Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism

Notice

For state park alerts, visit the State Parks Alerts page.

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

Northwest Region
Northeast Region
Southwest Region
South Central Region
Southeast Region

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: 6/21/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, Location
Largemouth Bass	Good	1-4 pounds	Anglers have been catching decent numbers of bass using spinnerbaits and topwater lures early and late in the day. Look for fish around flooded cattails and around the jetties.
Bluegill	Good	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 nymphs or dry flies fished on the surface.
Channel Catfish	Good	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	Good	12-24 inches	Saugeye can be found along the creek channel in 8 to 10 feet of water this time of year. The upper 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 dropped from 18 inches to 15 inches in January. 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	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 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
Water temperature: 80ºF 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: 6/13/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, Location
Crappie	Fair/Good	Up to 15 inches	Vertically fishing jigs around flooded timber stands lining steeper drop offs in water depths anywhere from 15 to 25 feet has been best. Anglers are also picking up a few fish trolling or casting crank baits for walleye. Anglers haven't reported catching high numbers but the fish have ranged in size from 11 to 15 inches. A 10 inch minimum length limit is in effect on black and white crappie.
Black Bass	Fair/Good	Up to 4.5 lbs.	Casting swimbaits, soft plastics, spinnerbaits, or minnows under a bobber around flooded vegetation, especially when vegetation is on points in 8 to 12 feet of water, has produced smallmouth, spotted, and largemouth bass.
Walleye	Good	Up to 28 inches	Anglers are catching fish casting or drifting jigs tipped with nightcrawlers or casting shad imitating crankbaits over shallower points and shelves. Anglers trolling deep diving crank baits and worm and spinner rigs along the edges of drop-offs are catching fish too. A 21 inch minimum length limit and 5 fish/day/angler creel limit is in effect to regulate walleye harvest.
White Bass/Wipers	Fair	Whites up to 17 inches Wipers up to 13 lbs.	Increased water level has spread fish out and made them harder to pattern. Anglers report catching fish casting shad imitating jigs and crankbaits around flooded vegetation or over windswept points. Also, trolling shad imitating crankbaits along lines of timber near drop offs has been effective. Anglers are picking up wipers here and there mixed in with the white bass.
WATER TEMPERATURE-73 degrees F SURFACE ELEVATION- 2131.71-12.29' below conservation pool 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: 6/21/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, Location
Crappie	Fair	8-13 inches	Anglers have been catching a handful of crappie here and there while fishing for white bass, walleye, and black bass. With the higher water, the fish are likely to be found in the flooded vegetation and are susceptible to being caught on jigs and minnows. There have also been decent numbers of fish caught over the grate and in the outlet below the dam. Remember to measure your crappie carefully with the new 10 inch length limit. Beginning in January 2019 there will be a 10 inch minimum length limit on crappie at Glen Elder!
Walleye	Good	14-22 inches	Anglers have been catching fair to good numbers of walleye around the Cawker City Causeway, the flats south of the golf course, near Schoen's Cove, and off the state park points. Most fish are coming from 15-20 feet of water using jigs and worms or jigs and minnows.
Black Bass	Good	12-20 inches	The flooded vegetation is making fishing a bit tougher for all species, but especially bass as the amount of good habitat has forced these fish to disperse from their normal haunts. Smallies can be caught along the dam and north shore around the state park area, as well as the south bluffs. Largemouth bass numbers are best in the back end of Walnut Creek, Granite Creek, Mill Creek, and Mealls Cove. Jig and Pig, white spinnerbaits, and Ned Rigs are all good options for early summer bass.
Channel Catfish	Good	15-30 inches	Anglers have been using shad sides, shad gizzards, shrimp, and stinkbaits to catch mostly channel cats with a few small blue catfish mixed in. Best areas to try now include Carr Creek, Oak Creek, Fisherman's Bridge, Boller Point, Cawker City dike, and Granite Creek. Also, with the recent rains the catfish will congregate near areas of inflow and anglers should be able to capitalize by focusing their efforts in these high flow areas. Remember, there is a 35 inch length limit on blue catfish at Glen Elder.
White Bass	Good to Excellent	11-18 inches	White bass can be caught in good numbers out here throughout the summer in a variety of locations. Check around the dam and off main lake points along the north shore and near the south bluffs. Trolling along the Cawker City causeway can also be good if the water is not too murky.
The two state park boat ramps (Osage and Marina Cove) are closed as is the Boller Point boat ramp. There are still several open ramps that can be used safely including Granite Creek, Walnut Creek, Schoen's Cove, and North Fork Bridge. This high water may stick around for awhile and boaters should be aware of any new potential hazards which could be showing up in the newly flooded water. 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: 75°F Current Water Level: 8.6 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: 6/21/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, Location
Crappie	Good	8-11 inches	The crappie can be found shallow around flooded vegetation. Anglers should fish with minnows and jigs tipped with minnows for best results. Slowly retrieving jigs under a bobber is also a productive method while the fish are spawning.
Largemouth Bass	Good	13-22 inches	Bass can be found lakewide, but islands of phragmites and cattails just off the bank seem to hold the best numbers with open pockets in the middle of tall vegetation also being key locations to target bass. Soft plastics, spinnerbaits, and Ned rigs are all good options to try for bass this time of year. There is an 18 inch minimum length limit on all bass in Jewell
Channel Catfish	Excellent	11-25 inches	The catfish numbers look very good right now based on fall netting and anglers should be pleased with the numbers of cats in the lake. Many of these fish are in the 3-5 pound range, but there are also a handful of larger fish between 7 and 10 pounds. Traditional baits like stink bait, shad sides, and chicken liver should all work for catching some catfish now. Anglers usually catch them off the jetties and the boat dock. Remember there is a 15 inch minimum length limit on channel catfish
Bluegill Green Sunfish Redear Sunfish	Good to Excellent	6-9 inches	Bluegill numbers appear to be stable right now with fish between 4 and 7 inches dominating the catch, but fish up to 8 inches were collected last fall. Redear sunfish are thriving very well right now with fish up to 10 inches collected last fall. There are two size groups with good numbers of 6-8 inch fish and fair numbers of 9 to 10 inch fish. For now, traditional fishing with a worm and bobber around the jetties and other cover may be the best way to catch some of these guys. Fly fishing with a variety of nymphs and wet flies should also be productive.
General Comments
ATTENTION ANGLERS! There is a new regulation for all sunfish species beginning in January 2019. Fish between 6 and 9 inches must be immediately released. There is no limit on the number of fish less than 6 inches, but anglers are limited to only 5 fish greater than 9 inches per day. This applies to bluegill, redear sunfish, green sunfish, and their hybrids. Water temperature: 80ºF Water level: FULL

KANOPOLIS RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 6/21/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, and Location
Channel Catfish	Good	16 - 21"	Good. Try worms and cut bait in coves and throughout the reservoir.
Crappie	Fair	10 to 14 inches	Fair. No reports due to high water and park closure.
Trout
Walleye/Saugeye	Fair	14 - 22"	Fair. No reports due to high water and park closure. Some folks are having success in the spillway and downstream.
White Bass	Fair	All sizes - up to 17 inches	Fair. No reports due to high water and park closure. Some folks are having success for whites in the spillway.
Wiper	Fair	All sizes	Slow. No reports for this species.
General Comment
Elevation: 26.0 feet above conservation pool and falling. Be cautious of high water. Water Temperature: 77 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: 6/13/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, and Location
Crappie	Fair	7 to 16 inches	Crappies are concentrating around deeper brush, the artificial brush piles 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. Would also try fishing in the coves as the water warms up.
Saugeye/Walleye	Fair	13 to 27 inches	Did have reports of fish being caught along the Dam and point on the east side of Leota Cove, up by the Marsh Dike and point south of the swim beach using jigs, or jigs tipped with live baits. An 18" minimum length limit is in effect.
Wiper	Good	10 to 28 inches	Did have reports of fish being caught around Monkey Island and the RR bridge abutments on the south side using jigs and crank baits. Five (5) fish daily creel limit.
Catfish	Fair	10 to 30 inches	Did have reports of fish being caught up to the west end using shad and stink bait on the bottom. These fish are moving upstream, especially with all the new water that's coming in.
Largemouth/Spotted Bass	Fair	10 to 20 inches	Did have reports of fish being caught up in the coves and along the Dam using crankbait's and plastic imitations.
General Comments
WATER TEMPERATURE- 71° SURFACE ELEVATION- 2300.07 ---- 4.23' below conservation Currently, the water level is 7.18 feet higher than it was one year ago, at this time. 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. http://kdwp.state.ks.us/news/KDWP-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Webster-Reservoir-Fishing-District

KIRWIN RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 6/13/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, and Location
Crappie	Good	7 to 17 inches	Anglers have been fishing the north and south shore fish attractors. Crappies are being caught using jigs and slab spoons around the brush piles. Have also had reports of a fish being caught up shallow in the coves using jigs and minnows under a bobber.
Walleye	Fair	14 to 29 inches	Did have reports of fish being caught along the Dam, along the south shore and up in Bow Creek as these fish are moving up in the shallows. Best methods are using jigs with twister tail's, crank baits and night crawlers.
White Bass/ Wiper	Fair	10 to 26 inches	Did have reports of fish being caught around the North Boat Ramp and Crappie Point using jigs with twister tails, road runners and crank baits. Trolling diving lures has also been productive.
Catfish	Fair	10 to 30 inches	Did hear of some catfish being caught up west of the USFWS office and Bow Creek using shad and stink bait on the bottom. These fish are moving upstream because of all the new water that is coming in.
Largemouth Bass	Fair	12 to 20 inches	Did have reports of fish being caught off the Dam and rocky area using jigs and crankbaits. Also catching them up in the coves. Remember there is a 15-inch length limit on bass.
General Comments
WATER TEMPERATURE- 71° SURFACE ELEVATION- 1734.16 ---- 4.91' above conservation pool Currently, the water level is 3.74' higher than it was one year ago, at this time. A current release rate of 45 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 OPEN for the summer. 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. http://kdwp.state.ks.us/news/KDWP-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Webster-Reservoir-Fishing-District

LOVEWELL RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 6/21/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, Location
Walleye	Fair	16-25 inches	Anglers typically catch walleye toward the west end of the reservoir this time of the year in 10 to 15 feet of water, especially around the flooded smartweed. Anglers can have success drifting jig and crawler or jig and minnow combos over the creek channel and near any drop offs. Other anglers have success trolling crankbaits along the flooded vegetation in 10-12 feet of water along the west end.
White Bass/Wipers	Good	7-13 inches 12-25 inches	The whites and wipers can be caught on the windblown points, along the dam, and are now starting to surface on calm days. Best baits to try include roadrunners, Kastmasters, slab spoons, and Rattletraps. 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	Good	7-13 inches	The crappie spawn is winding down and the fish will begin to move toward deeper structure and brush piles. Try jigs, minnows, slab spoons, or small swim baits for best results.
Catfish	Good	5 to 10 pounds	Both channel catfish and blue catfish can be found on the windblown side of the reservoir feeding on dead shad as well as up in the smartweed on the west end. Anglers should also be able to catch both species on the upper end near the Highway 14 bridge, Montana Creek, and John's Creek. They can also be found on the rocky banks while spawning with the dam an excellent spot to try right now.
Comments
ATTENTION ANGLERS: The crappie regulations at Lovewell changed in January 2019. There is 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: 80°F Current water level: 6.5 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: 6/13/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, and Location
			CURRENT FISHING
Largemouth Bass	Fair	6-18 inches	Anglers are catching fish lake wide using crankbait's and plastic imitations.
Bluegill	Fair	3-9 inches	Anglers are catching fish lake wide use worms under a bobber.
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	5-8 inches	Catching them lake wide using jigs, jigs with worms and jigs with minnows.
General Comments
Water Temp. 74 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: 6/6/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, and Location
Crappie	Fair	Up to 13 inches	Fishing jigs or minnows around brush or trolling small crankbaits along the dam.
Largemouth Bass	Fair/Good	Up to 5 lbs.	Casting spinnerbaits, swimbaits, and soft plastics around shoreline brushpiles, along the dam, around the fishing pier, and around laydown trees.
Saugeye	Good	Up to 3 lbs.	Casting or drifting jigs tipped with nightcrawlers along the dam face or over flats adjacent to drop-offs.
Bluegill	Fair/Good	Up to 8 inches	Worms or small jigs under a bobber around shallow rock, brush or laydown trees.
Channel Catfish	Fair	Up to 19 lbs.	Cut bait fished off the bottom on warmer days.
Wiper	Fair/Good	Up to 2 lbs.	Fishing liver or shrimp off the bottom over shallow flats.
Comments
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: 6/13/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, and Location
Crappie	Fair	7 to 17 inches	Did have reports of fish being caught off the North Breakwater and around the fish attractors. Jigs, small slab spoons, or minnows fished in or near the submerged cedar trees should produce. Also, heard of some fish being caught up in the coves using jigs and minnows under a bobber.
Walleye	Fair	14 to 26 inches	Did have fish reported being caught along the Dam, around the old swim beach (Little Sahara) and Old Marina Point using diving lures and night crawlers. Crankbait's have been the preferred equipment along the Dam and night crawlers on the old swim beach and Old Marina Point.
White Bass/Wiper	Good	8 to 24 inches	Have had reports of fish being caught on the point by the big gates, culvert below the Bait Shop and off Old Marina Point using jigs and rattle traps. Trolling diving lures has also been productive.
Catfish	Fair	12 to 30 inches	Did have reports of catfish being caught by the culvert below the bait shop, off the Unimproved launch area and around McCormick's bridge using shad and stink bait on the bottom. Would also try up to the west end of the lake with all the new water that's coming in.
Largemouth Bass	Fair	12 to 20 inches	Did have reports of bass being caught in the coves and also by the culvert below the Bait Shop using jig's, plastic bait's and spinner baits.
Rainbow Trout	Poor	8 to 18 inches	The trout season is over, and NO trout permit is needed to fish for trout in the stilling Basin. However, the creel limit still applies and there are plenty of trout that can be caught.
General Comments
WATER TEMPERATURE- 71° SURFACE ELEVATION- 1896.94 ---- 4.49' above conservation pool The water level is 0.91' higher than it was one year ago at this time. All high-water boat ramps are usable (Old Marina, Rock Point, Goose Flats and Morel) at this level. A current release rate of 215 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. http://kdwp.state.ks.us/news/KDWP-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Webster-Reservoir-Fishing-District

WILSON RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 6/21/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, Location
Striped Bass	Fair	2-25 pounds	Fair. Few reports of stripers being caught near the bluffs on the upper end and the river channel near Duvall. Some have been caught in and around the State Park Cove. Try spoons and jigs/road runners in 12-20' of water although some are up shallow.
Walleye	Fair	18-25 inches	Fair. There are reports of big walleye being caught off points and flats from Duvall to Rock Town on the N shore. Try jigs and swimbaits in the early morning and late evening.
Blue/Channel Catfish	Good	2-20 pounds	Channel Catfish) There are some reports of channel catfish being caught throughout the reservoir on worms and cutbait. Blue Catfish) There has been recent reports of keeper Blue Catfish being caught throughout the reservoir. Try points in Hell Creek and shoreline habitat near West Minooka and Elm Creek. Use fresh cut bait. 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. There haven't been any recent reports of white bass. Try 1/16 oz. jigs on windblown points near Lucas and even in the upper reservoir near Elm Creek and Duvall.
Black Bass	Good	12-20 inches	Good. Soft plastics and jerkbaits have worked well along rocky shorelines and reed grass. Spinnerbaits have been working well when the wind is blowing.
White Perch	Poor	4 to 12 inches	White Perch are throughout the reservoir right now but most are less than 6 inches in length. Try 1/16 oz. colorful jigs with small plastic grubs. - 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 = 10.2' above conservation pool but not falling. Surface Temperature = 77 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!!!!!!

Printable Version Email Page

ATCHISON STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 5/22/2019 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	Crappie are likely up shallow spawning. For best luck, try a jig and minnow next to rocky areas along the shoreline.
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	Channel catfish can be 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: 5/22/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method & Location
Perry Newsletter	Good to Excellent		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.	Crappie have moved up shallow to spawn and can easily be caught from shore using a jig or minnow, either casting or sitting under a bobber.
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	Catfish can be caught from shore using cut bait, dough baits, or chicken livers.
Largemouth Bass	Fair to Good	up to 4.0 lbs.	Spinnerbaits 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: 6/13/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, Location
Channel Catfish	Good	Up to 12 pounds	The lake has a great channel catfish population.
White Bass	Fair to Good	1/2 to 1 lb.	Not a lot of white bass this year but the fish are nice sized. Along the dam has been good this spring.
Wiper	Fair	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	Good	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 good this spring.
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. Trolling crankbaits or dragging worms.
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: 6/21/2019 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.

Channel catfish	Fair	1.5-4 lbs	Some action on cut bait, nightcrawlers and livers.
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-Larkwrence-Fishing-District
General Comments
Lake was 18.41' above normal, water temperature = 74 F, release = 21 cfs (June 21). All boat ramps in the State and CORPS Parks are closed due to high water. Fish feeders will not be operational until water levels recede to normal.

DOUGLAS COUNTY-LONE STAR LAKE - Last Updated: 6/21/2019 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	Fair	Up to 0.25 lbs	Using worms under bobber, small jigs and spinners
LM Bass	Slow	0.5-2 lbs	Using crankbaits and jigs.
Channel catfish	Fair	1-6 lbs	Some being caught on nightcrawlers, minnows and cut bait.

General Comments
The water level will be maintained about 1.5 feet below normal pool level while dam maintenance work is occurring. Work may take a couple of months, started week of March 25.

DOUGLAS STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 6/21/2019 Print

General Comments
Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, and Location
LM Bass	Fair	0.5-2 lbs	Using jigs and crankbaits.
Bluegill/Redear Sunfish	Fair	Up to 0.25 lb	Using worms under bobber, small spinners and jigs.
Channel catfish	Fair	1-5 lbs	Some being taken on livers, nightcrawlers, minnows and cut bait.

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

GARDNER CITY LAKE - Last Updated: 6/19/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method & Location
Bluegill	Fair	Up to 8 inches	Livebait under a bobber fished near structure.
Channel Catfish	Fair	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	Use minnows and jigs near docks and vegetation edges.
Largemouth Bass	Good	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: 6/24/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Baits, Method & Location
Crappie	Fair	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 2019 should be for saugeye, crappie, and largemouth bass. WARNING..ZEBRA MUSSELS NOW PRESENT!!!

HERINGTON CITY LAKE (NEW) - Last Updated: 6/24/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Baits, Method & Location
Catfish	Fair	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	Fair	along creeks, dam and points on spinners, jigs, and crankbaits
General Comments
This lake provides a diverse fishery, but best in 2019 should be crappie, wiper, and white bass.

HERINGTON CITY LAKE (OLD) - Last Updated: 6/24/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Baits, Method & Location
Catfish	Slow/Fair	near wind blown flats and creeks on cut bait and worms
Crappie	Slow/Fair	near brush and rock 5ft deep on jigs and minnows
Largemouth Bass	Slow/Fair
Bluegill	Slow/Fair	near brush/rock 5ft deep on jigs and worms
White Bass	Slow/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: 6/19/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method & Location
Walleye	Fair	Up to 9 lbs.	Some fish are being found on shallow rocky points and adjacent mud flats. With water releases some walleye are also being taken at the spillway. Crankbaits and jigs are the most productive lures right now.
Crappie	Fair	Most fish are 8 to 10 inches and few up to 13 inches	Catch of crappie has slowed with the high water, but some are still being found. Crappie have moved off the banks with the high water, but some are being found in the trees and vegetation edges in the upper creek arms. Most crappie being caught right now are 8-10 inches, but keepers (>10 inches) are still being found. Jigs and minnows are productive baits right now.
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.
Largemouth Bass	Slow	Up to 4 lbs.	Largemouth bass can be found near shallower structure right now. Plastic baits and topwater baits near shoreline vegetation are producing the most fish.
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 June 19th the water level is 11 feet above conservation pool. Water from the reservoir is being released at 2800 cfs (June 19th). You can check current water conditions at http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/Locations/DistrictLakes/HillsdaleLake/DailyLakeInformation.aspx 5-27-19: All Boat Ramps are closed due to flooding. All camping areas in Jayhawk Park Area are closed. 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: 5/22/2019 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		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.	Cast a jig along the rocks or along the dam to target them. Some anglers have been catching a good number of nice sized fish.
General Comments
If you would like to contribute to this fishing report, contact Nick Kramer at 785-246-4514 Last spring, 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 in the lake. Those locations and locations for other waters can be found here. Please leave all habitat at these locations. Do not drag these to your own secret locations.

JEFFREY ENERGY CENTER - MAKE-UP LAKE - Last Updated: 6/13/2019 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	Fair to Good	1/2 to 6 pounds	The lake supports a good channel catfish harvest rate during the summer months. The south west corner of the lake tends to be a good spot.
Walleye	Fair to Good	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 to Good	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 near the two inlets where water enters the lake.
Wipers	Fair	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. Both docks have been repaired. 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: 6/13/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, and Location
Black Bass	Fair to Good	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 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	Good to Great	Up to 3 lbs	The white bass 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. Fishing has been great this spring with lots of big white bass being caught. Casting jigs or crankbaits along rocky shoreline or trolling.
Wiper	Fair	Up to 12 lbs	There are fair numbers of wiper in the lake with most of the fish sampled last fall being over 20 inches. Few being caught with white bass.
Walleye	Good	Up to 5 lbs	The walleye population is finally recovering due to good survival of stocked fish the last two years. There has been good harvest rates so far this spring with most of the fish being right around the legal length. Walleye regulations are 2 a day and a 15-inch minimum length limit.
Crappie	Fair	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. A few anglers finding them and taking some home.
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. The dock has been repaired. 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: 5/22/2019 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		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.
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 along the shoreline targeting spawning fish.
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. Best luck would come from a boat or kayak in the coves further up each of the arms.
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. 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: 6/19/2019 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	Good	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.	Saugeye are being caught near submerged roadbed and flats adjacent to the dam. Jigs are the best producing bait right now. Most of the saugeye being caught right now are shorts, but some keepers (> 18 inches) are being found as well.
Largemouth Bass	Slow	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	Fair	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: 6/19/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method & Location
Largemouth Bass	Good	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 13 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	Fair	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 has begun to die-off with the warmer water temperatures. Spot treatments has cleared near the culvert, boat ramp and a few jetties. Look for the plant to die-off completely as water temperatures warm to the mid to upper 70's and be will be gone by mid-June.

MILFORD RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 6/24/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Baits, Method, Location
Catfish	Fair	Channel catfish can be caught on cut bait, worms, and stink bait. Blue catfish are typically caught on fresh cut bait. Target wind blown flats for catfish. Anglers are also targeting flooded areas around the lake for catfish. LOOK FOR RECENTLY TAGGED BLUE CATS!!! Blue Catfish...all between 25"-40" must be released...creel limit is still 5, but only 1 can be 40" or longer
Crappie	Slow/Fair	10-20ft deep suspended near points, flooded brush, and ledges on jigs and minnows
Walleye	Fair	Target rocky or wind-swept mud banks with jigs, crankbaits, or bottom bouncers 21" minimum length limit, 2/day creel limit.
White Bass/Wipers	Fair	along windy banks and points using jigs on reservoir or target river on north end of the reservoir Wiper creel limit is now 5/day
Smallmouth Bass	Slow/Fair
Largemouth Bass	Slow/Fair
Outlet	Fair	Catfish on cut bait; walleye, white bass, and wipers on jigs. Fishing can be slower due to low releases from the dam.
General Comments
*LOOK FOR RECENTLY TAGGED BLUE CATS!!!* *Wiper...creel limit is 5/day* *Blue Catfish...all between 25"-40" must be released...creel limit is still 5, but only 1 can be 40" or longer* 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! Daily water info Daily Lake Information Lake is currently 29' high and many boat ramps are closed around the lake. Fishing access around the reservoir will most likely be difficult until the water level goes down.

NEBO STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 5/22/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method & Location
Perry District Newsletter	Good to Excellent		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: 6/19/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method & Location
Bluegill	Fair	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	Good	Up to 6 lb.	Largemouth bass have moved shallow. Largemouth bass can be found at edges of water willow, rock edges, and shallow brush. Plastic and topwater baits are producing best right now.
Saugeye	Slow	Up to 3 lbs.	Jigs tipped with a nightcrawler fished on the flat.
Wiper	Fair	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.

PAOLA CITY LAKE - LAKE MIOLA - Last Updated: 6/19/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method & Location
Largemouth Bass	Fair	0.5-4 lbs	Finesse plastics fished near vegetation edges and structure.
Channel catfish	Fair	0.5-6 lbs	Chicken liver or worms fished near mainlake points.
Crappie	Slow	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	Slow	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. More brushpiles were added on 3/21/19. Some new brushpiles were created and some brush was added to some of the existing 2018 structures. Many of the new brushpiles can also be accessed by casting from the shore. GPS Coordinate locations for all 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 N 38.58928, W 094.85039 N 38.58596, W 094.84532

PERRY RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 5/22/2019 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		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	Some anglers have been catching catfish sitting along the any flooded shoreline 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.
Largemouth Bass 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.	Constant rain and high water has fish scattered and many anglers are struggling to consistently find fish. Many fish are still deep.
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 May 22th, the current lake elevation is at 916.73 (25.23' above conservation pool) and rising with a release of 25 cfs. For current lake conditions click here and for the lake forecast click here. The Corps cannot release water until the Missouri River goes down. THERE ARE NO BOAT RAMPS OPEN! 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 placed in the reservoir last spring. Their locations can be found here. This is a generic report and will be updated as information becomes available.

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY LAKE - Last Updated: 6/13/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, and Location
Black Crappie	Fair	1/3 to 1 lb.	Crappie numbers are below average and harvest rates will likely be down for 2019.
Bluegill	Good	6 to 10 inches	The lake has a nice bluegill population.
Channel Catfish	Fair	1/2 to 6 lbs.	The lake contains good numbers of catfish for a small lake.
Largemouth Bass	Good to Excellent	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: 6/13/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, and Location
Bluegill	Fair to Good	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	Fair	1/2 to 1 pound	Crappie abundance is starting to improve but there are still few fish over 10 inches.
Largemouth Bass	Good	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: 6/13/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, and Location
Black Bass	Fair to Good	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	Good	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 third stocking of 2019 was on June 6th of 470 channel catfish. So far this year the lake has received 2,050 pounds of channel catfish. Channel catfish creel at the lake is 5 per day.
Crappie	Fair t	1/4 to 1 pound	The lake supports a fair crappie population. A few being caught off the docks where there are some artificial habitat structures.
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: 6/13/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, and Location
Catfish	Good	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	Good	1/2 to 8 pounds	Fishing for whites and wiper has been really good this spring. Fish will hit jigs, crankbaits or topwater lures. Get in while its hot. 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	Good	1/2 to 5 lbs.	Drum are an abundant species at Rocky Ford and can be caught on worms, minnows, and jigs.
Saugeye	Good	3/4 to 5 pounds	Lots and lots of saugeye have been flushed out of Tuttle Creek and most of these fish end up at Rocky Ford. Fishing has been great this spring when release rates drop back down. Best baits have been brightly colored jigs, crankbaits or jerkbaits. 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: 5/22/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method & Location
Perry District Newsletter	Good to Excellent		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 may be up shallow to spawn and could easily be caught from shore or from a kayak using a jig or minnow. If not, they will be soon.
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: 6/21/2019 Print

General Comments
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.
Bluegill	Fair	Up to 0.25 lb	Using worms under bobber or small jigs and spinners.
LM Bass	Fair	0.5-2 lbs	Using crankbaits and jigs.
Channel catfish	Fair	1-6 lbs	Some being caught on nightcrawlers, minnows, cut bait and livers.
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: 6/19/2019 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	Worms and minnows 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	Slow	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: 6/13/2019 Print

Species

Rating

Size

Baits, Method, and Location

Largemouth Bass

Good

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 as 41% of the fish were over 15 inches.

Crappie

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.

Channel Catfish

Good

1/2 - 4 pounds

The lake is in the Urban Stocking Program and is frequently stocked with 12 to 18 inch channel catfish which leads to good catch rates of fish in this size range. The third stocking of 2019 was on May 28th of 700 pounds of catfish. So far this year the lake has received a total of 2,645 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.

Fish habitat GPS coordinates		Decimal Degrees		Degrees Minutes
East end of dam	cedar trees	39.200351	-95.801881	N 39 12.021	W 95 48.113
West end of dam	cedar trees	39.200640	-95.805438	N 39 12.038	W 95 48.326
Out from ramp	brush pile	39.201053	-95.801924	N 39 12.063	W 95 48.115

TUTTLE CREEK - Last Updated: 6/13/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, and Location
Crappie	Slow	1/2 to 2 pounds	High water and muddy water has greatly hampered the crappie fishing.
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 with Carnahan Cove a distant second best.
Saugeye	Fair to Good	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.
General Comments
Very few anglers have been fishing the lake due to the high 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: 6/13/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, and Location
Bluegill	Fair	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	Fair to Good	Up to 7 lbs	Good numbers of channel cats are available. The North bank is a popular spot to fish for cats.
Crappie	Fair to Good	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	Fair	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
The dock has been damaged and will hopefully be repaired soon. 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: 6/19/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method & Location
Black Crappie	Fair	Up to 12 inches	Target deeper structure with minnows or jigs.
Bluegill	Good	Up to 8 inches	Worms on a bobber near vegetation edges.
Channel Catfish	Fair	Up to 10 lbs.	Worms or cutbait are the most productive baits.
Largemouth Bass	Good	Up to 5 lbs.	Finesse baits targeting underwater vegetation is producing the most fish right now.
Smallmouth Bass	Good	Up to 2 lbs.	Target rocky bottoms with crankbaits, jigs, and swimbaits.
Wiper/White Bass	Slow	Up to 6 lbs.	Target windblown shores and points with shad imitation baits.
Walleye	Slow	Up to 2 lbs.	Target windswept mud banks with jigs, crankbaits, live bait may produce some fish as well.
Rainbow Trout	Slow	Catchable	Worms, powerbait, and small spoons are producing the most fish right now.
General Comments
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.

Printable Version Email Page

BARBER STATE FISHING LAKE - LOWER - Last Updated: 5/23/2019 Print

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, & Location
Crappie	No report	Up to 12 inches	Crappie should be about done spawning. Try minnows, small slab spoons, or jigs around brush in 4-8 feet of water.
Channel catfish	No report	Up to 5 lbs	Try fishing anywhere water is running in. 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 spinnerbaits and plastics around the submerged brush.
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 curl tail jigs or slim minnow type baits around the dam.

Water temperatures should be in the mid 60's. Most fish should be about done spawning and moring towards typical summer time patterns.

You may call the Dodge City Regional office as 620-227-8609 to make a report.