license to fish the pond during the trout season. A 5 fish/day/person creel limit applies to above mentioned anglers. Anglers less than 16 years old possessing a valid trout permit may harvest up to 5 trout/day/person. Anglers less than 16 years old may fish for, and harvest trout without a trout permit, but a 2 fish creel limit applies. In any case, possession limit is three times the daily limit. Still fishing worms, power bait, salmon eggs, marshmallows, and corn alone or in various combination off the bottom is a popular approach using traditional casting equipment. Fly rod anglers can also be effective casting nymphs, small streamers, wooly buggers, or salmon egg imitations. |
| Sunfish | Fair | Up to 8 inches | Worms under a bobber around brush, laydown trees, vegetation, and rock in deeper water. |
| Saugeye/Walleye | Fair | Up to 7 lbs. | Casting crank baits or swim baits along rip-rapped shorelines or over points and drop-offs. |
| General Comments | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Release all walleye/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! Cedar Bluff District Newsletter: A biannual newsletter detailing fishing related projects and activities in the Cedar Bluff District, which includes such waters as Cedar Bluff Reservoir, Sheridan and Scott State Fishing Lakes, Antelope Lake, and other public fishing waters in northwest Kansas are available. If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter you can go to the following link to get on the mailing list. The link is: http://kdwp.state.ks.us/news/KDWP-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Cedar-Bluff-Fishing-District | |||
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
MCPHERSON STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 9/17/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Channel catfish | Fair | 1 - 5 lbs. | Fair. Catfishing has been slow recently. Try dip-bait on sponges, worms, and/or liver near the shore during the evenings or deeper during the day. | |
| Crappie | Fair | 8-13" | Fair. Few reports of crappie being caught near the bank and on brush piles. Small chartreuse and pink jigs have been working well. The bite has slowed but should pick up as the water temps decrease a bit. | |
| Largemouth bass | Fair | Up to 6 lb. | Fair. Slow, but a few large bass have been caught and several smaller fish are active. The topwater bite is fair in the mornings and evenings. Try darker colored soft plastics in the brush and vegetation. Try vibrating jigs and spinnerbaits on windy days. With warm water temps, bass aren't as shallow during the day. Try offshore flats and creek channels with finesse tactics on the bottom (shaky-head worm, jig). | |
| Saugeye | Poor | 15-26" | Poor. Only a few Saugeye have been reported. Try dragging chartreuse, white, or pink jigs tipped with an earthworm around points. Small, deep-running crankbaits should produce as well. Fish slow and on the bottom towards evening and at night. Remember) The minimum length limit has changed from 18" to 21" and only 2 fish can be kept per day. | |
| General Comments Water temperature: 78 degrees | ||||
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ANTHONY CITY LAKE - Last Updated: 1/7/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel catfish | Fair | up to 2lbs | Channel Catfish will be feeding on winter-killed shad. Try fishing cut shad on the windy side of the lake. |
| Crappie | Fair to Poor | Up to 13" | A small tube jig or minnow under a bobber is a good bet. Morning and evening hours are best. |
| General Comments | |||
BLACK KETTLE STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 5/3/2017 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Poor | 6" to 10" | Fish with small minnows and jigs around brush. There are a few nice crappie in the lake although most are fairly small. |
| Bluegill | Poor | Worms under a bobber or very small jigs. | |
| Channel Catfish | Fair | 2-6 lbs. | Fish with cut bait, stink bait, or chicken livers lakewide. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | 12" to 20" | Fish shallow brush with Texas rigged softbait, jigs, and spinnerbaits. The water here is typically murky so try darker colored lures (black & blue, dark purple, green pumpkin). |
| General Comments | |||
BUTLER STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 11/26/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fishing Newsletter | We have created a fishing newsletter that can be sent out to all that want it. This newsletter is for fishing information for the El Dorado District (Sumner, Cowley, Butler, Chase, & Marion counties) only. To subscribe, click HERE . | ||
| The KDWPT Fisheries Division is producing walleye exceeding 8-inches for stocking in Kansas walleye waters. Walleye enter the 3 Phase rearing program as tiny fry and leave the hatchery at over 8-inches in roughly 180 days. Click HERE to watch the video. | |||
| REGULAR FISHING REPORTS WILL RETURN MARCH 2019 | |||
| Channel Catfish | Creel limit 2/day Length Limit 15-inches | ||
| Largemouth Bass | |||
| Crappie | The majority of the crappie in the lake are small and the crappie population density needs to be reduced. Take those smaller crappie home (as long as you don't exceed the 50/day creel limit!) as they won't get much bigger in Butler if you throw them back. Overpopulation of the crappie has created slow growth rates so don't feel bad about taking home a nice bucket of smallish crappie...you'll be doing the lake a favor! | ||
| Bluegill | |||
| General Comments | |||
| Lake level is at normal pool. | |||
CHASE STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 11/26/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zebra Mussels Have Been Discovered in Chase State Fishing Lake. | Chase SFL is an ANS designated water. Read the news release HERE. Zebra mussel veligers (larval zebra mussels) are too small to be seen with the unaided eye and they can be found in boat livewells, minnow buckets, boat bilges, and anything else that is capable of holding even a small amount of water. Be sure to drain all equipment before leaving the lake to avoid moving veligers to other waters. THIS INCLUDES MINNOW BUCKETS AND BOAT LIVEWELLS AND BILGES!!! CLEAN DRAIN & DRY Every Lake, Every Time! Click HERE to learn how to prevent the spread of zebra mussels. | ||
| REGULAR FISHING REPORTS WILL RETURN MARCH 2019 | |||
| Channel Catfish | Harvest regulations include a 15-inch minimum length limit and 5/day creel limit. | ||
| New Video on Kansas Walleye Stocking | The KDWPT Fisheries Division is producing walleye exceeding 8-inches for stocking in Kansas walleye waters. Walleye enter the 3 Phase rearing program as tiny fry and leave the hatchery at over 8-inches in roughly 180 days. Click HERE to watch the video. | ||
| Largemouth Bass | There is a 13 to 18 inch slot limit on Largemouth Bass in effect at the lake. | ||
| Saugeye | |||
| Spotted Bass | |||
| Bluegill | |||
| White Crappie | |||
| General Comments | |||
CHENEY RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 1/7/2019 Print
| SPECIES | RATING | SIZE | BAITS, LOCATION, METHODS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fishing Newsletter | All KDWPT fisheries districts are offering a fishing newsletter that can be sent out to all that want it. The newsletters are aimed at keeping anglers informed about fishing opportunities and information in their areas of interest. The first few editions of the Cheney Fisheries District have been completed and are ready for distribution. | ||
| Zebra Mussels | Zebra mussels can be found attached to rocks lakewide. Zebra mussel veligers are too small to be seen with the unaided eye and they can be found in boat livewells, minnow buckets, boat bilges, water toys, and anything else that is capable of holding even a small amount of water. Be sure to drain all equipment before leaving the lake to avoid moving veligers to other waters. THIS INCLUDES MINNOW BUCKETS, BOAT LIVEWELLS, AND BILGES!!! Click HERE to learn how to prevent the spread of zebra mussels. | ||
| White Bass and Wiper | Poor | Up to 24" | Look for Wipers and White Bass on humps and dropoffs in deeper water. |
| Walleye | Fair | Up to 28" | Points and submerged humps are good places to start looking. |
| Crappie | Poor to Fair | Up to 15" | They can be caught if you can locate them. Try near deeper brush piles or artificial habitat structures. |
| Blue Catfish | Fair | Up to 15 lb | Try live or cut shad near the old river channel and adjacent flats. |
| Channel Catfish | Good | Up to 10 lb | Channel catfish will be feeding on winter-killed shad. Try fishing cut shad on the windy side of the lake. The fish are usually shallower than you think. If you aren't getting bites within 10-15 minutes, move to another location. |
| White Perch | Good | There are many catchable-size white perch (10+") in the lake. White perch cannot be used as live bait, but they do make good cut bait. For tips on identifying a white perch from a white bass, wiper or striped bass click HERE. All white perch in your possession must be dead. It is illegal to posses live white perch. | |
| COMMENTS | |||
| The lake is currently ice-free as of 1/7/2019, but icing conditions can change rapidly depending on the weather this time of year. | |||
COUNCIL GROVE CITY LAKE - Last Updated: 11/13/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zebra Mussel | Zebra mussels have been discovered in Council Grove City Lake. Click HERE for more information. | ||
| New Video | Large natural concentrations of black crappie, white crappie, and bluegill with channel catfish and walleye captured on video in a Kansas reservoir. See the video at https://youtu.be/2GMXXdcsj3g . | ||
| Bluegill | Fair | near gravel banks and vegetation on small jigs and worms | |
| Crappie | Fair/Good | 10 ft deep near ledges on jigs and minnows | |
| Channel catfish | Fair/Good | near windy flats and flooded brush on cut bait and worms | |
| Black bass | Fair | on jigs 5-15ft deep near docks, points, and brush | |
| Walleye | Fair | along dam and deeper points/banks on jigs and spoons | |
| White bass | Fair | along dam and points on spinners and jigs | |
| General Comments | |||
| The City of Council Grove requires Aquatic Nuisance Species certification of anglers and boaters at Council Grove City Lake. Go to ANS Certification to obtain the certificate. You must have this certificate in your possession while fishing and/or boating at Council Grove City Lake. | |||
COUNCIL GROVE RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 12/20/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zebra Mussels | Zebra mussels have been discovered in Council Grove Reservoir. Zebra mussel veligers (larval zebra mussels) are too small to be seen with the unaided eye and they can be found in boat livewells, minnow buckets, boat bilges, water toys and anything else that is capable of holding even a small amount of water. Be sure to drain all equipment before leaving the lake to avoid moving veligers to other waters. THIS INCLUDES MINNOW BUCKETS AND BOAT LIVEWELLS AND BILGES!!! CLEAN DRAIN & DRY Every Lake, Every Time! Click HERE to learn how to prevent the spread of zebra mussels. | ||
| New Video | Large natural concentrations of black crappie, white crappie, and bluegill with channel catfish and walleye captured on video in a Kansas reservoir. See the video at https://youtu.be/2GMXXdcsj3g . | ||
| Channel Catfish | Fair | near wind blown flats and creek channel ledges on cut bait | |
| Saugeye | Fair | near gravel/rock points on jigs and worms | |
| White Bass | Fair | along deep rock points and ledges on spinners and jigs | |
| Wiper | Fair | a few in with white bass | |
| Crappie | Fair | 10-20 ft deep on minnows and jigs near points, brush, and ledges Creel limit 20/day | |
| General Comments | |||
| .03 feet high, releasing 104 cfs Outlet fishing is fair for catfish, white bass, and saugeye Click HERE for water level information. | |||
COWLEY STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 11/26/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | REGULAR FISHING REPORTS WILL RETURN MARCH 2019 | ||
| Channel Catfish | 15-inch minimum length limit 5/day creel limit | ||
| Largemouth Bass | |||
| Redear Sunfish | |||
| New Video on Kansas Walleye Stocking | The KDWPT Fisheries Division is producing walleye exceeding 8-inches for stocking in Kansas walleye waters. Walleye enter the 3 Phase rearing program as tiny fry and leave the hatchery at over 8-inches in roughly 180 days. Click HERE to watch the video. | ||
| General Comments | |||
EL DORADO RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 1/10/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zebra Mussels | Zebra mussel veligers (larval zebra mussels) are too small to be seen with the unaided eye and they can be found in boat livewells, minnow buckets, boat bilges, water toys and anything else that is capable of holding even a small amount of water. Be sure to drain all equipment before leaving the lake to avoid moving veligers to other waters. THIS INCLUDES MINNOW BUCKETS AND BOAT LIVEWELLS AND BILGES!!! CLEAN DRAIN & DRY Every Lake, Every Time! Click HERE to learn how to prevent the spread of zebra mussels. REMEMBER!! Zebra Mussels are also present in the Trout Area below the dam!! | ||
| New Video on Kansas Walleye Stocking | The KDWPT Fisheries Division is producing walleye exceeding 8-inches for stocking in Kansas walleye waters. Walleye enter the 3 Phase rearing program as tiny fry and leave the hatchery at over 8-inches in roughly 180 days. Click HERE to watch the video. | ||
| Wiper | Slow | 18 to 23 inch | Few reports available this week. Be sure to properly ID your catch as there is there is an 21-inch minimum length limit and 2/day creel limit on wiper.. Click HERE for tips on identifying wipers. |
| White bass | Fair | up to 14 inches | Few reports available this week. Wipers can be caught along with white bass so it is important to properly identify your catch before putting it on a stringer. Click HERE for tips on identifying wipers. |
| White Perch | Slow | up to 12 inch | Few reports available this week for white perch. Look along breaks or on humps using small jigs, spoons, or spinners. Click HERE for info on properly identifying white perch. |
| White crappie | Good | up to 15+ inch | 20/day creel limit effective January 1, 2018. Crappie are being found 12 to 15 deep near timber or on brushpiles on jigs or minnows. |
| Channel Catfish | Slow | up to 25 inch | Few reports this week |
| Walleye | Fair | up to 28 inch | THE WALLEYE LENGTH LIMIT IS 21-INCHES WITH A 2/DAY CREEL LIMIT. Few reports available this week. |
| Rainbow Trout | Fair | up to 20 inch | Trout were stocked on November 13, November 27, December 13, and January 10. 500lbs of rainbow trout were stocked today, January 10. Anglers have been doing well on a variety of baits including small spoons, spinners, flies, PowerBait, and small jigs. |
| General Comments | |||
| 0.26 feet high, releasing 134 CFS. Click Here for the most up to date lake level information. ZEBRA MUSSEL & WHITE PERCH WARNING! El Dorado Reservoir and the Walnut River below the reservoir contain zebra mussels and white perch. Take zebra mussel control precautions when leaving the lake, Trout Area, and Stilling Basin. For information on Zebra Mussels click Here. | |||
HARVEY COUNTY EAST LAKE - Last Updated: 1/7/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Catfish | Good | 1-4lbs | Channel Catfish will be feeding on winter-killed shad. Try fishing cut shad on the windy side of the lake. |
| Crappie | Fair to good | up to 13 inches | Try a jig and minnow fished under a slip bobber. Use the smallest bobber possible. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair to Poor | up to 5 lbs | Try fishing near deeper structure with a small lure fished slowly such as a Ned-rig or a senko. |
| Saugeye | Fair | up to 4 lbs | Try fishing on rocky points or along the dam. |
| Bluegill | Fair | up to 8 inches | Try a small piece of worm fished near deeper structure. |
| General Comments | |||
KINGMAN STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 1/7/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel catfish | Good | 10" to 7 lb. | Catfish will be feeding on winter-killed shad this time of year. Try fishing cut shad on the windy side of the lake. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | up to 5lbs | Try a Ned rig or a senko fished slowly near deeper brush piles. |
| Northern Pike | Fair | Up to 35" | Look for pike throughout the lake near any aquatic vegetation or other cover. |
| Bluegill | Poor | Up to 7" | Use worms under a bobber near structure, or a small spinning lure. Few quality-sized Bluegill are present. |
| General Comments | |||
MARION COUNTY LAKE - Last Updated: 11/26/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Catfish | REGULAR FISHING REPORTS WILL RETURN MARCH 2019 | ||
| White Crappie | New 20/day creel limit effective January 1, 2018 | ||
| Largemouth Bass | 13 inch to 18 inch slot limit effective January 1, 2018 | ||
| Saugeye | |||
| Bluegill | |||
| White Bass | |||
| Wiper | |||
| General Comments | |||
| New crappie creel limit of 20/day effective January 1, 2018. New largemouth bass 13 inch to 18 inch slot length limit effective January 1, 2018. Boat and bait inspections are MANDATORY at Marion County Lake to prevent the spread of Zebra Mussels and other Aquatic Nuisance Species. Protect our waters... don't forget to CLEAN, DRAIN, and DRY! | |||
MARION RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 11/26/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zebra Mussels | Zebra mussels can be found attached to rocks lakewide. Zebra mussel veligers are too small to be seen with the unaided eye and they can be found in boat livewells, minnow buckets, boat bilges, water toys and anything else that is capable of holding even a small amount of water. Be sure to drain all equipment before leaving the lake to avoid moving veligers to other waters. THIS INCLUDES MINNOW BUCKETS, BOAT LIVEWELLS AND BILGES! | ||
| New Video on Kansas Walleye Stocking | The KDWPT Fisheries Division is producing walleye exceeding 8-inches for stocking in Kansas walleye waters. Walleye enter the 3 Phase rearing program as tiny fry and leave the hatchery at over 8-inches in roughly 180 days. Click HERE to watch the video. | ||
| REGULAR FISHING REPORTS WILL RETURN MARCH 2019 | |||
| Channel Cat | |||
| White Crappie | 20/day creel limit effective January 1, 2018 | ||
| Walleye | |||
| White Bass | |||
| Wiper | |||
| Coordinates for habitat cubes | 4 cubes N38 22.450’ W 097 04.669’ 4 cubes N38 22.455’ W 097 04.664’ 4 cubes N38 22.426’ W 097 04.694’ 3 cubes N38 22.757’ W 097.05.227’ 3 cubes N38 22.763’ W 097 05.211’ 3 cubes N38 23.407’ W 097 05.460’ 2 cubes N38 23.467’ W 097 05.384’ 2 cubes N38 23.478’ W 097 05.399’ 4 cubes N38 23.481’ W 097 05.408’ | ||
| Coordinates for brushpiles and cubes. | The first 3 coordinates are for one large brushpile. | Coordinates mark areas with multiple habitat structures in the area. | N 38 21.907' W 097 05.562' N 38 21.912' W 097.05.560' N 38 21.920' W 097.05.557' N 38 22.425' W 097 04.697' N 38 22.767' W 097 05.208' N 38 22.757' W 097 05.227' N 38 23.250' W 097 05.491' N 38 23.357' W 097 05.470' |
| Coordinates for brushpiles | Near shore brushpile placements fishable from shore in Cottonwood Cove. | N 38 23.438' W 097 05.398' N 38 23.436' W 097 05.404' N 38 23.428' W 097 05.402' N 38 23.426' W 097 05.405' N 38 23.499' W 097 05.393' N 38 23.489' W 097 05.399' N 38 23.480' W 097 05.401' N 38 23.472' W 097 05.398' | |
| Coordinates for brushpiles constructed March 2018 | N 38 24.459' W 097 06.907' N 38 24.450' W 097 06.975' N 38 22.685' W 097 06.279' N 38 22.680' W 097 06.279' N 38 22.216' W 097 06.065' | ||
| Coordinates for historical habitat sites that had brush added to them in March 2018. | N 38 21.911' W 097 05.569' N 38 22.426' W 097 04.702' N 38 22.776' W 097 05.220' | ||
| General Comments | |||
| New crappie creel limit of 20/day effective January 1, 2018. 1.5 feet below pool, releasing 2 CFS | |||
SEDGWICK CO. - LAKE AFTON - Last Updated: 1/7/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zebra Mussels | Adult Zebra Mussels were found 7/31/08 at Lake Afton. The zebra mussels reproduce during the warmer summer months and veligers (larval zebra mussels) are present in the water column. Zebra mussel veligers are too small to be seen with the unaided eye and they can be found in boat livewells, minnow buckets, boat bilges, water toys and anything else that is capable of holding even a small amount of water. Be sure to drain all equipment before leaving the lake to avoid moving veligers to other waters. THIS INCLUDES MINNOW BUCKETS, BOAT LIVEWELLS AND BILGES!!! Click HERE to learn how to prevent the spread of zebra mussels. REMEMBER!! Zebra Mussels are also present in Clearwater Creek below the spillway! | ||
| White Perch | Fair | Up to 8" | Use a small hook with a small piece of worm, or a small spinning lure. Remember that white perch may not be possessed or transported alive. |
| Channel Catfish | Good | 1-3 lbs, up to 20" | Catfish will be feeding on winter-killed shad this time of year. Try cut shad on the windy side of the lake. |
| Crappie | Fair to Good | Up to 12 inches | Winter crappie fishing can be good. A jig and minnow combo under a slip bobber is a good bet. Use the smallest bobber necessary to float the bait. Evening and mornings are best. |
| Bluegill | Fair | up to 8 inches | Try a small piece of worm under a bobber. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair to Poor | up to 20 inches | Anglers seeking winter bass should try small lures fished slowly near deep structure. Several days of warming weather can activate the bite. Cold fronts will shut them down. |
| General Comments | |||
WELLINGTON CITY LAKE - Last Updated: 11/26/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Catfish | REGULAR FISHING REPORTS WILL RETURN MARCH 2019 | ||
| Wiper | |||
| Crappie | |||
| Saugeye | |||
| General Comments | |||
WELLINGTON HARGIS CREEK - Last Updated: 11/26/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Catfish | REGULAR FISHING REPORTS WILL RETURN MARCH 2019 | ||
| Crappie | |||
| Largemouth Bass | |||
| Saugeye | |||
| General Comments | |||
WICHITA - URBAN FISHING REPORT - Last Updated: 1/7/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Catfish | Fair | Up to 2-3 lbs | Chisholm North, Watson, Emery Park, the KDOT lakes and the other lakes in the Wichita Metro Area are excellent for Catfish. |
| Crappie | Fair to Good | Up to 12" | Winter Crappie fishing can be good, try a jig and minnow combo fished under a slip bobber. Crappie are best at the KDOT Lakes, Watson Park, K-96 lake and Chisholm North lake. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair to Poor | Up to 18" | Anglers seeking winter bass should fish deeper structure and use smaller lures worked slowly. Several consecutive days of warm weather may activate the bite. Bass fishing in Wichita can be found at any of the lakes, but the best reports come from the KDOT lakes, Emery Park, Blackbird and Sunflower Ponds and Chisholm north lake. |
| Bluegill | Fair | Up to 1 lb | Try a small piece of worm under a bobber fished around deep structure. Bluegill are present in every lake in the area, but are especially good at Blackbird and Sunflower ponds, Chisholm North lake, and Emery Park Pond. |
| Rainbow Trout | Excellent | 8" to 14" | Remember that KDOT East, Vic's Lake, and Slough Creek are Type 1 trout waters and all anglers fishing those waters November 1st - April 15th must have a trout permit. |
| General Comments | |||
WINFIELD CITY LAKE - Last Updated: 11/26/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zebra Mussels | Zebra mussels were verified in Winfield City Lake in December 2006. Lake users should follow recommended control practices found HERE . Be sure to drain all equipment before leaving the lake to avoid moving veligers to other waters. THIS INCLUDES MINNOW BUCKETS AND BOAT LIVEWELLS AND BILGES!!! | ||||
| New Video on Kansas Walleye Stocking | The KDWPT Fisheries Division is producing walleye exceeding 8-inches for stocking in Kansas walleye waters. Walleye enter the 3 Phase rearing program as tiny fry and leave the hatchery at over 8-inches in roughly 180 days. Click HERE to watch the video. | ||||
| REGULAR FISHING REPORTS WILL RETURN MARCH 2019 | |||||
| Crappie | |||||
| Channel catfish | |||||
| Black bass | |||||
| White bass | |||||
| Wiper | |||||
| Walleye | Walleye minimum length limit 18 inches. | ||||
| General Comments | |||||
| The City of Winfield requires additional permits for anglers using the lake. Stop in to the lake office before fishing at the lake. | |||||
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.
BIG HILL RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 10/22/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Good | 6-12" | Crappie fishing remains steady. Look for crappie to be around the docks and other brushy structure around the shoreline. Minnows have been working best. Recent sampling has indicated that crappie have begun to move into the shallows. |
| Channel Catfish | Good | 16-24" | Catfishing remains good. Shad sides and chicken livers have been working best. Catfish have moved into the shallows all around the lake, look for fishing to be best in the evening. |
| Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass | Good | 12-18" | Largemouth bass fishing has improved. Look for fish to be near shoreline vegetation in the early morning and evenings. Shore fishing has improved with cooler water temps. |
| Bluegill and Redears | Fair | 6-8" | Look for bluegill and redear just outside of the weed line. A worm under a bobber has been working best. |
| General Comments | |||
| Release all Largemouth Bass 15-21" in Length, daily creel remains 5/day. We have created a fishing newsletter that can be sent out to all that subscribe to it. This newsletter is for fishing information for the Independence District (Chautauqua, Labette, Montgomery, and Wilson counties) only. | |||
COFFEY COUNTY LAKE - Last Updated: 11/19/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Methods, Locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| largemouth bass | Fair-Good | 8 in to 21 inches | Fish should be around the warm water, using reaction style baits should produce some fish. Jerkbaits, lipless cranks, vibrating jigs, or spinnerbaits |
| walleye | Fair | 14-25 inches | Drifting jig and crawler over points or flats. Trolling crankbaits over the same areas should also work. |
| channel catfish/blue catfish | Fair-Good | 1/2-5 lbs, Blues up to 50lbs. | Fishing during Fall and Winter for blue catfish can produce some nice fish. Drifting baits along wind blown flats with fresh shad should work. We have tagged some blue catfish in the lake, if you catch one please take note of the tag number and report it to the gatehouse. You may keep the tagged fish if you desire or you can practice "CPR" OR CATCH PHOTO AND RELEASE. |
| smallmouth bass | Fair | 10-20 inches | The fall bite should improve with cooling water temps. use reaction style baits like crankbaits or jerkbaits around rocky cover. |
| white bass/Wipers | Good | up to 5lbs. | white bass should be biting pretty good in the hot water area. Use shad imitation lures like small spinners, crankbaits or bucktail jigs. |
| crappie | Fair | 11-15 inches | Look for them near dropoffs and in the timber. Jigs of various colors or minnows. |
| General Comments | |||
| Entrance gate phone number is 620-364-2475 call for lake conditions. A large brush pile was created north of the boat ramp in the old creek channel and is marked with a fish attractor buoy. There were also several trees sunk at the end of the hot water dike and should be easily marked on your locator. These spots should be really good in the fall and winter months. ZEBRA MUSSELS have been confirmed in Coffey County Lake! Please help stop the spread. Clean, Drain, and Dry your boat and livewell after leaving this lake. It is illegal to transport live fish, bait, and water from this lake. For more information on waters in Anderson, Allen, Coffey, and Woodson counties click the following link to sign up for the New Strawn District Fisheries Newsletter. http://kdwpt.state.ks.us/news/KDWPT-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-New-Strawn-Fishing-District | |||
LYON STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 11/19/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill and Redear | good | 73% 4-7" 24% 7-9" 3% 9-11" | Use worm, very small jig, or small silver spoon on deep brush piles or ends of rock jetties. Fishing is best on warm sunny days. |
| Channel Catfish | good | 40% 11-16" 57% 16-24" 0% 24-28" 3% 28-36" | Use worms, shad sides, or stink bait on channel breaks. |
| Largemouth Bass | good | 48% 8-12" 39% 12-15" 13% 15-20" <1% 20" | Use spinners, jigs, or plastic worms around deep brush piles, channel breaks, and drop offs. Fish are more active on warm sunny days. |
| Crappie | good | 3% 5-8" 24% 8-10" 62% 10-12" 12% 12-15" | Use small jigs or minnows around deep brush piles and channel breaks. Fish are more active on warmer days. |
| General Comments | |||
| Size structure listed for largemouth bass is from May 2018 electrofishing. The size structures listed for crappie, bluegill, redear, and channel catfish are from October 2017 test netting. To view a map of brush pile locations, copy this file into Google Earth and zoom into the lake. For more information about the Fall River/Toronto Fisheries District, click here to access newsletters. | |||
BONE CREEK RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 12/13/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill / Redear Sunfish | Good | 2-4" -- 72% 4-6" -- 24% 7-9" -- 4% | Bluegill and redear sunfish, or "shellcrackers", can be found lakewide near the shoreline. Anglers should focus their efforts along the shoreline in depths less than 6' deep near submerged trees and edges of aquatic vegetation. Areas to pursue will be on the north and south ends of the dam, coves, and rocky habitats. A bobber and worm, fly rod with small flies, and 1/16 ounce jig with a twister tail will be good baits to try. During the spring and early summer months, redear sunfish and bluegill will build nests during the spawn and can provide a memorable angling experience. |
| Channel catfish | Good | 10-15" -- 36% 16-24" -- 36% 24-27" -- 14% > 28" -- 14% | The channel catfish population is flourishing across all sizes and anglers may just find the rod tip bending and the drag peeling on their next fishing trip to Bone Creek. Anglers should focus on flats in the fall and winter months where the gizzard shad congregate, if utilizing a boat, in 12-14'. Anglers from the shoreline should focus on the coves, both the north and south side of the dam, and the handicap access on the south side of the lake near the boat ramp. Prepared baits, shrimp, chicken liver, and shad will be good baits to try. Fall sampling indicated a variety of sizes of channel catfish with 14% of the population above 28", so be sure to set the drag loose and experience the chance at reeling in a trophy channel catfish at Bone Creek. |
| Crappie | Fair | < 8" -- 93% 10-12" -- 3% > 12" -- 3% | Lots of submerged trees, high water clarity, and adequte forage (i.e., gizzard shad).... the perfect recipe for a crappie population to flourish! Crappie can be found at Bone Creek in a variety of habitats. Anglers should focus on submerged trees that are in 15-20' that are in close proximity to depth changes, or creek channels. There are a variety of coves that will hold crappie during the spawn in the spring time. Live minnows under a bobber, spinners, or 1/8-1/16 ounch jigs with twister tails will all be good options. Fall sampling indicated a successful spawn and strong year class of Age-0 crappie, as well as crappie up to 14". |
| Largemouth bass | Good | 8-12" -- 13% 12-15" -- 26% 15-20" -- 65% | Bone Creek provides a high quality largemouth bass angling experience. They can be found lakewide in a variety of habitats that are available at Bone Creek. Anglers should try fishing the edges of vegetation that can be found along the shoreline and coves. There is an abundance of submerged trees in a range of depths that will also hold fish. The water clarity will effect fishing, depending on time of day, so don't hesitate to fish the trees that can be found in deeper water. Casting swimbaits, plastic worms, and spinnerbaits will be your best bet. Don't hesitate to throw the classic "ned rig" in the summertime when fish will be deeper and provide a chance at a strike. |
| Saugeye | Good | 7-9" -- 13% 14-16" -- 83% > 18" -- 4% | Saugeye were stocked in Bone Creek in 2013. Since then, the saugeye population has established and provides another sportfish opportunity for anglers. They are managed under a 18" and daily creel of 2. Fall sampling provided that there is a high percentage of fish in the 14-16" range as well as a few that can be caught over the 18" minimum length limit. Saugeye can be found on flats of 10-14 ft that is near deeper water of 20 feet and deeper at this time of the year. Any depth changes, or structure, will hold fish and can be caught by a variety of methods, such as trolling or vertical jigging. |
| General Comments | |||
| Water temperature: 42 degrees, 12/12/2018 As District Fisheries Biologists, we send out a newsletter to inform anglers of fish sampling result, aquatic outreach events, fish stockings, and habitat improvement projects, for example. We have a spring and fall edition of our newsletters that you can subscribe to. This is sent directly to your email. If you would like to stay up to date on what is happening on Neosho State Fishing Lake (Lake McKinley), Crawford State Fishing Lake (Farlington Lake), Bone Creek Lake, CFAP and FISH properties, and the Mined Land Wildlife Area strip pits, you can subscribe to the Pittsburg District Newsletter at the following link: https://ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Pittsburg-Fishing-District Be sure to Clean, Drain, and Dry your boat, bait buckets, and recreational watercraft before and after launching your boat. It is important to remove your drain plug on your watercraft upon departure to drain live wells and water inside of your boat; it will protect our natural resources in Kansas for current anglers and future generations to enjoy. Eurasian watermilfoil is an invasive aquatic vegetation that can be found in nearby water bodies. Be sure to inspect your boat, boat trailer, and bait buckets prior to launching at Bone Creek to prevent the spread. Zebra mussels, white perch, and asian carp are all invasive species that can be found in Kansas. Be sure to stay up to date on information regarding Aquatic Nuisance Species. The following link will provide you with information on Aquatic Nuisance Species in Kansas: https://ksoutdoors.com/Fishing/Aquatic-Nuisance-Species If you would like to provide a fishing report for Bone Creek Lake, don't hesitate to contact Connor Ossowski, District Fisheries Biologist, at (620) 231-3173. | |||
BOURBON COUNTY CEDAR CREEK - Last Updated: 1/16/2019 Print
| species | ratings | size | baits, methods, locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Slow | 8 to 12 inches | Try jigs, minnows. Recent sampling show a nice population of 10 - 14 inch crappie |
| Channel catfish | Slow | varies, | Recent rains have brought the lake level up to the overflow level. The water is clear with a little color. Go fishing, the fish have to eat. Try along dam and shoreline, use cut shad, worms, prepared baits, |
| Largemouth bass | Slow | most bass in the 13 to 16 inch range | some bass are suspended in deeper water, some are in the feeder creeks and shallow water, with jigs, spinners, gizzard shad plugs, most about 13-16 inches, around structure. 5 to 7 pounds are fairly common |
| General Comments | |||
| Crappie have been really hit or miss. Largemouth bass can be good but fish the deeper water in the trees for suspended fish. The lake may have some ice cover so use common sense. The catfish in this impoundment are active and ready for action- Try liver, shad, or live bait fish. Channel catfish are great after a rain in the north end where the creek comes in. For largemouth bass try fishing some of the standing timber and weedbeds with spinners and buzzbaits. Zebra Mussels have recently been found in Hillsdale Lake, and we'd like to remind you to stay aware and take all precautions necessary to prevent the spread into uncontaminated waters! This includes cleaning and rinsing your boat, motor, trailer and equipment, draining any excess water from previous outings, and allowing your boat to dry before using it in a different body of water. Sign up for the Mound City Fishing District Newsletter today! Remember to "CLEAN, DRAIN AND DRY" your boats and equipment. For tips on spring bass fishing check out the KDWPT video at the following link! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpIJaiyW32k For crappie anglers, watch this 25-minute video that covers Kansas crappie fishing during spring, summer, fall, and winter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sazyEuIT_bk NO special permits required, this is a Community Fisheries Assistance Program Lake. Use caution, this lake has quantities of standing and submerged trees and limited shoreline access. This is a 220 acre lake with approximately 180 acres of standing trees. Fishing only lake. The lake has a boat ramp, parking lot, security light, floating dock, and vault toilet on the east side of the lake and a boat ramp and parking lot on the west side.. | |||
BOURBON COUNTY ELM CREEK LAKE - Last Updated: 1/3/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, & Location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Channel catfish | Slow | varies | The water is clear. Go fishing, the fish have to eat. try off dam on bluegill chunks, chicken livers or cut shad, Lakewide. Recent fish population sampling lots of nice channel catfish from 3 - 8 pounds. Fish feeders are ON | ||
| Largemouth bass | Slow | varies | lake wide, use silver crank and spinner baits, or dark jigs, | ||
| Bullheads | Slow | varies | use worms,or liver lake wide | ||
| Bluegill | Slow | varies | small baits and worms under floats, along weedbeds around fish attractors | ||
| Walleye | POOR | varies | also try the dam and rocky structure in the south half of the lake with jigs or minnows | ||
| Crappie | FAIR | lots of small fish with 50 limit | along dam, brushpiles on the windy side, use minnows and dark jigs | ||
| Comments | |||||
| Go fishing, the fish have to eat. Catfish angling around the fish feeders can be fantastic. Remember the length and creel limits. Due to a leak in the dam water levels are low and will remain low until financing and approval for repair are made. The channel catfish population in this lake is doing well. Also there have been some very sizeable largemouth bass (up to 6 lbs) caught in this lake recently- try deeper weedbeds and brush piles with your spinners, jigs. Low water levels could make launching a large boat at the boatramp questionable. This is a great family fishing lake with good shoreline access and bathrooms. Remember the special length/creel limits. Get the kids, get your friends and Go Fishing. Remember to "CLEAN, DRAIN AND DRY" your boats, trailers and equipment. Sign up for the Mound City Fishing District Newsletter today For tips on spring bass fishing check out the KDWPT video at the following link! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpIJaiyW32k For crappie anglers, watch this 25-minute video that covers Kansas crappie fishing during spring, summer, fall, and winter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sazyEuIT_bk With questions about this lake call Donald George, Fisheries Biologist, at 913-795-2218, or Bourbon County at 620-223-3800. | |||||
BOURBON STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 1/16/2019 Print
| stillSpecies | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bass | Slow | Fish 10 to 19 inches dominate the population | try shallow areas using spinners, plastic baits, crankbaits, lakewide along cover in and around the piers. |
| Bluegill/redear sunfish | FAIR | all sizes | Nice redear are available by slow fishing along the piers with jig, worm under a float. Bluegill are also available but are smaller in size. |
| Walleye | POOR | varies | Fish drop offs and at the head of the inflow areas using crank baits, jigs and or minnow |
| Channel Catfish | FAIR | 12-22 inches | Use cut bait, stink baits, chicken liver, worms,the fish feeders are OFF, lakewide, The fall stocking was received and will make fishing even better. |
| Crappie | FAIR | 8 - 12 inches and up | try using minnows, jigs under a 6ft float, along the piers. |
| General Comments | |||
| In the spring of 2018, another 95 Georgia cubes have been placed to attract fish to shoreline areas. Shoreline fishing can be good in deeper water around the lake. This lake produces some nice crappie each year. Recent sampling indicates that there are many good crappie to catch. The bass population at this impoundment consists of spotted and largemouth bass. Spotted bass tend to hang near rocks and the dam, whereas on the south end of the lake your more likely to catch only largemouths. The feeders are still OFF. | |||
CRAWFORD STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 12/13/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method &Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill / Redear sunfish | Poor | 2-4" -- 66% 4-6" -- 34% > 6" -- 0% | The fall sample indicated a poor size structure of bluegill and redear sunfish. However, there is an abundance of bluegill and redear sunfish up to 6" in good numbers. Panfish are a wonderful species to get someone hooked to fishing! They can be caught readily using a simple bobber and worm, 1/16-1/32 ounce jighead, and a fly rod and small fly to name a few tactics. Locations to try would be near the swim beach in the northwest corner, coves where shallow water and aquatic vegetation can be found, and marina cove. |
| Saugeye | Fair | Up to 21" | The fall sample indicated a low-density, high-quality population of saugeye up to 21". A variety of ways to target saugeye are trolling with swimbaits and Rapalas, or vertical jigging. Anglers can also find saugeye up shallow in the fall, winter, and spring when water temperatures are cooler and where they can be found feeding on the flats and shallow habitat. |
| Wiper (White bass x Striped Bass hybrid) | Fair | 5-10" -- 58% 14-16" -- 21% 20-22" -- 21% | Wiper have been stocked in Crawford State Lake and provide a quality sportfish for anglers to target. Wipers are pelagic, or open water, predators lurking in deeper water during the day, but come up shallow to feed in the morning, evening, and during the night. Some baits to try would be jerkbaits, swimbaits, jigs, and live bait. Trolling and vertical jigging over schools of gizzard shad may yield a fish, or two. The fall sample indicated good numbers above the 18" minimum length limit and a quality population for anglers to utilize. |
| Channel catfish | Good | < 10" -- 26% 10-15" -- 53% 16-24" -- 18% > 25" -- 3% | Channel catfish can be found throughout all portions of the lake. Anglers can target the whiskered fish in coves on the upper end of the lake, especially during periods of inflow, main lake where submerged trees and Georgia Cubes have been placed, and jetties and docks that can be fished from shore. Prepared baits, gizzard shad, live bait, and chicken liver are all popular baits that anglers might give a try. |
| Flathead catfish | Fair | All sizes | Flathead catfish can be found in deep water next to submerged trees and structure. There have been reports of flathead catfish being caught up to 30 lbs. Live bait and fresh cut bait are two tactics to try. |
| Crappie | Good | < 8" -- 35% 8-10" -- 63% > 11" -- 2% | The crappie population has a slightly improved size structure with fish sampled up to 12". However, the majority of the crappie that anglers may find at the end of their line will be in the 8-10" size range. Georgia Cubes, an artificial habitat structure placed by KDWPT staff, are present in Crawford State Lake and the link in the "General Comments" section will provide you with GPS coordinates. Crappie will congregate near the Georgia Cubes, submerged trees, structure, and docks. Anglers should try live minnows under a bobber, jigs with a twister tail, and streamers with a fly rod. |
| Largemouth bass | Good | 8-12" -- 51% 12-15" -- 19% 15-20" -- 29% | Largemouth bass densities and size structure is improved, since being infected with LMBV (Largemouth Bass Virus) in 2007. Strong year classes in the 8-12" size category indicate good numbers that haven't been as prominent since 2007. Quality fish up to 20" were sampled and anglers will benefit from the improved numbers and quality of largemouth bass in Crawford State Lake. Anglers should focus on coves and jetties using a variety of methods, which include spinnerbaits, top-water lures, plastic lures, and jerkbaits. An often overlooked method, the "Ned Rig" can also be utilized during all times of the year, but specifically in the summer months, when largemouth bass don't seem as willing to bite other types of lures. |
| General Comments | |||
| Water temperature: 43 degrees, 12/13/2018 As District Fisheries Biologists, we send out a newsletter to inform anglers of fish sampling result, aquatic outreach events, fish stockings, and habitat improvement projects, for example. We have a spring and fall edition of our newsletters that you can subscribe to. This is sent directly to your email. If you would like to stay up to date on what is happening on Neosho State Fishing Lake (Lake McKinley), Crawford State Fishing Lake (Farlington Lake), Bone Creek Lake, CFAP and FISH properties, and the Mined Land Wildlife Area strip pits, you can subscribe to the Pittsburg District Newsletter at the following link: https://ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Pittsburg-Fishing-District Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism fisheries staff recently undertook a project to produce lake maps, or bathymetric maps, for public waters statewide. The lake map for Crawford State Fishing Lake can be found at the following link: https://ksoutdoors.com/Fishing/Where-to-Fish-in-Kansas/Bathymetric-Lake-Maps This link will provide you with a link for all bathymetric lake maps for the state of Kansas. Scroll down to find Crawford State Fishing Lake. This will allow for anglers to view the depths of the lake to choose different habitats and lake depths to fish for different species, year-round. You will also find current GPS locations of habitat structures placed by KDWPT fisheries staff to easily input into your sonar unit, or find if you are fishing from shore. Be sure to Clean, Drain, and Dry your boat, bait buckets, and recreational watercraft before and after launching your boat. It is important to remove your drain plug on your watercraft upon departure to drain live wells and water inside of your boat; it will protect our natural resources in Kansas for current anglers and future generations to enjoy. Zebra mussels, white perch, and asian carp are all invasive species that can be found in Kansas. Be sure to stay up to date on information regarding Aquatic Nuisance Species. The following link will provide you with information on Aquatic Nuisance Species in Kansas: https://ksoutdoors.com/Fishing/Aquatic-Nuisance-Species If you would like to provide a fishing report for Crawford State Fishing Lake, don't hesitate to contact Connor Ossowski, District Fisheries Biologist, at (620) 231-3173. | |||
CRITZER LAKE - Last Updated: 1/16/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | Slow | 13 to 18 inches with a few at 22 inches | The lake is at full pool, water clarity is great at this time. Work the shore and rocky areas, or trees, some larger fish available up to 6 pounds, best luck with dark colored jipnpigs, plastic worms, crank baits in close to cover. The majority of fish are in the 12 inch to 4 pound range. |
| Smallmouth Bass | Slow | 13 to 15" | A limited fishery exists some are taken on jigs, spinners, along the dam and rocky areas. |
| Channel Catfish | Slow | 15" to 8 pounds | This is a good catfish population with fish over 3 pounds and up to 15 pounds. Use cut shad, cut sunfish, worms, liver, prepared baits, lakewide or along the piers along the parking lot. The fish feeder is OFF for the season. |
| Crappie | Slow to Fair | any size | Sampling indicates good numbers of nice fish (9 to 12 inches) use minnows and jigs, lakewide. Fish are moving into shallow areas for spawning. |
| Walleye | Slow to Fair | most between 15 to 17 inches | Recent sampling indicates good numbers of fish (17.5 to 22 inches) are available. Some are taken on jigs tipped with worms, spinners, dam and upper creek channel |
| General Comments | |||
| Water levels are normal. Go fishing, the fish have to eat. Some good bass and catfish were caught this week. The lake may have ice cover so use common sense. This is a great Kayak or small craft lake. Critzer Lake is one of Kansas' newest lakes and was opened to fishing in August of 2011. Many anglers use kayaks or tubes to float into the cover and are very successful. There is a double lane boat ramp. The floating dock is finished and compliments this great fishing lake. The lake is primarily a boat lake but there is shoreline access east of the boatramp where anglers can set up on the two piers and be very close to the parking lot. This 220 acre lake offers 180 acres of standing timber so there is a no-wake speed limit. There is a second, smaller access area located at the south west part of the lake, from 800 rd. and Gorman, north 1/4 mile. This area makes it easier for anglers in small craft to launch and paddle/fish the more timbered areas. There is a parking lot and gravel ramp and provides shoreline angling also. This lake was sampled on 5/23/2018, and many largemouth bass were caught and released, varying in size (nothing over 4 lbs.), as well as a few smallmouth bass. There is a lot of cover in this lake and electrofishing may not catch bigger fish. There is a great channel cat population, with a lot of fish in the 2 to 8 pound range. There are a few walleye between 14 and 21 inches were seen as well. White crappie are abundant and caught close to cover, with light colored jigs. The water is clear unless there have been heavy rains. Zebra Mussels have recently been found in Hillsdale Lake, and we'd like to remind you to stay aware and take all precautions necessary to prevent the spread into uncontaminated waters! This includes cleaning and rinsing your boat and motor, trailer, and equipment, draining any excess water from previous outings, and allowing your boat to dry before using it in a different body of water. Remember CLEAN, DRAIN, DRY! We have improved the area with a floating dock, located just west of the boat ramp. For tips on spring bass fishing watch this KDWPT video at the following link! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpIJaiyW32k Check out this video from Brent Chapman fishing for bass in Critzer Lake! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngvw2uz3oH0 | |||
ELK CITY RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 10/22/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Good | 8-12" | Crappie fishing has remained steady. Jigging vertically along the dam and in the card creek area have been productive. Fish have also been caught from the dock and rock jetties in the state park. Minnows have been working best. |
| Blue and channel catfish | Good | 18-26" | Catfishing remains good. Recent sampling has indicated that fish have moved into the shallower water. Shad sides have been working the best. |
| White Bass | Fair | 10-14" | The white bass fishing should continue to pick up. Cooling water has them in shallower water chasing shad. |
| Outlet | Good | 12-20" | Water release has increased over the past week and fishing has been good for catfish. Use the link below to view current water releases. |
| Blue catfish are currently managed with a 35-in minimum length limit and 5/day creel limit in hopes that they will establish a self-sustaining population. Water Level Current water levels and discharge can be viewed HERE. District Newsletter We have created a fishing newsletter that can be sent out to all that subscribe to it. This newsletter is for fishing information for the Independence District (Chautauqua, Labette, Montgomery, and Wilson counties) only. Youth/Mentor Pond The Elk City State Park Youth/Mentor pond is now open. The pond is open to anglers 15 and younger as well as their mentor. A mentor may take more than one youth fishing, but only one mentor may fish per youth they accompany. Two channel catfish can be harvested daily, but largemouth bass are catch and release only. See the park office for more information. | |||
FALL RIVER RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 11/19/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| channel catfish | good | 17% 11"-16" 50% 16"-24" 22% 24"-28" 11% 28"-36" | Use a worm, stink bait, or shad sides on deep channel breaks. |
| crappie | good | 1% 5"- 8" 18% 8"-10" 65% 10"-12" 16% 12"-15" 1% 15"+ | Use a jig or minnow on deep channel breaks. Fish are more active on warmer days. |
| largemouth bass | poor | 37% 8"-12" 16% 12"-15" 42% 15"-20" 5% 20"+ | The main body of the reservoir doesn't have the necessary largemouth bass habitat to support a high density bass population. However, the flooded timber and clearer water in the backwater section of the river produces a fair density bass population. There were 19 bass per hour of electrofishing around the Ladd Bridge section of the river. The ideal catch rate would be 100 bass per hour. Use a jig, worm, spinner or crank bait around stumps and brush in the river. |
| white bass | good | 28% 6"- 9" 26% 9"-12" 28% 12"-15" 18% 15"-18" | Use a spinner, jig, or crank bait on deep channel breaks. |
| General Comments: | |||
| To view a map of brush piles in Fall River Reservoir and the old sunken Ladd Bridge in the river, copy this file into Google Earth and zoom into the reservoir. FLRR brush piles 1.52 kB The size structure listed for largemouth bass is from May 2018 electrofishing. The size structure listed for crappie, white bass and channel catfish is from October 2017 test netting. Sign up to receive a copy of the Fall River District Fisheries Newsletter. For more information about the Fall River Fisheries District, click here to access newsletters. | |||
FT. SCOTT LAKE - Last Updated: 1/16/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| black bass | Slow | varies | water level is perfect, bass are active and feeding, Use shad crank baits, soft plastic baits to fish structure, weed beds and along rocky points. |
| channel catfish | slow | varies, some very nice | Very good populations of channel catfish improves success. lakewide and around the feeders, use cut shad, sponge baits, worms. Recent fish population sampling indicates a great population of channel catfish in the 2 - 5 pound range. Fish the South end where creek comes in during or after a rain. The fall stocking was received and will improve fishing. |
| walleye | Slow | varies | use dark jigs and crankbaits, along flats and drop-offs. most fish are above the 18 inch length limit. |
| crappie | Fair | varies, many over 11 inches | Crappie are very active and have moved into shallow water. There are a high percentage of fish over 10 inches. Try black and white jigs under a float. |
| bluegill | Slow | varies | use small baits, such as worms, jigs suspended under a float, in deeper water |
| General Comments | |||
| Ft Scott Lake has a good reputation for producing good stringers of channel catfish. Channel catfish from the rearing pond are stocked into this lake each fall. Recent tree/habitat placements, In 2014, 2015 and 2016, 2017 about 900 xmas trees were placed at each end of the dam and along Scorotino Park. The tree placement along the dam are very accessible for shoreline anglers. This project is will improve angler success for bass and crappie. Remember- Wear a Lifejacket and Reach - Throw - Don t Go. Buy your state fishing license and have fun. Please remember the special length/creel limits. Get the kids, get your friends and Go Fishing. Remember to "CLEAN, DRAIN AND DRY" your boats, trailers and equipment. Sign up for the Mound City Fishing District Newsletter today! For tips on spring bass fishing check out the KDWPT video at the following link! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpIJaiyW32k For crappie anglers, watch this 25-minute video that covers Kansas crappie fishing during spring, summer, fall, and winter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sazyEuIT_bk This is a Community Fisheries Assistance Lake Cooperator,no city permits for fishing and boating while fishing. City permit required for recreational boating. | |||
GARNETT NORTH - Last Updated: 10/26/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | fair-Good | 8-14 inches | Various colored jigs around brush or off of the north dock around the cubes. |
| Channel catfish | Good | 8-30 inches | Livers or other prepared baits lakewide, upper end during rain events. Some nice sized catfish were seen during electrofishing |
| Largemouth Bass | Good | up to 4lbs. | Use reaction style baits such as lipless or squarebill crankbaits fish along the shoreline. Fish should be biting well to prepare for winter. |
| Wipers | Fair | up to 6 lbs | Chicken livers or crankbaits fish around wind blown banks and dropoffs. Many nice sized wipers were seen while electrofishing. |
| Walleye | Slow | curly tailed jigs or crankbaits along the bank near deeper water. | |
| General Comments | |||
| Please remember to help STOP AQUATIC HITCHHIKERS! CLEAN, DRAIN, and DRY your boat and livewell when leaving water bodies. Four Georgia Cube Fish Attractors were placed by the fishing dock (2on the East end and 2 on the West end) on the north end of the lake. DO NOT MOVE FISH OR BAIT TO DIFFERENT WATERS! For more information on waters in Woodson, Coffey, Anderson, and Allen counties, click the following link to sign up for the New Strawn District Fisheries Newsletter.http://kdwpt.state.ks.us/news/KDWPT-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-New-Strawn-Fishing-District | |||
GARNETT SOUTH - Last Updated: 11/19/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Methods, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Fishing Opportunity | |||
| Largemouth Bass | Slow | up to 5lbs. | Reaction style baits like spinnerbaits, crankbaits, swimbaits, or jerkbaits should be good as the fish will be feeding heavily to prepare for winter. |
| Bluegill | Slow | up to 8 inches | Small jigs or flies, also bobber with a worm |
| Channel Catfish | Slow | 8-24 inches | chicken livers, cut bait or other prepared bait lakewide. |
| Crappie | Fair | 6-10 inches | Jigs fish around structure or the rocky bank. |
| Rainbow Trout | Fair-good | small jigs, spinners, or prepared trout bait should produce some bites. This is a Type 1 water and requires all anglers 16 or older to have a trout permit. | |
| Comments: Cooling water temps. should have fish starting to feed heavily as they prepare for the winter months. Please remember to CLEAN, DRAIN, and DRY your boats and livewells to help stop the spread of ANS species. For more information on this lake and other lakes in Anderson, Allen, Coffey, and Woodson Counties, click on the link below to subscribe to the New Strawn District Fisheries Newsletter. |
JOHN REDMOND RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 11/19/2018 Print
| Species | Size | Rating | Bait, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Catfish | up to 15lbs. | Fair-Good | Drifting various baits lakewide has been productive. Fishing around the shallow timber should be good especially if cormorants are roosting in the trees. Worms, dough baits, dip baits, and livers are all good choices. |
| White Bass | up to 3lbs. | Fair | Fishing windy shorelines where shad will stack up and white bass should be close. Small spinners, crankbaits, or bucktail jigs should work. Also look for them busting shad on the surface. |
| Crappie | up to 15" | Fair | Fish are probably schooled up in the deeper water near the dredged breaks |
| Comments - The boat ramp is open Fishing in the old river channel below the dam might be a good spot when there are high releases. Boaters beware of shallow water! For current lake level and release information click the following link http://www.swt-wc.usace.army.mil/JOHN.lakepage.html. ALERT! This lake contains Zebra Mussels please help stop the spread Clean, Drain, and Dry your boat and equipment after leaving this water body. It is Illegal transport live fish, bait, and water from this lake. For more information on lakes in the New Strawn district click the following link. http://kdwpt.state.ks.us/news/KDWPT-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-New-Strawn-Fishing-District | |||
LA CYGNE RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 1/16/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Channel, blue and flathead catfish, | Slow | all sizes, | Sunfish or cutshad, worms, prepared baits, liver are usually good baits. Fish sampling indicates that this lake has lots of channel catfish, big flathead and blues to catch. There is a growing population of blue catfish up to 89 pounds or larger. Catfishing can be very good at night, some anglers really target large blue cats now at drop offs close to the creek channel. use live or cut baits or worms. | |||||||
| Crappie | Slow | 9 - 12 inches | Some fish caught off of marina coves and at the hot water. There are a good numbers of fish 10- 12 inches long. Best lures to use are jigs/ minnows, near structure. At the dam, bounce jigs off the outlet wall, but don't go over the restrictive cable. Try any of the brushpiles or Georgia cubes placed for fish habitat. There are some close to the marina shoreline. | |||||||
| Largemouth Bass | Slow | varies but 16 to 20 inches is common | Largemouth bass fishing is excellent, some good fish caught in the weedbeds. Fish the riprap areas, use cranks, plastic worms, lizards or spinner baits like shad imitations. Bass over 10 and close to 11 pounds have been caught in the last year. | |||||||
| white bass | Slow | varies, some 1.5 pound | Good to excellent at the hot water outlet. Use shad imitations, silver spoons. Most of the fish caught at the hot water outlet have been the 1 to 2 pound range. | |||||||
| wiper | Slow | some up to 12 pounds | some good fish caught at the hot water area. Most fish are in the 4 - 6 pound range with a few larger. Some fish caught out over the bridge. | |||||||
| carp | Slow | all sizes | along the shoreline in weedbeds | |||||||
| General Comments | ||||||||||
| BASSMASTERS has recognized LA CYGNE RESERVOIR in its TOP 10 bass lakes of the Midwest. We know La Cygne Reservoir is a great bass lake but its nice to receive this type of recognition from Bassmasters. For more information check out these two sites. http://www.cjonline.com/sports/20180707/kansas-la-cygne-reservoir-named-one-of-nations-top-100-bass-lakes https://www.hayspost.com/2018/07/15/kansas-lake-is-one-of-the-countrys-top-100-bass-fishing-lakes/ The water level is very full and has flooded lots of weedbeds that are full of crappie, channel catfish and bass. For information on the Linn County Marina boat ramps call 913 757-6633. Fishing at La Cygne produces a mixed bag of fish from big blue, channel or flathead catfish, to white bass and wipers or crappie and largemouth bass. Good shoreline angler access is provided by the Linn County Park on the west side of the lake. HOT WATER ACCESS. On the east side of the lake access to the hot water return, where a lot of fish are caught when its cold, is: at 69 HWY and Ks HWY 152, go east and drive across the dam on E.2200 Rd., turn north at Young Rd. and go West at E. 2400 Rd. to the parking lot. Anglers walk from the parking lot west on the path to the hot water return area. But this is a great place to fish. This lake has had a reproducing blue catfish population for many years, fingerling blue cats were stocked this fall to supplement that population. Another goal for this lake is to improve blue cat angling. Call the Linn County Park at 913-757-6633 for more information or camping, and cabins reservations. Zebra Mussels have recently been found in Hillsdale Lake, and we'd like to remind you to stay aware and take all precautions necessary to prevent the spread into uncontaminated waters! This includes cleaning and rinsing your boat, motor, trailer and equipment, draining any excess water from previous outings, and allowing your boat to dry before using it in a different body of water. Get the family, get your friends and Go Fishing. Remember to "CLEAN, DRAIN AND DRY" your boats, trailers and equipment. Don't move water from any lake. Habitat improvement and shoreline enhancement continue to improve by adding Georgia cubes. I have added Georgia cubes to several areas to enhance angling especially along shoreline areas. The gps coordinates are: Location La Cygne Reservoir Habitat longititude latititude description date
| ||||||||||
MARAIS DES CYGNES WILDLIFE AREA - Last Updated: 1/3/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, &amp;amp;amp; Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| blue, channel catfish | GOOD | varies | fish in the river are concentrated below riffles, stink baits, cut shad, liver, |
| white bass/wipers | Fair | varies | minnows, jigs, work the pools below the rifles, |
| crappie | slow | varies | use jigs just below riffles |
| General Comments | |||
| The river and streams on the state wildlife area are open to fishing. The Marias des Cygnes River is a great place to float and fish. Some of the wildlife area pools are draining and others have very low fish populations. Access to the river is at the Marais des Cygnes Wildlife Area. For additional opportunities call 913-352-8941 for accurate information on wildlife pool drainage. Get the kids, get your friends and Go Fishing. Remember to "CLEAN, DRAIN AND DRY" your boats and equipment. The Marais des Cygnes River is confirmed to contain zebra mussels. Please take extra precaution by not removing fish and placing them in another body of water (bait fish included), and cleaning, draining, and drying boats motors trailers and all equipment before entering another body of water. This helps prevent the spread to unc | |||
MELVERN RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 12/20/2018 Print
| Crappie | Fair | 0.25-0.75lb | on jigs and minnows near brush piles. | |
| Walleye | Slow | 0.5-3 lbs | ||
| White bass | Fair | 0.5-2 lbs | on jigs and minnows lake wide | |
| Smallmouth bass | Fair | 0.25-3 lbs | ||
| Catfish | Fair | 1-5 lbs | drifting cutbait and worms near ledges | |
| Fisheries Newsletter | If you would like to receive additional information about this lake a couple of times a year, sign up for the newsletter at the following link http://kdwp.state.ks.us/news/KDWP-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Lawrence-Fishing-District | |||
| Blue Catfish | 35 inch minimum length limit and 5 fish daily limit went into effect January 1, 2016. This regulation change is to protect adult brood fish which hopefully will allow increased production of young blue catfish, translating into increased numbers of blues in Melvern. | |||
| Sauger | 18 inch minimum length limit went into effect Jan. 1, 2016. This change makes sauger and walleye have the same regulations at Melvern Reservoir. | |||
| Spotted Bass | 18 inch minimum length limit went into effect Jan. 1, 2016. This change makes all black bass (i.e. largemouth, smallmouth and spotted) have the same regulations at Melvern Reservoir. | |||
| General Comments | ||||
| Note: Melvern Reservoir has Zebra Mussels, Remember to clean, drain, and dry your boat and fishing equipment when leaving the lake to keep from spreading them to other lakes. | ||||
MINED LAND WILDLIFE AREA - Last Updated: 1/11/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill / Redear / Warmouth | Good | All sizes | Try worms or small jigs and spinners fished slowly near the bottom. Fly fishing opportunities are also present; hook sizes of 10-12 with a floating fly or popper may yield fish up to 8 inches. |
| Channel Catfish | Fair | All sizes | Channel catfish can be found in abundance all across the wildlife area. Try shad sides, liver, worms or prepared baits. 14,000 channel catfish were stocked on the Mined Land Wildlife Area throughout all of the accessible strip pits. Stockings were made on September 13, and 18-20, 2018. These fish are 8-15 inches in length and average 1/3 pound each. |
| Crappie | Fair | All sizes | Crappie can be found throughout the different units on the wildlife area. Try minnows, small jigs, or small spinners fished around brush and structure. Boat and kayak anglers may have luck trolling deeper water and cove habitats as well. Units where crappie have been reported to be caught this winter and for anglers to focus on for crappie would be the following units: 7, 8, 41. |
| Largemouth Bass | Good | All sizes | Try jigs, worms, or spinner baits fished slowly around brush, aquatic vegetation, and structure. |
| Rainbow trout | Good | 10 - 15" | The fifth rainbow trout stocking in the Trout Pit (Unit #30) was on January 9, 2019. A total of 1,050 rainbow trout (700 pounds) were stocked. This is a total of 5,773 rainbow trout that have been stocked for the fall and winter of 2018 into the Trout Pit on the Mined Land Wildlife Area. Previous stockings occurred on October 24 (1,260 fish/700 pounds), November 26 (1,218 fish/700 pounds), December 12 (1,125 fish/750 pounds), and December 26 (1,120 fish/700 pounds). Rainbow trout are stocked each spring, fall, and winter in Unit #30 in the "Trout Pit". Most rainbows are 10 inches in length when stocked and average 1/2 lb. each. Five percent of each stocking is comprised of 14-inch or larger fish. Trout can live year-around in this unique strip-mined lake, so fish in the 3-5 pound range are occasionally caught. Shoreline anglers have reported the west parking lot, boat ramp and dock area, and fish feeders being places where trout have been caught. However, a kayak or a boat will lend other places to try in this unique strip pit. The fish feeder is running. Try power bait, small spinners (i.e., Kastmasters and Panther Martins), flies, small crankbaits, worms, or corn. Remember anglers -- A trout permit is required to be able to fish on the "Trout Pit" on Unit #30. This is valid for the calendar year. Rainbow trout are managed under a daily creel limit of five fish. Anglers, 15 years and younger, can fish for and possess trout, but their daily creel is 2 per day. Directions to the Trout Pit (Unit #30) are as follows: 8 miles south of the McCune turn off on Highway 400 on NW 100th St. and a half mile to the west on NW Lawton Rd. OR 5 miles west of West Mineral on NW Scammon Rd., 4 miles south on NW 100th St. and a half mile to the west on NW Lawton Rd. |
| Brown trout | Fair | 15-20" | Brown trout have been stocked in Unit #30 in the Trout Pit to provide an additional species and trophy opportunity for anglers. 2,500 small 8 to 10-inch brown trout were stocked on October 22, 2018. Please handle these small brown trout with care and release them immediately for the opportunity for these fish to grow and produce a quality fishery in the future. Brown trout tend to be more seclusive than rainbow trout, so early morning and evening hours will be your best bet. Try power bait, small spinners, spoons, flies, small crankbaits, worms, or corn. Remember anglers -- Brown trout are managed under a 20-inch minimum and 1 fish in the daily creel limit. Be sure to correctly identify the trout you have caught as a rainbow, or a brown trout. |
| Walleye | Fair | 18-21" | Walleye have been stocked on the Mined Land Wildlife Area in Units 7, 17, 20, 21, 22, 24, 31, 33, 34, 39, 40, 41, and 44 to provide an additional species and angling opportunity on the wildlife area. The units and strip pits that have been stocked with walleye provide adequate habitat with deeper water and cooler water temperatures. Trolling and vertical jigging techniques will be a good technique to try. |
| Wiper (Striped bass x White bass hybrid) | Fair | 15-20" | Wiper were stocked on the Mined Land Wildlife Area in Unit #21 on October 2, 2018. Stockings have occurred since 2007. A fish feeder is also present on the Wiper Pit in Unit #21 that provides supplemental food on this specific pit. Techniques to try would be to vertical jig spoons and jigs, trolling with Rapalas and spoons, and casting jigs, spoons, and spinning baits. Other opportunities would be to try a slip bobber with live bait, or chicken liver has been reported to yield a few fish. |
| General Comments | |||
| Water temperature: 35 degrees, 1/04/2018 Habitat improvements through the use of hinge-cutting, cedar trees, and "Georgia Cubes" will be placed throughout the unique strip pits on Mined Land Wildlife Area during the spring of 2019. Angler input is welcomed. If you have individual strip pits that you'd like to see habitat improvements made, please contact Connor Ossowski, District Fisheries Biologist, at (620) 231-3173. These will be advertised on the KDWPT website at the following link: https://ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/Locations/Hunting-Fishing-Atlas/Fishing-Atlas/GPS-KML-Information-Files/Google-KMZ-file-of-Fish-Attractor-GPS. Fish attractors and habitat additions have been placed on the Mined Land Wildlife Area and the GPS coordinates can be found at the link provided in the previous sentence as well. As District Fisheries Biologists, we send out a newsletter to inform anglers of fish sampling result, aquatic outreach events, fish stockings, and habitat improvement projects, for example. We have a spring and fall edition of our newsletters that you can subscribe to. This is sent directly to your email. If you would like to stay up to date on what is happening on Neosho State Fishing Lake (Lake McKinley), Crawford State Fishing Lake (Farlington Lake), Bone Creek Lake, CFAP and FISH properties, and the Mined Land Wildlife Area strip pits, you can subscribe to the Pittsburg District Newsletter at the following link: https://ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Pittsburg-Fishing-District Aquatic Nuisance Species Alert: Be on the look out for Eurasian Watermilfoil if you're fishing on the Mined Land Wildlife Area. This aquatic nuisance plant is present and abundant on multiple strip pits on the Mined Land Wildlife Area. The plant can reproduce rapidly and develop dense mats that don't allow for other beneficial aquatic plants to grow. Eurasian watermilfoil can also impact the fish community in a lake, so please be sure to inspect and clean your fishing gear. Please remember to Clean, Drain, and Dry your kayak, boat, boat trailer, and bait buckets. More information on Eurasian Watermilfoil may be found at the following link: https://ksoutdoors.com/Fishing/Aquatic-Nuisance-Species/Aquatic-Nuisance-Species-List/Eurasian-Watermilfoil If you would like to provide a fishing report for the Mined Land Wildlife Area, don't hesitate to contact Connor Ossowski, District Fisheries Biologist, at (620) 231-3173. | |||
MONTGOMERY STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 10/22/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Catfish | Good | 14-24" | Catfishing remains good. Catfish have been moving into the shallow at dark to feed. Shad sides and chicken livers have been working the best. |
| Largemouth Bass | Good | 8-18" | Largemouth bass fishing has improved. Recent sampling has shown fish have moved into the shallows with the cooling water temps. |
| Crappie | Good | 8-12" | Crappie fishing has improved. Look for crappie under the docks around the lake. Minnows have been working the best. |
| Bluegill/Redear Sunfish | Good | 6-8" | Bluegill and redear fishing remains good. Look for them just outside of the weed line. Worms under a bobber and small hair jigs have been working the best. |
| General Comments | |||
| A bathymetric map is available for Montgomery State Fishing Lake at the link above. District Newsletter We have created a fishing newsletter that can be sent out to all that subscribe to it. This newsletter is for fishing information for the Independence District (Chautauqua, Labette, Montgomery, and Wilson counties) only. | |||
MOUND CITY LAKE - Last Updated: 1/16/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, &amp; Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Catfish | Fair | Size varies but most are of legal size, with some large fish | Cut bait, also try stink baits, chicken liver, cut shad or chunks of sunfish, The fish feeders are OFF for the season.Lots of good catfish, high number of 2 to 5 pounders, in the lake. |
| Bluegill/Redear Sunfish | FAIR | varies | Use small baits, jigs or small worm under a float set for shallow water |
| Crappie | Fair | 8 to 14 inches some larger | Sampling indicates that majority of crappie are in the 10 inch range with some fish in the 13 to 15 inch ranges. Shallow to 6 ft deep. minnows and dark jigs are best. Along the south tree line or habitat structures and drop offs along the creek channel. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | varies | Recent sampling indicates a good population with majority of fish 14 to 19 inches. some up to 7 pounds. Bass are in shallow water adjacent to structure, try plastics, jig and Pig, slabs |
| General Comments | |||
| Lake maybe ice covered so use common sense. Go fishing, the fish have to eat. Water conditions are good. The catfish and crappie are very nice this year. Mound City Lake has a great reputation for producing good strings of crappie. Best baits are dark colored jigs and minnows, mainly around underwater structure. Fish feeders are ON. Largemouth bass numbers have really improved and continues to produce great fishing. Sign up for the Mound City District Newsletter today! For tips on spring bass fishing check out the KDWPT video at the following link! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpIJaiyW32k For crappie anglers, watch this 25-minute video that covers Kansas crappie fishing during spring, summer, fall, and winter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sazyEuIT_bk Get the kids, get your friends and Go Fishing. Remember to "CLEAN, DRAIN AND DRY" your boats, trailers and equipment. | |||
NEOSHO RIVER AT CHETOPA DAM - Last Updated: 4/16/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paddlefish | Poor | Snagging season opened March 15th. Fishing has remained slow. Watch for fishing to pick up with increases in water level. Water level can be checked from the link below. | |
| General Comments | |||
| THE SNAGGING SEASON IS OPEN FROM MARCH 15 THROUGH MAY 15TH. •Catch and release is allowed on the Neosho River •A fish must be kept if placed on a stringer. Culling is not allowed. •A state-issued permit is required. Two paddlefish may be harvested daily and six may be harvested in a season. •Barbless hooks are required at Chetopa. The best fishing occurs at river flows of 10-15,000 cubic feet per second. The following link will take you to the Kansas Water Watch website. Click HERE for river flow data. | |||
NEOSHO STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 12/13/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill / Redear Sunfish | Good | 2-4" -- 10% 4-6" -- 76% 7-9" -- 14%
| Fall sampling indicated quality numbers of redear sunfish and bluegill. Anglers, whether catching for bait or for the frying pan, should focus their efforts on the upper end of the lake on the north side on the jetties, east and west coves, and the lower end near the dam along the jetties. A bobber and worm, a 1/16 ounce jig with a small twister tail, or a fly rod with a small fly are all good options to try in water less than 6'. With 14% of the fall sample above 7", there is a high quality panfish opportunity for anglers to bring the family out and enjoy the scenery at Neosho State Fishing Lake. |
| Warmouth | Fair | <5" -- 25% 6-8" -- 50% >9" -- 25% | Warmouth is another species in Neosho State Fishing lake that is often overlooked as a species for anglers to catch. Anglers can find warmouth primarily near rocky habitats, such as jetties. The same tactics for bluegill and redear sunfish can be used to catch warmouth, such as a small hook tipped with a worm under a bobber, fly rod with small flies, and 1/16-1/32 ounce jigs. |
| Channel catfish | Fair | 10-15" -- 48% 16-20" -- 39% 21-24" -- 13% | The channel catfish population at Neosho State Fishing Lake will provide anglers with a quality fishing opportunity with fish sampled during the fall up to 24", although fishing reports from anglers indicated fish above 24" during the summer. Channel catfish can be found throughout all portions of the lake. Boat anglers can focus their efforts on the flats of 10-12', coves, and the brushpiles located on the southwest corner of the lake. Shoreline anglers can focus their efforts on the rock jetties throughout the entire lake, however the jetties on the southwest side of the lake are in close proximity of brushpiles that may congregate channel catfish. Prepared baits, shrimp, chicken liver, and shad will be your best options to try. |
| Flathead catfish | Fair | All sizes | Flathead catfish can caught on live bait, or fresh cut bait, near brushpiles and flats. Brushpiles are located on the southwest corner of the lake. Flathead catfish will move up to the shallows in the morning, evening, and at night, so fishing off the jetties with a bobber and live bait would be a good tactic to try. |
| Crappie | Good | <8" -- 19% 8-10" -- 59% 10-12" -- 22% | Fall sampling indicated an improved size structure of crappie at Neosho State Fishing Lake with sizes up to 12". Anglers can focus their efforts on brushpiles, which are located on the lower end on the southwest corner of the lake, drop offs and changes in depth located in close proximity to jetties, and coves. 1/8-1/16 ounce jigs with twister tails or tipped with a minnow, live minnows, worms, and small spinners are all good baits to try. |
| Largemouth bass | Good | <8" -- 7% 8-12" -- 37% 12-15" -- 38% 15-20" -- 15% >21" -- 2% | Neosho State Fishing Lake contains a quality largemouth bass population for a unique opportunity for anglers in the southeast part of Kansas. The lake contains a variety of habitats, such as coves, brushpiles, and jetties that provide access for anglers to be able to come out to the lake and enjoy a quality day spent on the shoreline. Anglers can focus on jetties, if fishing from the shore, where brushpiles are in close proximity. Fishing the edges of aquatic vegetation that is located near the shore can hold largemouth bass in wait to ambush prey that utilize the aquatic vegetation for forage and refuge. Jetties are located on the north end as well as the east and west sides of the lake. Baits to try include spinnerbaits, top-water lures, plastic worms, and live bait under a bobber are all tactics for anglers to pursue. |
| General Comment | |||
| The lake is currently 3 feet low in preparation for the partial renovation planned for this winter. Water temperature: 42 degrees, 12/13/2018 A partial renovation is planned for Neosho State Fishing Lake this winter. A low-dose rotenone treatment will be applied to eradicate gizzard shad from the lake. Gizzard shad compete with largemouth bass, channel catfish, and crappie, to name a few, for food and space. This treatment will open up more room in the impoundment for desired fish species to grow and survive. Neosho State Fishing Lake will be closed to boat traffic on the day of application. Daily creel limits and length limits will still apply. More information on the application and influence of gizzard shad in small impoundments can be found here: https://ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/News/Weekly-News/9-27-18/Partial-Renovations-Scheduled-at-Four-State-Fishing-Lakes As District Fisheries Biologists, we send out a newsletter to inform anglers of fish sampling result, aquatic outreach events, fish stockings, and habitat improvement projects, for example. We have a spring and fall edition of our newsletters that you can subscribe to. This is sent directly to your email. If you would like to stay up to date on what is happening on Neosho State Fishing Lake (Lake McKinley), Crawford State Fishing Lake (Farlington Lake), Bone Creek Lake, CFAP and FISH properties, and the Mined Land Wildlife Area strip pits, you can subscribe to the Pittsburg District Newsletter at the following link: https://ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Pittsburg-Fishing-District Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism fisheries staff recently undertook a project to produce lake maps, or bathymetric maps, for public waters statewide. The lake map for Neosho State Fishing Lake can be found at the following link: https://ksoutdoors.com/Fishing/Where-to-Fish-in-Kansas/Bathymetric-Lake-Maps This link will provide you with a link for all bathymetric lake maps for the state of Kansas. Scroll down to find Neosho State Fishing Lake. This will allow for anglers to view the depths of the lake to choose different habitats and lake features to fish for different species, year-round. You will also find current GPS locations of habitat structures placed by KDWPT fisheries staff to easily input into your sonar unit, or find if you are fishing from shore. Be sure to Clean, Drain, and Dry your boat, bait buckets, and recreational watercraft before and after launching your boat. It is important to remove your drain plug on your watercraft upon departure to drain live wells and water inside of your boat; it will protect our natural resources in Kansas for current anglers and future generations to enjoy. Zebra mussels, white perch, and asian carp are all invasive species that can be found in Kansas. Be sure to stay up to date on information regarding Aquatic Nuisance Species. The following link will provide you with information on Aquatic Nuisance Species in Kansas: https://ksoutdoors.com/Fishing/Aquatic-Nuisance-Species If you would like to provide a fishing report for Neosho State Fishing Lake, don't hesitate to contact Connor Ossowski, District Fisheries Biologist, at (620) 231-3173. | |||
OSAGE STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 10/4/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Fishing Condition | |||
| Fisheries Newsletter | If you want to receive additional information about this lake (including GPS coordinates to any newly placed brush piles) a couple of times during the year, sign up to receive a newsletter using this link http://kdwp.state.ks.us/news/KDWP-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Lawrence-Fishing-District | ||
| Bluegill | Fair | Up to 0.25 lbs | Using worms under bobber. |
| Channel catfish | Fair-Good | 1-5 lbs | Using nightcrawlers, stinkbait, and liver. Some catches being reported off of feeders. |
| Largemouth bass | Fair | 0.5-2 lbs | Using a variety of baits including crankbaits, spinners and jigs. |
| General Comments | |||
| Feeders received their last batch of food for the year. After feeders empty, they will not be operational until Memorial Day weekend 2019. Note: Zebra Mussels were found at this lake April 27, 2017. Lake users should clean, drain and dry fishing equipment and boats to keep from moving zebra mussels to other waters. Feeders are operational, and should be through Labor Day. GPS coordinates (Datum =NAD 83 in decimel degrees) for cedar tree fish habitat are: 1. N38.76493 W095.674210 2. N38.76591 W095.670920
| |||
PLEASANTON CITY LAKE EAST - Last Updated: 1/16/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, &Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wipers | Slow | size varies, | The density is down but improving. use live shad or shad artificials and hang on. lake wide trolling with sassy shads, from the bank and boat, with crankbaits, spoons, worms. |
| Channel catfish | Slow | All sizes, | this lake has a good catfish population and produces nice fish. Anglers can catch fish in the 2- 7 pound range. Best baits are the traditional chicken liver or use stink baits, shrimp, worms, prepared baits, lakewide. The fish feeders are OFF for the season. The fall stocking was received and will make fishing even better. |
| Largemouth bass | Slow | varies | try the dam, and woody habitat using silver or blue crank baits or soft baits. Lots of bass in the 12 to 15 inch range. |
| Walleye | Slow | 18-24 inches | An incidental fish taken near deeper habitat. |
| white crappie | Slow | 8-14 inches | Many crappie are in the 8 inch to 12 inches long. Fish around the floating dock, shoreline and brushpiles areas. Try the shoreline and any shallow cover, use pink, blue/white tube or green jigs, minnows. |
| General Comment | |||
| The best time to fish is anytime you can. Go fishing, the fish have to eat. This is a great kayaking lake, no recreational boating. Have the lake to yourself. Recent rains have raised the water level to full pool and the fishing is good. There are good crappie here. This lake has a high density of largemouth bass, great fishing for kids! Also, keep in mind that there is a decent wiper population. The channel cat population in this lake is doing well, and during our sampling we saw a few walleye, as well as some sizeable flatheads. channel catfish will be stocked in mid October to increase fishing opportunities. Zebra Mussels have recently been found in Hillsdale Lake, and we'd like to remind you to stay aware and take all precautions necessary to prevent the spread into uncontaminated waters! This includes cleaning and rinsing your boat and motor, trailer, and equipment, draining any excess water from previous outings, and allowing your boat to dry before using it in a different body of water. Sign up for the Mound City Fishing District Newsletter today! Remember to "CLEAN, DRAIN AND DRY" your boats and equipment. Don't move water from any impoundment. For tips on spring bass fishing check out the KDWPT video at the following link! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpIJaiyW32k For crappie anglers, watch this 25-minute video that covers Kansas crappie fishing during spring, summer, fall, and winter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sazyEuIT_bk This lake is enrolled into the Community Fisheries Assistance Program. A city fishing permit is no longer required.Remember- Wear a Lifejacket and Reach - Throw - Don t Go.
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PLEASANTON CITY LAKE WEST - Last Updated: 1/16/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, &amp; Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| channel catfish | Slow | Size varies, some up to 8 pounds | Use cut shad or sunfish, (best on chicken liver), shrimp, worms, prepared baits, along dam, lots of fat fish from 2 - 6 pounds. Fish feeders are OFF. This lake is a great channel catfish lake with great shoreline access. The fall stocking were received and look good. This will improve fishing. |
| crappie | Fair | All sizes | Fish are nice size with a lot around the 10 inch group, and the density is good, fish are traditionally along the dam, south east pier, and in the brushpiles fish with jigs, blue /white, minnows, |
| largemouth bass | Slow | 12-22 inches | High water levels will have bass back in the water willow along the dam, piers and the brushpiles, use crank baits or spinners, recent sampling shows many bass over 18 inches. |
| bluegill | Slow | varies | Most fish are under 8 inches. use a small worm or jig under a float. |
| General Comments | |||
| Best time to fish is anytime you can. Pleasanton West Lake produces a quality bass fishery. Largemouth bass, overall are in very good condition and health. The largest bass sampled in 2017 was 4.78 lbs., and 33% of the fish sampled were of memorable or trophy size. Try your luck with roadrunners, jigs, and spinners for these sizeable fish! Zebra Mussels have recently been found in Hillsdale Lake, and we'd like to remind you to stay aware and take all precautions necessary to prevent the spread into uncontaminated waters! This includes cleaning and rinsing your boat and motor, trailer, and equipment, draining any excess water from previous outings, and allowing your boat to dry before using it in a different body of water. Get the kids, get your friends and Go Fishing. Remember to "CLEAN, DRAIN AND DRY" your boats and equipment. Don't move water. For tips on spring bass fishing check out the KDWPT video at the following link! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpIJaiyW32k For crappie anglers, watch this 25-minute video that covers Kansas crappie fishing during spring, summer, fall, and winter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sazyEuIT_bk This lake has a high density of channel catfish that increases angling opportunity. Remember- Wear a Lifejacket and Reach - Throw - Don t Go.This is a Community Fisheries Assistance Program Lake, no fishing permits required. | |||
POMONA RESERVOI - Last Updated: 1/16/2019 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Catfish | Fair | all sizes | Use worms or dip baits and sunfish entrails or cutshad, stink/prepared baits. THE FISH FEEDERS ARE OFF. THE outlet can be very good when releasing larger amounts of water. There is the occasional harvest of the blue catfish. |
| Walleye | Slow | varies | off points or deeper steep banks on crank baits or jigs tipped with night crawlers |
| White bass/Wipers | Slow | varies | reports indicate that white bass are improving as the water warms up. use minnows/live baits, cut bait, sometimes liver and shad imitation lures |
| Crappie | Slow | varies but range 8 -12 inches | some nice fish occasionally caught especially around the rock quarry and along dragoon. Best baits are dark jigs and/or minnows. Recent sampling indicates that that there are good numbers of larger crappie around the 11 inch or bigger range. |
| Largemouth Bass | Slow | Most are 10 to 15 inches | Pomona has a limited black bass fishery. Catches are more common in the Marina area and in the coves on a variety of baits to include crankbaits and soft baits |
| General Informatiom | |||
| Lake maybe ice covered, use common sense. Fishing at the outlet usually improves with higher water releases. The crappie population is good with a few older fish that are in the 12 to 14 inch range and a lot of younger fish up to 11 inches. The catfish population in this impoundment is good, try fishing with live bait, liver or shad or assorted stick baits, especially after rain/inflow events. Also remember this lake has a good wiper population. These are often caught at the drop offs along creek channels, and around concentrations of gizzard shad. The reservoir also supports some larger walleye and blue catfish, though in low numbers. These numbers will be improved by future stockings. Zebra mussels now inhabit this lake. This means take EXTRA PRECAUTION to help prevent the spread into uncontaminated impoundments. "Clean, Drain and Dry" before and after using any equipment on this lake. For additional information, water temperature, release rates, please check:http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/Locations/District-Lakes/Pomona-Lake/Daily-Lake-Information/ Have FUN,Get the kids, get your friends and Go Fishing. Remember to "CLEAN, DRAIN AND DRY" your boats and equipment. The State and COE Parks are ready for family fishing. Sign up for the Mound City Fishing District Newsletter today! Check out this video on fish management provided by KDWPT http://ksoutdoors.com/Fishing/Special-Fishing-Programs-for-You/Fishing-Videos/Kansas-Fish-Management For crappie anglers, watch this 25-minute video that covers Kansas crappie fishing during spring, summer, fall, and winter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sazyEuIT_bk | |||
TORONTO RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 11/19/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| channel catfish | good | 9% 11"-16" 57% 16"-24" 26% 24"-28" 9% 28"-36" | Use a worm, stink bait, or shad sides on channel breaks. |
| largemouth bass | poor | 20% 8"-12" 25% 12"-15" 50% 15"-20" 5% 20"-25" | The main body of the reservoir doesn't have the necessary largemouth bass habitat to support a high density bass population. However, the flooded timber and clearer water in the backwater section of Walnut Creek produces a fair density bass population. There were 20 bass per hour of electrofishing sampled in Walnut Creek. The ideal catch rate would be 100 bass per hour. Use a jig, spinner, worm, or crank bait around stumps and brush in river and Walnut Creek. |
| white bass | fair | 45% 6"-9" 12% 9"-12" 35% 12"-15" 9% 15"-18" 0% 18"+ | Use a spinner, jig, or crank bait on deep channel breaks. |
| white crappie | good | 5% 5"-8" 8% 8"-10" 66% 10"-12" 20% 12"-15" 1% 15"+ | Use a jig or minnow on deep channel breaks and brush piles in Toronto Point Cove. Fish are more active on warmer days. |
| General Comments | |||
| To view a map of Toronto Reservoir brush piles, copy this file into Google Earth and zoom into the reservoir. The size structure listed for largemouth bass is from May 2018 electrofishing. The size structure for crappie, white bass, and channel catfish is from October 2017 test netting. Sign up to receive a copy of the Fall River/Toronto District Fisheries Newsletter. For more information about the Fall River/Toronto Fisheries District, click here to access newsletters. | |||
WILSON STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 10/22/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location | |
| Channel Catfish | Good | 16-24" | Catfishing remains good. Cooler water temps have brought fish into shallower water. Look for fish to be feeding in the evenings. | |
| Largemouth and Spotted Bass | Good | 10-22" | Bass fishing has improved. Fish have moved into shallower water with the cooling water. | |
| Crappie | Good | 8-12" | Crappie fishing has improved. Look for fish to be near structure or around the fishing docks. Minnows have been working the best. | |
| Bluegill and Redear | Good | 6-8" | Bluegills and redears fishing remains good. Look for them just outside of the weed line. Small jigs tipped with a worm have been working the best. | |
| General Comments | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Both maintained boat ramps are currently usable. A bathymetric map is available for Wilson State Fishing Lake at the link above. District Newsletter We have created a fishing newsletter that can be sent out to all that subscribe to it. This newsletter is for fishing information for the Independence District (Chautauqua, Labette, Montgomery, and Wilson counties) only. | ||||
WOODSON STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 3/9/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Bait, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| The lake is dry.
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YATES CENTER - SOUTH OWL - Last Updated: 10/26/2018 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | Good | 1-5 lbs. | Vibrating jigs or crankbaits fish around the water willow or vegetation should produce some fish |
| channel catfish | Good | 1/2-15 lbs | Chicken liver, cut bait, or other prepared baits lakewide. The feeders are on. |
| Walleye | slow | 10-24" | Jig and crawlers or trolling crankbaits around dropoffs or over the flats. |
| crappie | Fair-Good | up to 14" | Using jigs of various colors around dropoffs or the Georgia Cubes has been producing some nice fish. |
| General Comments | |||
| STOP AQUATIC HITCHHIKERS! CLEAN, DRAIN, and DRY your boat and livewell before leaving an area. DO NOT MOVE FISH OR BAIT between waters. We sank 30 Georgia Cube Fish Attractors in this lake and they are holding fish. Click on the following link to download the Google Earth File and get the coordinates. http://ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/Locations/Hunting-Fishing-Atlas/Fishing-Atlas/GPS-KML-Information-Files/Google-KMZ-file-of-Artificial-Habitat-Fish-Attractor-GPS District Fisheries Newsletter. http://kdwpt.state.ks.us/news/KDWPT-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-New-Strawn-Fishing-District | |||
YATES CENTER CITY LAKE - Last Updated: 10/26/2018 Print
| Species | Size | Rating | Baits, Methods, Locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redear and Bluegill | up to 10" | Good | A good population of both species is present in this lake. Use the good ol nightcrawler or mealworm under a bobber around deep structure. |
| Largemouth Bass | 8-18" | Good | Reaction style baits should produce this time of year. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, swimbaits, or jerkbaits fished around the woody or rocky habitat. |
| Catfish | up to 10lbs. | Good | livers, dip baits, worms, and other prepared bait lakewide. |
| Wipers/White Bass | 8-18" | Fair | Curly-tailed grubs, crankbaits or swim baits around schools of shad. Wind blown shorelines should be good places to start. |
| Crappie | up to 12" | Fair-Good | Efforts should probably be focused on deeper water and brush located near dropoffs or the creek channel. live bait is usually hard to beat but various colored jigs work well during the fall. |
| Walleye | 15-24" | slow | crankbaits or dragging a jig and crawler over the flats. |
| Cooling water temps. in the Fall usually triggers the fish to feed heavily to prepare for the winter months. Fall fishing is some of the best of the year. This lake contains Eurasian Watermilfoil. Please remember to help stop the spread of Aquatic Nuisance Species Clean, Drain, and Dry your boat and equipment when leaving water bodies. | |||