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 (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: 10/17/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | Fair to Good | 12-18 inches | Bass are in post-spawn and summer patterns. In hot weather focus on fishing mornings, evenings, and nights and fish around anything that provides shade. Fish can be caught around any aquatic vegetation, off the rocky jetties, and around the overhanging trees in the water. Fish can be caught use wacky worms, Senkos, Ned Rigs, spinnerbaits, roadrunners, and crankbaits. |
| Bluegill/Sunfish | Good | 5 to 7 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 | Fair to Good | 12-25 inches | Fish can be caught just about anywhere on the lake. Anglers should try using shad sides, shad gizzards, shrimp, nightcrawlers, and chicken liver. Targeting inflow is a popular method as the catfish will congregate there to feed. The shallow upper end is a great area to find big catfish on warm spring days. |
| Saugeye | Fair | 18-25 inches | The best number of saugeye can be found on the upper end around the jetties and other rocky areas. Jig and crawler, large shiners, crankbaits, and swim baits are all good options to use for catching saugeye now. Anglers will also find some around the brush piles and off the ends of the jetties closest to the dam. |
| Crappie | Good | 8-15 inches | Anglers should target the brush piles and other submerged structure with minnows and jigs. In the summer months focus on shady cover when fishing shallow or deeper structure. Anglers are encouraged to harvest high numbers of crappie to help maintain a desirable level. Our recent sample indicated there are very high numbers of crappie in the lake now and anglers could have great success throughout the year. |
| General Comments | |||
| Water Temperature--63ºF CAUTION: LONGER BOAT TRAILERS MAY FALL OFF EDGE OF BOAT RAMP WHEN WATER IS LOW | |||
CEDAR BLUFF RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 11/23/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
| Black Bass | Fair/Good | Up to 6 lbs. | Casting large swimbaits, spinnerbaits, and soft plastics around flooded brush and timber, especially on points is best for largemouth. Spotted bass and smallmouth bass can be found relating to rocky points and other rocky areas. Top-water has not been as good as earlier, but fish can still be caught using this method especially on warm evenings. |
| Bluegill | Fair/Good | Up to 8 inches | Vertically fishing small jigs or various nightcrawler presentations over deeper, timbered or brushy drop-offs. |
| Channel Catfish | Fair | Up to 12 lbs. | Vertically fishing various prepared baits and minnows or jigging slab spoons over drop-offs associated with edges of points. |
| Crappie | Good | Up to 15 inches | Vertically fishing jigs and minnows over the fish attractors or around standing timber along edges of drop-offs. Anglers report catching good numbers of fish over 10 inches. |
| Walleye | Fair | Up to 28 inches | Trolling crankbaits or casting crankbaits and swimbaits or vertically fishing slab spoons over edges of points and shelves. |
| White Bass/Wipers | Good | Whites up to 17 inches Wipers up to 13 lbs. | Anglers report catching white bass and wipers trolling and casting crankbaits or vertically fishing slab spoons near mainlake points and other drop-offs in approximately 25 feet of water. Both species are moving into shallow, windswept points and roadbeds in the evening to feed on shad where they can be caught on top-water or shallow-running shad imitations |
| WATER TEMPERATURE-43 degrees F SURFACE ELEVATION- 2127.55 ft. above MSL-16.45 ft. below conservation pool ICE REPORT: The lake is currently ice-free and all boat ramps are open. NEW FOR 2022: Effective January 1, 2022 Walleye harvest at Cedar Bluff Reservoir will continue to be regulated by a 21-INCH MINIMUM LENGTH LIMIT AND 5 FISH DAILY CREEL LIMIT, EXCEPT UP TO 2 WALLEYE GREATER THAN 15-INCHES BUT LESS THAN 18-INCHES MAY BE INCLUDED IN THE 5 FISH DAILY CREEL. For additional information call the Cedar Bluff Area Office at (785)-726-3212. 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. Great Kansas Fishing Derby Tagged Species - Channel Catfish, Black Bass, Crappie, White Bass/Wiper, Walleye 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: 10/17/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Good | 9-15 inches | Crappie are in post-spawn and summer patterns. Try fishing deep brush piles and other hard structure. Some fish can occasionally be found in shallow vegetation, fallen trees, and anything that provides shade throughout the summer. There are very good numbers of crappie in the reservoir now so success can be had throughout the year. |
| Trout | Poor | 10-15 inches | The last round of trout was stocked on March 18th with 500 pounds of quality fish stocked in the GLEN ELDER OUTLET. By now most trout have been harvested or will likely succumb to the summer heat. Don't forget, ALL anglers fishing in the Glen Elder outlet ARE REQUIRED to have a trout permit through April 15th! |
| Walleye | Fair to Good | 11-25 inches | Fish can be found transitioning to summer patterns over mid-lake structure. You might find fish patrolling lake flats in Walnut Creek. Some anglers often have success fishing off Gibbs Point and Schoens Cove along the river channel bends. The deeper fish are often caught using a jig and crawler combo or possibly jigs with minnows. *KDWP stocked 5 million walleye fry in Glen Elder during the month of April. In addition, there were 245,000 walleye fingerlings stocked in mid-June. |
| Black Bass | Good | 12-20 inches | All black bass should be in the post-spawn and summer patterns. They can also be found along the dam, Granite Creek, and the south bluffs. Anglers typically catch them using a variety of crankbaits, soft plastics, and Ned Rigs. Largemouth bass can also be caught in most of the main lake coves as well as in the state park using spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and Senkos. With a 21 inch length limit these fish are almost all sublegal so please handle them with extreme care and release them immediately after catching them. |
| Catfish | Fair to Good | 15-35 inches | Catfish can be caught just about anywhere lake wide. The best numbers can be found around the mouth of Walnut Creek, along Sandy Beach, near Takota Point, and on the flats south of the golf course. Anglers can try drift fishing for them using shad sides, shad gizzards, and stinkbait. Mature Channel and Blues should be moving up shallow for the spawn in June and July. Remember, there is a 35 inch length limit on blue catfish at Glen Elder. |
| White Bass | Good to Excellent | 11-18 inches | Fish have moved to main-lake and offshore structure and can be found chasing shad. Anglers are catching them using Mister Twisters, roadrunners, crankbaits, and slab spoons. Trolling old road beds and creek channels can be effective in the hot summer months. |
|
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: 65°F Current Water Level: 5.0 feet low We are conducting a creel survey at Glen Elder through the end of October. One of the creel clerks may approach you asking a few questions about your fishing trip. Please take a couple of minutes to answer their questions as the data we collect is invaluable for future management of the Glen Elder fishery. Some boat ramps are unusable due to low water conditions. This currently includes Granite Creek, North Fork River, Carr Creek, and Walnut Creek. As water levels continue to drop, more ramps may become unusable. | |||
JEWELL STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 10/17/2022 Print
KANOPOLIS RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 10/6/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Catfish | Good | 16 - 21" | Fishing cut and prepared baits along the river channel from the south boat ramp all the way to buzzard bay. Try deeper catfish humps and structure near bluffs. |
| Crappie | Good | 10 to 14+ inches | Try deeper structure, brush piles, or the river channel with 1/16 oz. jigs and live minnows. |
| Trout | Good | No reports from the seep stream | |
| Saugeye | Fair | 14 - 22" | Wind blown points in the middle and lower ends of the reservoir are best. Also try shallow shoreline areas first thing in the morning. Shad imitating swimbaits and jigs tipped with minnows can be productive baits. |
| White Bass | Fair | All sizes - up to 17 inches | Casting swimbaits, bucktail jigs, and Kastmaster spoons along wind blown points and areas near the river channel. Using slab spoons or live minnows is also producing some fish right now along brush piles and in the river channel. |
| Wiper | Fair | All sizes | Similar locations and baits as those used for white bass. |
| General Comment | |||
| Buzzard Bay boat ramp is currently being repaired and is out of service for the time being. 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: 10/7/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Fair | 7 to 16 inches | Did have reports of crappies being caught around the artificial brush piles under private boat slips, and the fish attractor structures close to the public fishing dock using jigs and jigs tipped with minnows. Also hearing of some crappie being caught in the coves using jigs and jigs tipped with minnows. |
| Saugeye/Walleye | Fair | 13 to 27 inches | Have had reports of fish being caught up by the Marsh Dike and around the point south of the swim beach using jigs tipped with minnow or worm. Trolling diving lures could be productive. An 18" minimum length limit is in effect. |
| Wiper | Good | 10 to 28 inches | Have had reports of fish being caught around Monkey Island and concrete cove using jigs. Also been hearing of the fish feeding on shad on the surface so keep an eye out for this. Cast into the school and then hold on. |
| Catfish | Fair | 10 to 30 inches | Have had reports of fish being caught up in the shallows using shrimp, stink bait, liver, night crawlers and shad on the bottom. |
| Largemouth/Spotted Bass | Good | 10 to 20 inches | Have had reports of fish being caught along the Dam and up in the coves using crankbaits and artificial baits. |
| General Comments | |||
| WATER TEMPERATURE- 63° SURFACE ELEVATION- 2291.02 ---- 13.28 feet below conservation pool Currently, the water level is 4.15 feet lower than it was one year ago, at this time. Started releasing water out of the irrigation canal on 7-4-2022 and shut it off on 7-19-2022. 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: 10/7/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Fair | 7 to 17 inches | Anglers have been catching fish around the north and south shore fish attractors and river channel using jigs and jigs tipped with minnows. Also, hearing of crappie being caught in the coves using jigs and jigs tipped with minnows. |
| Walleye | Fair | 10 to 29 inches | Did hear of some walleye being caught along the Dam using jigs and crankbaits and off the river channel using jigs off the bottom. Also, been hearing of some being caught off the Bow creek channel using night crawlers on the bottom. Trolling diving lures could also be productive. |
| White Bass/ Wiper | Good | 10 to 28 inches | Have had reports of fish being caught trolling diving lures along the Dam and windward side of the reservoir. Also, been hearing about the fish feeding on shad on the surface, so keep an eye out for this. Cast into the school and then hold on. |
| Catfish | Fair | 10 to 30 inches | Have had reports of fish being caught up in the shallows using shrimp, stink bait, shad and night crawlers. Trotlines and setlines using live bait could also be productive, but if using these two methods make sure they are properly marked. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | 12 to 22 inches | Have had reports of fish being caught up in the coves and around Crappie Point using crankbaits and artificial baits. |
| General Comments | |||
| WATER TEMPERATURE- 64° SURFACE ELEVATION- 1723.53 ---- 5.72' below conservation pool Currently, the water level is 2.81' lower than it was one year ago, at this time. Started releasing water out the irrigation canal on 6-21-2022 and shut it off on 8-31-2022. Docks are back in the water at the North ramp and South shore ramp. The fish cleaning station is back open. If you have any questions regarding Kirwin Reservoir and the surrounding public lands, contact the USFWS at 785-543-6673. 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: 10/17/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | Fair to Good | 16-25 inches | Fish can be found transitioning to summer patterns over mid-lake structure. You might find fish patrolling lake flats. Fish can be found along the river channel between Cedar Point and Walleye Point in 20-25 feet of water. The deeper fish are often caught using a jig and crawler combo or possibly jigs with minnows. *KDWP stocked 2 million walleye fry into Lovewell during the month of April. In addition, walleye fingerlings and intermediates have also been requested for stocking this year. |
| White Bass/Wipers | Good | 7-14 inches 15-25 inches | Fish have moved to main-lake and offshore structure. Trolling a variety of small crankbaits, roadrunners, and jigs can all catch fish this time of year. Fish will also be found on the windblown points feeding on gizzard shad, especially around Cedar Point and Walleye Point. *600,000 wiper fry will be stocked into Lovewell in May with fingerlings also requested later this summer |
| Crappie | Fair to Good | 8-14 inches | Crappie are in post-spawn and summer patterns. Try fishing deep brush piles and other hard structure. Some fish can occasionally be found in shallow vegetation, fallen trees, and anything that provides shade throughout the summer. There are very good numbers of crappie in the reservoir now so success can be had throughout the year. |
| Catfish | Good | 16 to 35 inches | Anglers can find catfish lakewide throughout the spring. Fall sampling indicated very high numbers of channel catfish are in the reservoir now. Best baits to use include stinkbait, shad gizzards, shad sides, shrimp, and nightcrawlers. Anglers often report good spring catches of blue catfish near Walleye Point, the marina, and Cedar Point. Remember there is a 35 inch minimum length limit on blue catfish in Lovewell. All blue catfish less than 35 inches must be released immediately. |
| Comments | |||
|
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. More Georgia Cubes were added in April 2020! Current water temperature: 66ºF Current water level: 6.9 feet low 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: 10/7/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| CURRENT FISHING | |||
| Largemouth Bass | Good | 6-21 inches | Have had reports of fish being caught lake wide using crankbaits and artificial baits. |
| Bluegill | Good | 3-9 inches | Have had reports of fish being caught lake wide using worms under a bobber. |
| Catfish | Good | 10-25 inches | Have had reports of fish being caught lake wide using shrimp, liver and shad on the bottom. |
| Black Crappie | Good | 5-12 inches | Have had reports of fish being caught lake wide using spinners and jigs under a bobber with minnow or worm. |
| General Comments | |||
| Water Temp. 63 Degrees Lake is approx. four to five feet low. 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: 10/14/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Fair | Up to 13 inches | Vertically fishing jigs and minnows around the deeper fish attractors and along the face of the dam. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair/Good | Up to 5 lbs. | Casting swimbaits and soft plastics around shoreline brushpiles, along the dam, around the fishing piers, and around laydown trees. |
| Saugeye | Fair | Up to 3 lbs. | Casting swimbaits and crankbaits around the fishing piers and along well defined creek channel breaks. |
| Bluegill | Fair/Good | Up to 8 inches | Worms under a bobber around brush and rock structure. |
| Channel Catfish | Fair/Good | Up to 19 lbs. | Still-fishing shrimp or cut bait off the bottom. |
| Wiper | Fair | Up to 2 lbs. | Casting or trolling small shad imitating crankbaits, spoons, or jigs. |
| 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: 10/7/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Fair | 7 to 17 inches | Have had reports of fish being caught around the north and south shore breakwaters and fish attractors. Also, hearing of crappie being caught in the coves of Old Marina and Rock Point using jigs and jigs with minnows. |
| Walleye | Fair | 14 to 28 inches | Have heard of some walleye being caught off the banks using night crawlers on the bottom and drifting/jigging on the flats around the little Sahara swim beach. Would also try fishing on the drop-offs and river channel using jigs and night crawlers. Trolling diving lures could also be productive. |
| White Bass/Wiper | Fair | 8 to 28 inches | Have had reports of fish being caught trolling diving lures and using jigs and jigs tipped with minnow or worm. The mouth of Old Marina Cove has been producing fair numbers of fish. |
| Catfish | Fair | 12 to 30 inches | Have had reports of catfish being caught in Rock Point, Old Marina Point and on the South side using shrimp, liver, night crawlers and shad on the bottom. Fish the shallow areas for the cats. Trotlines and setline using live bait could also be productive, but if using these two methods make sure they are properly marked. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | 12 to 22 inches | Have had reports of bass being caught in Rock Point and Old Marina using crankbaits and artificial baits. |
| General Comments | |||
| WATER TEMPERATURE- 64° SURFACE ELEVATION- 1883.18 ---- 9.27' below conservation pool The water level is 4.98' lower than it was one year ago at this time. Started releasing water out the irrigation canal on 6-26-2022 and shut it off on 8-25-2022. 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: 10/6/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Striped Bass | Fair | 7-25 pounds | Larger fish are relating to deeper water near Lucas campground, mouth of Marshall Cove, and towards the dam. Try trolling crankbaits, casting/jigging large bucktail jigs, or drifting live shad or sunfish along channel breaks. |
| Walleye | Good | 18-25 inches | Trolling or casting crankbaits and swimbaits over mainlake points early morning or late evening are your best bets. |
| Blue/Channel Catfish | Good | 2-20 pounds | Channel Catfish) Fish can be found from shallow to moderate depths. Try cut bait or dough bait thorough the reservoir. Blue Catfish) scattered throughout the reservoir, try fresh cutbait in 6-30 feet of water on river channel swings or flats near these swings. Some reports of fish caught in the upper end of the reservoir. NEW REGULATION FOR 2020: Release all Blue Catfish between 32 - 40 inches. Two can be kept outside this range but only one can be kept over 40 inches. |
| White Bass | Fair | 12-18 inches, up to 3 pounds | Casting shad imitating swimbaits and bucktail jigs over windblown points and using slab spoons along the river channel. |
| Black Bass | Good | 12-20 inches | Reports of soft plastics, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits producing fish around structure. |
| White Perch | Poor | 4 to 12 inches | - 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!!!!! |
| General Comments | |||
| Lake Elevation = 1.17 feet below conservation pool. BOAT RAMP UPDATE: All boat ramps are open. 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: 9/2/2022 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 next to rocky areas along the shoreline or near brush piles. Some anglers are catching 7-9" fish under a slip bobber from the jetties. |
| Bluegill | Fair to Good | up to 0.5 lbs | Bluegill can be caught with a nightcrawler 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. Lots of fish up shallow right now. |
| 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 | |||
| The lake has filled back in and anglers are able to launch from the boat ramp again. If you have information that you would like to contribute to the fishing report contact Nick Kramer at nick.kramer@ks.gov | |||
BROWN STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 9/2/2022 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. | A few crappie can be found by jigging over deeper brush piles along the dam. |
| 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 nick.kramer@ks.gov | |||
CENTRALIA CITY LAKE - Last Updated: 10/4/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Catfish | Good | Up to 20 pounds | The lake has maintained a great channel cat fishery for over ten years. The 2021 fall sample recorded that the number of channel catfish continue to remain at a high level. |
| White Bass | Fair | 1/2 to 1 lb. | The most recent sample shows decent numbers of white bass. Usually can catch a few along the dam. |
| Wiper | Fair | Up to 26" | Low numbers of wiper but they are big. Wiper creel limit is 2 per day. |
| Crappie | Fair to Good | 1/2 to 1 pound | Crappie numbers are looking good after being down the last two years. No recent reports but should still be in their summer pattern of 10 feet deep around trees. |
| Saugeye | Fair | 2 to 8 lbs. | Saugeye fishing this year will be down from the highs seen the last two years. The most recent sample shows the population is below average, mostly due to the lake not receiving a stocking in 2020. The majority of the saugeye in the last sample were over the 18 inch minimum length limit. Trolling crankbaits is usually the ticket during summer. |
| Largemouth Bass | Slow to Fair | 1/2 to 5 pounds | Bass numbers are improving but would still be considered an overall low population. However, the fish in the lake are big and we saw surprisingly high numbers of 5 pound fish this spring hiding in the cattails. Best places are the rock piers, standing timber and around the West boat ramp. Bass are covered by an 18 inch minimum length 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: 10/10/2022 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. | ||
| Walleye/Saugeye | Good | 1-2 lbs | Fishing conditions have greatly improved with cooler water temperatures. Fish are moving into the shallows at night to feed. Target shallow mudflats or rocky shoreline adjacent to drop offs. |
| Crappie | Good | 0.5-1.5 lbs | Crappie are in their fall pattern. Fish are moving shallow at night and are suspended over deeper water during the day. Jigs and minnow are producing good bites. |
| Channel Catfish | Fair | 0.5-5 lbs | Channel catfish are being caught on a variety of baits including nightcrawlers, chicken liver, and cut bait. |
| White bass | Fair - Good | 0.5-2 lbs | White Bass can be found chasing schools of shad in open water. Fish will transition to shallow flats adjacent to drop offs at dawn and dusk. Shad imitations are producing bites |
| Wiper | Fair - Good | 4-8 lbs | Wiper can be found chasing shad schools in open water. Look for fish busting shad on the surface. These fish can occasionally be caught using topwater lures at dawn and dusk. |
| Black Bass | Fair - Good | 1-5 lbs | Largemouth Bass can be found in coves with timber. Smallmouth can be found on rocky shorelines near the dam. Soft plastics are producing bites. |
| 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 | |||
| Recent high discharge has spurred several good reports of multi-species action along the dam and in the spillway. Water Level: As of October 9th, Clinton Reservoir was 0.5ft below normal pool level with low discharge of 7 cfs. Most recent water level conditions can be found at the following website: https://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/Locations/District-Lakes/Clinton-Lake/Daily-Lake-Info-2/
Invasive Species: Be sure to Clean, Drain, and Dry your boat when you leave, to keep from spreading Zebra mussels to other lakes. 12 Georgia cubes were placed near N 38.953 W 95.38779, along with 6 other cubes placed near N 38.93852 W 95.39023. These locations should provide good opportunities for bank anglers in the near future. | |||
DOUGLAS COUNTY-LONE STAR LAKE - Last Updated: 10/10/2022 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 | ||
| Channel catfish | Good | 0.5-6 lbs | Catfish can be caught using nightcrawlers, cut bait, and stink bait. |
| Largemouth Bass | Good | 0.5-5 lbs | Fish can be found near the bank in 2-8 ft. Casting soft plastics along vegetation edges and cover is producing fish. |
| Bluegill | Good | Up to 0.25 lbs | Bluegill can be found aquatic vegetation edges in 5-10ft. Worms under a bobber, jigs, and small spinners are producing fish. |
| General Comments | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Recent fisheries surveys in May 2022 documented a healthy Largemouth Bass population, with many fish in the 14-18 inch range, and a few fish exceeding 5 lbs. Brush piles were placed at the following location on 6/22/22: 2 west side of dam (~13ft): N 38 50.370', W 95 22.964'2 north west cove (~12 ft): N 38 50.348', W 95 22.947'4 east side of dam(~14ft): N 38 50.418', W 95 22.647'2 Big tree east cove near boat ramp (~12 ft): N 38 50.122', W 95 22.632'41 east point near boat ramp (~20ft): N 38 50.155', W 95 22.693' Crappie Jacks were placed around the new ADA access dock on 9/21/22 | |||
DOUGLAS STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 9/1/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
| Channel catfish | Good | 0.5-4 lbs | Catfish are being caught using nightcrawlers, minnows, stink bait, shad, and sunfish. |
| Largemouth Bass | Good | 0.5-3 lbs | Fish can be found in near aquatic vegetation edges and brush piles. A 6.5lb bass was captured and released during a recent fisheries survey. Although, most fish are 12 - 15 inches. Use soft plastics to works bait through and around vegetation and brush piles |
| Bluegill | Good | Up to 0.33 lbs | Fish can be found in near aquatic vegetation edges in 5-10ft. Target bluegill using worms under a bobber, jigs, and small spinners. |
| 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 | ||
| General Comments | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Kansas Fishing Derby May 15 to Sept 15 Visit www.ksfishderby.com for more info; Tagged Fish - Channel Catfish, Bluegill, and Largemouth Bass | |||
GARDNER CITY LAKE - Last Updated: 10/5/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Good | Up to 8 inches | Livebait under a bobber fished near structure or vegetation edges. |
| Channel Catfish | Fair | Up to 14 lb. | Channel catfish can be taken now on a variety of live or prepared baits. |
| 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 vegetation edges. |
| White Bass | Fair | 14 to 17 inches | White bass can be taken in open water on shad imitation lures. |
| General Comments | |||
GEARY STATE FISHING REPORT - Last Updated: 11/21/2022 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/Good | near dam and rock points on jigs, worms, and crankbaits | |
| Black bass | Slow/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 2022 should be for saugeye, crappie, and largemouth bass. WARNING..ZEBRA MUSSELS NOW PRESENT!!! | |||
HERINGTON CITY LAKE (NEW) - Last Updated: 11/21/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catfish | Fair/Good | near wind blown flats and creeks on cut bait and worms | |
| Crappie | Fair/Good | 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 2022 should be crappie, wiper, and white bass. | |||
HERINGTON CITY LAKE (OLD) - Last Updated: 11/21/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catfish | Fair/Good | near wind blown flats and creeks on cut bait and worms | |
| Crappie | Fair/Good | 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 | 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: https://www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/index.htm | |||
HILLSDALE RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 10/5/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | Fair | Up to 9 lbs. | Walleye bite has been decent on flats adjacent to points. Trolling crankbaits or bottom bouncers with live or plastic baits should produce the most fish. |
| Crappie | Fair | Up to 13 inches | Target brushpiles, vegetation edges, and channel ledges. Jigs and minnows are both producing fish. |
| White Bass | Fair | 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. | Target shallow water structure. Plastic baits 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 lakewide using prepared or live baits. |
| General Comments | |||
| WATER LEVEL: As of October 5th the water level is 0.4 feet below 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: 9/2/2022 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. | Some crappie can be caught by targeting brush in the 10-20 foot range. |
| Bluegill | Fair | up to 0.5 lbs. | Bluegill can be caught over brush piles or near rock 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. Many fish are up shallow right now. |
| 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. Others have targeted these fish trolling along the creek channel in the mid-part of the lake. |
| 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 nick.kramer@ks.gov The locations of fish habitat placed in this lake can be found here Please leave all habitat at these locations. Do not drag these to your own secret locations. Great Kansas Fishing Derby May 15 to Sept 15 Visit www.ksfishderby.com for more info; Tagged Fish - Channel Catfish, Black Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Carp, Flathead, Carp, Sauger | |||
JEFFREY ENERGY CENTER - MAKE-UP LAKE - Last Updated: 10/4/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bass | Slow | 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 corners of the dam and along the East bank are the best places for smallmouth. The lake has very few largemouth bass. |
| Crappie | Fair | 1/2 to 1 pound | Crappie numbers have been low for a few years but are trending up due to good spawns in 2017 and 2018. Okay numbers of fish over 10 inches. There is a brushpile just south of the dock. |
| Catfish | Fair | 1/2 to 6 pounds | The lake supports a good channel catfish harvest rate and the last month has been really productive. The southwest corner of the lake and the northern 2 coves tend to be good spots. The lake has a low level blue catfish population with most below 20 inches. The lake is home to some big flathead. If the inlet is flowing, then good fishing can be found there for all three species. |
| Walleye and Sauger | Fair | 1 to 5 pounds | The 2021 fall gill net samples and electrofishing samples indicate the lake has a fair walleye population available to anglers. Sauger were introduced into the lake last year and there is low numbers of small ones around. The two species (walleye & sauger) are combined in KS regulations. An angler can harvest a combined total of 2 per day at the Jeffrey Lakes and there is a 15 inch minimum length limit that applies to both species. Hope to see some 15 inch sauger by late summer or early fall. |
| White Bass | Good | 1/2 to 2 pounds | There was a giant white bass spawn in 2020 that is dominating the population. Fishing has been really good this summer with lots of white bass being caught. |
| Wipers | Good | Up to 12 pounds | Wiper numbers are on the way up and doing well in the 2021 fall sample. The most common size was 19 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: 11/28/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| ---- Closed ---- | Auxiliary Lake is closed to fishing until March 2023 | ||
| Black Bass | 1 to 4 lbs | The 2022 sample documented that the popular smallmouth bass population is continuing to recover from a surprising collapse 5 years ago. This recent sample showed great numbers of young fish with fair numbers of fish over 11". The dam is a great spot to start looking for smallmouth. The lake has maintained a moderate to low level largemouth bass population through the years. The 2022 sample showed the population has regressed and would be considered a poor fishery for the immediate future. The East bank, South cove and around the island are usually the best largemouth spots. | |
| White Bass | Up to 3 lbs | The white bass numbers are still good at this lake but have fallen to below average. The fish are big with 62% of the ones sampled last fall being over 15 inches. | |
| Wiper | Up to 12 lbs | Wiper numbers are right at the long-term average for abundance but are currently a little on the small side with most of them last fall were from 15 to 18 inches. | |
| Walleye and Sauger | Up to 5 lbs | The walleye population has fallen to rather low numbers and harvest is expected to be low this year. This is primarily due to the lake missing out on a few stockings. The lake did receive a stocking in 2021 that created a modest year class and should help bolster things for the future. The lake also received its first ever sauger stocking in 2021 to see if this species can create a viable fishery at the lake. This first stocking did better than their cousin walleye and anglers should start catching a few small ones this year. Walleye and sauger are grouped together in KS regulations and a total of 2 per day can be harvest at the Jeffrey Lakes if they are over the 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 is some habitat cubes along the dock and a big brush pile along the point just North of the boat ramp. | |
| General Comments | |||
| Auxiliary Lake is closed to anglers until March for the waterfowl hunting season 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. | |||
LAKE SHAWNEE - Last Updated: 9/1/2022 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. |
| Bluegill | Fair | Up to 0.25 lbs | Bluegill can be caught near aquatic vegetation edges in 5-10 ft, using worms under a bobber. |
| Channel catfish | Good | 0.5-6 lbs | Some fish being caught using cut bait, liver and stink bait. |
| Largemouth Bass | Good | 0.5-3 lbs | Largemouth Bass can be found in shallow water in 2-8 ft or near drop offs. Casting jigs along patches of aquatic vegetation, some also being caught along rocky shorelines using jigs or crankbaits. |
| General Comments | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| As part of the Great Kansas Fishing Derby, 9 Channel catfish and one Largemouth Bass were tagged. Tags can be redeemed for a prize at the following website: www.ksfishderby.com 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. Great Kansas Fishing Derby May 15 to Sept 15 Visit www.ksfishderby.com for more info; Tagged Fish - Channel Catfish, Black Bass, Crappie, Bluegill | |||
LEAVENWORTH STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 9/2/2022 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. From a boat, some catfish can be found near brush piles. |
| 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 | Some crappie have been caught by anglers jigging minnows off points in 15-20 feet of water. |
| 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. |
| General Comments | |||
| If you have information that you would like to contribute to this fishing report, contact Nick Kramer at nick.kramer@ks.gov. 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: 10/5/2022 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. Some crappie are being caught slow trolling jigs and small crankbaits. |
| Saugeye | Fair | 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 | 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 | 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: 10/5/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | Good | 0.5-5 lbs | Plastic finesse baits along vegetation edges are producing the best right now. |
| Bluegill | Fair | 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 | Fair | 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. Majority of the fish being caught are around 8 inches, but some larger ones can be found. |
| White Bass | Slow | 14-17 inches | White bass can be taken on shad imitation lures and white marabou jigs. |
| General Comments | |||
| Curly-leaf pondweed stand is gone for the year. Vegetation coverage should be minimal for the rest of the year. | |||
MILFORD RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 11/21/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catfish | Fair/Good | 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 and river channel ledges 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 | Fair/Good | 10-20ft deep suspended near points, flooded brush, and ledges on jigs and minnows | |
| Walleye | Fair/Good | Target rocky or wind-swept mud banks or along dam with jigs, crankbaits, or bottom bouncers w/ worms 21" minimum length limit, 2/day creel limit. | |
| White Bass/Wipers | Fair | Target windy banks and points using jigs on reservoir Wiper creel limit is now 5/day | |
| Smallmouth Bass | Fair | ||
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | ||
| Outlet | Slow/Fair | Catfish on cut bait; walleye, white bass, and wipers on jigs. | |
| 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: https://www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/index.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 | |||
NEBO STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 9/2/2022 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 dirty 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 nick.kramer@ks.gov. | |||
OLATHE - LAKE OLATHE - Last Updated: 10/5/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Fair | Up to 8 inches | Nightcrawler under a bobber fished near shoreline structure. |
| Channel Catfish | Fair | Up to 5 lbs. | Channel catfish are being taken on live and prepared baits. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | 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 baits are producing best right now. |
| Saugeye | Slow | Up to 4 lbs. | Jigs tipped with a nightcrawler fished on the flat. Shad imitation baits will also produce bites. There is a good population of 18 inch saugeye available to anglers right now. |
| Wiper | Slow | Up to 11 lbs. | Use shad imitation baits and find bait fish near drop-offs. |
| White Crappie | Slow | 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. Great Kansas Fishing Derby May 15 to Sept 15 Visit www.ksfishderby.com for more info; Tagged Fish - Channel Catfish, Black Bass, Crappie, Bluegill | |||
PAOLA CITY LAKE - LAKE MIOLA - Last Updated: 10/5/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | 0.5-4 lbs | Finesse plastics fished near vegetation edges and structure. |
| Channel catfish | Good | 0.5-6 lbs | Chicken liver or worms fished near mainlake points. |
| Crappie | Fair | 0.5-1 lbs | Minnows and jigs are catching fish right now. Crappie are shallow near structure, brushpiles, weed edges, and rock banks. |
| Saugeye | Fair | 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 | 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. Great Kansas Fishing Derby May 15 to Sept 15 Visit www.ksfishderby.com for more info; Tagged Fish - Channel Catfish, Black Bass, Crappie, Saugeye, Drum More brushpiles were added again on 3/17/20. Some new brushpiles were created and some brush was added to some of the existing 2018/19 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: 9/2/2022 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 | Try targeting larger rocky shorelines or adjacent mudflats with nightcrawlers and cutbait. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sauger | Slow | up to 2.6 lbs. | There are good numbers in the reservoir but are difficult to target. Try trolling crankbaits or lindy rigs along the dam. 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. | Lots of small 8-10 inch bass were seen this past spring. Fishing should be great as these fish continue to grow. Try casting crankbaits and spinner jigs near any of the newly fallen trees along the shoreline. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| White Bass | Fair | up to 1.5 lbs. | White Bass can be caught using any bait resembling a shad or even from crappie jigs. These fish should be running up the river soon and a few early runners may be caught now or other staging in upper ends of the reservoir. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| White Crappie | Slow to Fair | up to 1.5 lbs. | Crappie are scattered now but can be found pulling crankbaits during the day or fishing under a light at night. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Blue Catfish | Fair | up to 25.0 lbs. | A few nice fish in the 35 inch length limit range can be caught, 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| For current lake elevation, inflow, and outflow click here and for the lake forecast click here. The North boat ramp inside of Perry State Park is closed for resurfacing starting August 3rd, 2022. Project completion is dependent on weather. All other boat ramps are open for use. If you would like to place habitat in Perry Reservoir or contribute to the fishing report, please contact the Fish Biologist, Nick, at nick.kramer@ks.gov to obtain a permit. The locations of all known fish habitat can be found here. There are some artificial structures placed that haven't been added to the above map yet:
This is a generic report and will be updated as information becomes available. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY LAKE - Last Updated: 10/4/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Crappie | Fair | 1/3 to 1 lb. | Moderate numbers of crappie. |
| Bluegill | Fair to 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 | 1/2 to 4 lbs. | The lake has been maintaining a great largemouth bass population, however the percentage of bass over 15 inches dropped in the 2021 sample. Bass 13 to 18 inches long are protected at this lake. |
| 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: 10/4/2022 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. Great place to take a kid with worms and a bobber. |
| 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 lake is known for being a good spot for catch and release bass fishing. The 2022 annual sampling effort showed that the lake continues to provide a great largemouth bass fishery. Abundance was at a five year high and the size structure was solid with 34% of the fish over 12 inches. You can catch them pretty much anywhere at this lake. |
| 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: 10/4/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bass | Fair | 1/2 to 4 pounds | The 2022 sample records that the black bass population has been holding steady for some time now, with good numbers of largemouth bass and a moderate smallmouth bass population. |
| Channel Catfish | Good | 3/4 to 5 pounds | The lake is in the Urban Stocking Program and is regularly stocked with 12 to 18 inch channel catfish. The fifth stocking of 2022 occurred on September 27th when the lake received 550 pounds of catchable sized catfish. This stocking had some real big ones mixed in. So far this year the lake has been stocked with 3,400 channel catfish. Best baits tend to be worms or commercial catfish baits. Channel catfish creel at the lake is 5 per day. |
| Crappie | Fair | 1/4 to 1 pound | The lake supports a decent crappie population. There is some habitat structures just out from the boat ramp dock. |
| Bluegill and Redear Sunfish | Fair | less than pound | The lake has struggled to grow sunfish to a size large enough that anglers want to keep for frying. The population receives high angling pressure from both panfish anglers and from anglers targeting sunfish to use for catfish bait. To hopefully continue to please both angler bases and help increase the overall size structure of sunfish, the lake is being implemented with a special sunfish regulation starting in 2019. This new slot limit requires the release of sunfish species from 6 to 9 inches. The creel limit of fish over 9 inches is five per day and there is still unlimited daily harvest of fish less than 6 inches. This regulation change will be evaluated over time to verify if it will continue into the future. |
| 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: 10/4/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catfish | Fair | 1 to 20+ pounds | Fishing for all three species of catfish can be good at Rocky Ford. 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 or orange 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 (620) 342-0658 or ely.sprenkle@ks.gov A big THANK YOU to all who report their catch! |
| White Bass and Wipers | Fair | 1/2 to 8 pounds | Still doing fairly good for white bass and wipers. The low releases rates will have them just below the dam. |
| Drum | 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 | 3/4 to 5 pounds | One of the best places to catch saugeye. Brightly colored jigs, swimbaits, crankbaits or jerkbaits. Fair numbers of 14 to 16 inch saugeye around this summer. There is no length based regulations at Rocky Ford for saugeye or walleye. |
| 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 Tuttle Creek Lake has zebra mussels and makes the lake, the River Pond, and Rocky Ford designated as 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: 9/2/2022 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 | Some anglers have been pulling fish out of the timber or along the pond dam on the west side using slip bobbers with either a minnow or a jig. |
| 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 may be found along the dam and off of points. |
| Wiper | Great | up to 7.5 lbs. | Wipers may 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 shoot an email to nick.kramer@ks.gov. Thanks! This is a generic report and will be updated as information becomes available. | |||
SHAWNEE MISSION PARK LAKE - Last Updated: 10/5/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Slow | Up to 8 inches | Livebait under a bobber fished near shoreline structure. |
| Crappie | Slow | 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. Best bite with fresh cut bait. |
| Wiper | Slow | Up to 9 lbs. | Live bait and shad imitation baits along the dam are producing the best. |
| Largemouth Bass | Good | Up to 4 lbs. | Bright spinnerbaits are working best right now fished near shallow structure. |
| Trout | Trout season is over look for them to be stocked again next fall. | ||
| 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: 10/4/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | Good | 1/2 to 6 pounds | The lake has been maintaining a very good population of largemouth bass for the last ten years. The 2022 spring electrofishing sample collected the second highest number of bass ever at the lake. The high numbers of young bass has shifted the size structure to an overall smaller average size of bass. Historically, the lake has been one of the best places around to catch largemouth over 15 inches and this should continue to be true for the foreseeable future. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Crappie | Fair | 1/2 to 1 pound | Crappie have struggled at this lake due to slow growth. However, they have been doing better in recent years. In the last sample, crappie had the highest percentage of fish over 8 inches in 20 years. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Channel Catfish | Good | 1/2 - 4 pounds | The lake is in the Urban Stocking Program and is regularly stocked with 12 to 18 inch channel catfish which leads to good catch rates of fish in this size range. The fourth stocking of 2022 was on August 17th. So far this year the lake has received 2,780 pounds of these catchable sized channel catfish. These recently stocked fish will eat all the traditional catfish baits but really like dough baits or worms. Channel catfish daily limit is 5. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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.
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TUTTLE CREEK - Last Updated: 11/28/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Fair to Good | 1/2 to 2 pounds | Reports about crappie have been very limited but they should be found schooled up in 15 to 20 feet of water around brush. The lake has provided excellent crappie fishing the last three years by maintaining a great population. The 2022 fall sample shows that numbers of crappie are still above the long-term average but the percentage of fish over 12-inches has fallen from the record high documented in 2021. |
| White Bass | Slow to Fair | 1/2 to 2 pounds | White bass numbers have been low due to limited spawning success for most of the last decade. The species did produce a robust spawn in 2021 which has helped bolster the fishery. The current population is offering decent numbers of white bass from 10 to 12 inches long. |
| Channel Catfish | Slow to Fair | Good numbers of 20" fish with fair numbers of bigger ones. | The lake and the connected river system maintains a good channel catfish population and has been one of the best places around to catch channel over 8 pounds. The 2021 sampling effort collected the most channel catfish in nine years with 11% of them over 28 inches. The 2022 sample shows a reduction of those bigger fish but also shows a group of small fish growing fast which will hopefully fill that gap. Fishing in the upper end of the lake and the river tends to be the most consistent spots for channel. |
| Blue Catfish | Fair | Most less than 28" but getting a few over 40 pounds | No recent reports but the best fishing tends to be in the upper end of the lake on cut bait. New regulations starting in 2022: 10 fish daily creel limit which may include only one fish 30 inches or longer. The blue catfish population is finally becoming well established and is now able to support more harvest. Fair numbers of 22" to 28" blue catfish with a good group of 16" to 18" fish coming on. Please check any blue catfish for a yellow or orange tag in its back as we have been tagging fish 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 (620) 342-0658 or ely.sprenkle@ks.gov A big THANK YOU to all who report their catch! |
| Largemouth Bass | Slow to Fair | 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 second best. |
| Saugeye | Fair | Up to 6 pounds | Record high numbers of young saugeye from the 2021 stocking! As of October 2022, most of these saugeye had already reached 14 inches and the bulk of 2021 year-class should exceed the 15" minimum length limit by spring. Fishing should be good in the Reservoir in 2023 but typically the best opportunities to harvest saugeye is downstream of the lake in the River Pond or Rocky Ford. Casting crankbaits, brightly colored jigs or dragging a worm. |
| Rainbow Trout | Fair to Good | Up to 5 pounds | Willow Lake (located below the Tuttle Creek dam) is stocked with rainbow trout during the cooler months. The third stocking went in on November 28th for a total of 2,420 trout so far this season. A trout permit is required to fish at Willow Lake during the trout season which is from November 1st to April 15th. Creel limit is 5 trout per day. Anglers were doing well over Thanksgiving week. Best baits tend to be dough baits but lures or live baits do well also. Good Luck! |
| General Comments | |||
| You can check current water conditions HERE Tuttle Creek has zebra mussels which makes the lake, the River Pond and Rocky Ford designated as 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: 10/4/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Fair | Up to 1/3 lb | The lake has a decent bluegill population. |
| Channel Catfish | Good | Up to 15 lbs | The lake supports good numbers of channel catfish and the size of fish is well above average with 24% of the fish collected last fall were over 24 inches. |
| Crappie | Fair | Most 8"-10" | The crappie population is doing well. Ran into a pile of 14+ inchers while electrofishing this spring. One was 16" and 2.7 pounds! |
| Largemouth Bass | Good | Up to 6 lbs | The largemouth bass population continues to improve and I would now call it a good bass lake. The 2022 sample showed robust numbers of bass with plenty over 18 inches. |
| Saugeye | Slow | Up to 3 lbs | Saugeye numbers are low and harvest is expected to be low until the population rebounds through new stocking efforts. |
| 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: 10/5/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Crappie | Slow | Up to 13 inches | Jigs or minnows near deeper brush or drop-offs. |
| Bluegill | Fair | Up to 8 inches | Worms under a bobber. |
| Channel Catfish | Fair | Up to 10 pounds | Worms or cut bait are producing the best right now. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | Up to 5 pounds | Finesse plastics near deeper structure or vegetated flats. |
| Smallmouth Bass | Slow | Up to 17 inches | Crankbaits or jigs near rocky habitat. |
| Wiper/White Bass | Slow | Up to 17 inches | Shad imitation baits off wind blown points or flats |
| 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. | |||
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: 11/28/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Sizes Possible | Baits, Method, & Location |
| Crappie | Poor | Up to 12 inches | Try jigs & minnows around brush and weeds in deeper water. |
| Channel Catfish | Fair | Most in the 1 lb. size range | Fishing cut bait, frozen shrimp or stink bait lake wide. |
| Largemouth bass | Poor to Fair | Up to 4 lbs. | Casting soft plastics or jerk baits in deeper water. |
| Sunfish | Poor to Fair | Up to 8 inches | Worms under a bobber and small jigs fished vertically around brush. |
| Walleye | Poor to Fair | Up to 4 lbs | Try using large crankbaits or jigs near flats and points. |
Barber State Fishing Lake and all other public fishing waters in Pratt and Barber counties are now a part of the Cheney district. This district also includes Harper, Kingman, Reno, and Harvey counties. A Cheney District newsletter is available. Information about fishing and fisheries management throughout southcentral 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. https://ksoutdoors.com/KDWP-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms and click on Cheney Fishing District.
Great Kansas Fishing Derby May 15 to Sept 15 Visit www.ksfishderby.com for more info; Tagged Fish - Channel Catfish, Black Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
CLARK STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 9/19/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Sizes Possible | Baits, Method, & Location |
| Crappie | Slow | Up to 12 inches | Crappie should be around structure in deeper water. Target any structure or channel swings in 8 – 10 feet of water. Use minnows, small slab spoons, or jigs tipped with plastics. Harvest regulations include 50/day creel limit. |
| Channel Catfish | Good | Most in the 1 lb size range | Try prepared stink bait, punch bait, cut bait or liver under a bobber or on the bottom. Also try night crawlers. As water temperatures warm, these fish should become more active. Harvest regulations include a 5/day creel limit. |
| Largemouth bass | Fair | Up to 4 lbs | Look for them in shallow water near structure or cover early in the morning or late in the day. Good summer baits are topwaters early & late, squarebill crankbaits, jigs, plastics and bladed jigs. Harvest regulations include a 15-inch minimum length limit and 5/day creel limit. |
| Bluegill | Fair | Up to 8 inches | Worms under a bobber and small jigs fished vertically around brush in deeper water. There are no harvest restrictions at this time. |
| Walleye | Good | Up to 4 lbs | The fish should be should be on the flats and points in. Try small jigs with plastic swimbaits, wobble jigs tipped with worms, minnows or leaches or trolling small minnow type crank baits. Harvest regulations include a 15-inch minimum length limit and 5/day creel limit. |
| White Bass
| Good | Up to 17 inches | Shad bodies on small jig heads have been doing ok. Vertically fishing slab spoons over the tops of fish attractors or prominent windblown main lake points and shelves. Most of the larger white bass range from 12 to 17 inches. There are no harvest restrictions at this time. |
Lake is 8 feet 2 inches low, south boat ramp has been closed due to a trailer getting stuck. Boats are being put on the water only at the one steep ramp on the south east side but it may be difficult to get them loaded back on the trailers. Water temperatures should be in the mid to upper 70's. Typical summer patterns for channel catfish, white bass, crappie and largemouth bass should to work.
We have received very few reports from anglers. You may call the Dodge City Regional office as 620-227-8609 to make a report.
Please discard of leftover bait in a trash can, even baitfish. Remember it is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water!
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
HORSETHIEF RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 9/19/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Sizes Possible | Baits, Method, & Location |
| Crappie | Fair | Up to 12 inches | Crappie should be around structure in deeper water. Target any structure or channel swings in 12-20 feet of water. Use minnows, small slab spoons, or jigs tipped with plastics. Harvest regulations include 50/day creel limit. |
| Channel Catfish | Good | Most in the 1 lb size range | Try prepared stink bait, punch bait, cut bait or liver under a bobber or on the bottom. Also try night crawlers. As water temperatures warm, these fish should become more active. Harvest regulations include a 5/day creel limit. |
| Largemouth bass | Fair | Up to 4 lbs | Look for them in shallow water near structure or cover early in the morning or late in the day. Good summer baits are topwaters early & late, squarebill crankbaits, jigs, plastics and bladed jigs. Harvest regulations include a 15-inch minimum length limit and 5/day creel limit. |
| Bluegill | No report | Up to 8 inches | Worms under a bobber and small jigs fished vertically around brush in deeper water. There are no harvest restrictions at this time. |
| Walleye | Good | Up to 8 lbs | Walleye should be on the flats and points. Try small jigs with plastic swimbaits, wobble jigs tipped with worms, minnows or leaches or trolling small minnow type crank baits. Horsethief is part of a study comparing walleye and saugeye in reservoirs, with a 50/50 mix of each being stocked the last 2 years. Harvest regulations include an aggregate 15-inch minimum length limit and 5/day creel limit. |
Lake is about 3 feet low and water temperatures should be in the mid to upper 70's. For now typical summer time patterns for channel catfish, crappie, walleye and largemouth bass should to work.
We have received very few reports from anglers. You may call the Dodge City Regional office as 620-227-8609 to make a report.
Please discard of leftover bait in a trash can, even baitfish. Remember it is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water!
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: 9/19/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Sizes Possible | Baits, Method, & Location |
| Crappie | No report | Most of these fish are 5-7 inches with an occasional 14 incher. | Crappie are around brush in the deepest part of the lake. Target any structure or channel swings in 8 – 10 feet of water. Use minnows, small slab spoons, or jigs tipped with plastics. Harvest regulations include 50/day creel limit. |
| Channel Catfish | No report | Most in the 1 lb size range | Try prepared stink bait, punch bait, cut bait or liver under a bobber or on the bottom. Also try night crawlers. As water temperatures continue to warm, these fish should become more active. Harvest regulations include a 5/day creel limit. |
| Largemouth bass | No report | Up to 6 lbs | Look for them in shallow water near structure or cover early in the morning or late in the day. Good summer baits are topwaters early & late, squarebill crankbaits, jigs, plastics and bladed jigs. Harvest regulations include a 13-18 inch slot length limit and 5/day creel limit. |
| Bluegill/Redear | No report | Up to 8 inches | Worms under a bobber and small jigs fished vertically around brush in deeper water. There are no harvest restrictions at this time. |
| Saugeye | No report | Up to 16 inches | Saugeye should be on the flats and points in. Try small jigs with plastic swimbaits, wobble jigs tipped with worms, minnows or leaches or trolling small minnow type crank baits. This is a new species in the lake and a few have made it to the minimum length limit of 18-inches. There will is a 2/day creel limit. |
Lake is about 3 feet low, water temperatures should be in the upper 70's. For now typical summer time patterns for channel catfish, crappie and largemouth bass should to work.
We have not received any reports from anglers. You may call the Dodge City Regional office as 620-227-8609 to make a report.
Please discard of leftover bait in a trash can, even baitfish. Remember it is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water!
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: 11/28/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Sizes Possible | Baits, Method, & Location |
| Crappie | Poor to Fair | 4-8" | Try jigs or minnows near the shore. |
| Channel Catfish | Fair | Most in the 1-2 lb size range but up to 7 lbs | Fishing cut bait or stink bait lake wide. |
| Largemouth bass | Fair | Up to 18 inches | Try using soft plastics or jerk baits. |
| Bluegill | Poor to Fair | Up to 8 inches | Worms under a bobber and small jigs fished vertically around brush and rocks. |
| Walleye | Poor to Fair | Up to 19" | Try large jigs and jerk baits off of wind blown points. |
| Wipers | Poor to Fair | Up to 18" | Jigs or spoons around windblown main lake points. |
Pratt County Lake and all other public fishing waters in Pratt and Barber counties are now a part of the Cheney district. This district also includes Harper, Kingman, Reno, and Harvey counties. A Cheney District newsletter is available. Information about fishing and fisheries management throughout southcentral 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. https://ksoutdoors.com/KDWP-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms and click on Cheney Fishing District.
Great Kansas Fishing Derby May 15 to Sept 15 Visit www.ksfishderby.com for more info; Tagged Fish - Channel Catfish, Black Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, White Bass/Wiper
SCOTT STATE LAKE - Last Updated: 11/23/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
| Channel Catfish | Fair/Good | Most in the 13 to 18 inch range | No Report. Still fishing cut, cast net-caught gizzard shad lake-wide has been best. |
| Crappie | Fair | Up to 13 inches | No Report. Drifting minnows or jigs in open water of the main lake or vertically fishing the same baits around deeper brush. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | Up to 5.5 lbs. | No Report. Casting large, gizzard shad imitating swimbaits around shoreline brush and laydown trees. |
| Sunfish | Fair/Good | Up to 8 inches | No Report. Vertically fishing worms around deeper brush and along rip rapped shorelines adjacent to deeper water. |
| Saugeye | Slow | Up to 7 lbs. | No Report. Try casting large, gizzard shad imitating swimbaits over points and along rip-rapped shorelines especially early and late. |
| Rainbow Trout | Fair/Good | Up to 3.5 lbs. | We stocked approximately 800 trout on November 23, 2022. Anglers still-fishing various baits like power bait, worms, marshmallows, and corn alone or in combination can be effective. Spin-cast anglers throwing small in-line spinners and spoons often do well. And fly anglers casting prince and hare's ear nymphs under a strike indicator can be successful too. Anglers report catching limits of nice fish in the 1 to 2.5 lb. range here and there. The most recent stocking should increase angling success. |
| General Comments | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Release all saugeye less than 18 inches and largemouth bass less than 15 inches. Please discard of leftover bait in a trash can, even baitfish. Remember it is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water! 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 Great Kansas Fishing Derby May 15 to Sept 15 Visit www.ksfishderby.com for more info; Tagged Fish - Channel Catfish, Black Bass, Crappie, Saugeye | |||
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: 10/6/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Channel catfish | Fair | 1 - 5 lbs. | Try worms and cutbait on the bottom. | |
| Crappie | Good | 8-13" | Good. Most are situated on deeper breaks and structure towards the dam. | |
| Largemouth bass | Fair | Up to 6 lb. | Try using soft plastics, spinner baits, and crank baits near structure. | |
| Saugeye | Poor | 15-26" | No reports but try 1/8 and 1/4 oz. jigs tipped with worms along the dam and piers. | |
| General Comments | ||||
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ANTHONY CITY LAKE - Last Updated: 11/28/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel catfish | Fair | up to 12lbs | Try fishing cut bait, worms, or stink bait in the morning, evening, or night. |
| Crappie | Poor to Fair | Up to 14" | Try jigs or minnows near structure. |
| Largemouth Bass | Poor to Fair | Up to 5lbs | Try using soft plastics or jerk baits. |
| General Comments | |||
| Water levels are very low. Use cation if launching a boat! | |||
BLACK KETTLE STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 10/6/2022 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: 10/7/2022 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 . | ||
| Channel Catfish | Good | up to 20 inch | Creel limit 2/day Length Limit 15-inches Areas near shore where the wind is blowing in. Good baits are worms and fresh cut bait. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair to Good | up to 19 inches | Larger plastic baits near the weedbeds. Crankbaits and spinnerbaits near cover are also producing. |
| Crappie | Fair | Up to 7 inches | Small jigs or small minnows are good bets. While there is an occasional big fish at Butler, most crappie run small in the 5 to 7 inch range. |
| Bluegill | Fair | up to 6 inch | Small hooks and pieces of worm fished close to shoreline cover. Small jigs or flies are also good bets. |
| General Comments | |||
CHASE STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 10/7/2022 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. | ||
| Channel Catfish | Fair to Good | up to 22 inch | Harvest regulations include a 15-inch minimum length limit and 5/day creel limit. Windy shorelines or points using stink baits, cut bait, shrimp or night crawlers. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair to Good | Up to 16 inch | There is a 13 to 18 inch slot limit on Largemouth Bass in effect at the lake. Crankbaits along the rocky shorelines. |
| Saugeye | Fair | Up to 18 inch | Along the dam and rocky shorelines on crankbaits. |
| Spotted Bass | Fair | Up to 14 inch | Rocky shorelines on smaller crankbaits or small spinners. |
| Bluegill | Fair to Good | Up to 6 inch | Bobber and worm near brush and other cover that is close to shore. The humps between the fishing piers hold good numbers of bluegill. |
| Crappie | Fair | Up to 11 inch | Jig or minnow 7 to 12 feet deep on brush or dropoffs. |
| General Comments | |||
CHENEY RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 11/28/2022 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 | Fair to Good | Up to 27" | Spoons, jigs, and flukes in deeper water. |
| Walleye | Poor to Fair | Up to 27" | Try using big jigs or spoons in deeper water |
| Crappie | Fair | Up to 17" | Try using jigs or minnows near structure in 15-25ft of water. |
| Blue Catfish | Poor to Fair | Up to 45lbs | Fish with live bait or cut bait near deep water ledges. Many reports of small (10"-18") Blue Catfish being caught. Be sure to identify your catch! |
| Channel Catfish | Fair | Up to 20lbs | Try fishing cut bait or stink bait near windblown areas. |
| White Perch | Fair to Good | Up to 12" | White perch can be caught using similar methods as White Bass and Wiper. Most White Perch are 5"-8". 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 | |||
COUNCIL GROVE CITY LAKE - Last Updated: 11/21/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zebra Mussel | Zebra mussels have been discovered in Council Grove City Lake. Click HERE for more information. | ||
| 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 | Slow/Fair | on jigs, spinnerbaits, or crankbaits 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. You must have this certificate in your possession while fishing and/or boating at Council Grove City Lake. | |||
COUNCIL GROVE RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 11/21/2022 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. | ||
| Channel Catfish | Fair/Good | near wind blown flats and creek channel ledges on cut bait and worms | |
| Saugeye | Fair/Good | near dam and gravel/rock points on jigs and worms | |
| White Bass | Fair | along deep rock points and ledges on spinners and jigs | |
| Wiper | Slow/Fair | a few in with white bass | |
| Crappie | Fair/Good | 10-20 ft deep on minnows and jigs near points, brush, and ledges Creel limit 20/day | |
| General Comments | |||
| Outlet fishing is slow/fair for catfish, white bass, and saugeye Click HERE for water level information. | |||
COWLEY STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 10/7/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Fair to Good | up to 8 inch | Small jigs or live bait fished near rocky shorelines, jetties, brushpiles, weed edges, or other shoreline cover. |
| Channel Catfish | Good | Up to 24 inch | Worms and stinkbaits off the fishing piers. 15-inch minimum length limit 5/day creel limit |
| Largemouth Bass | Good | Up to 17 inch | Crank baits and spinnerbaits along rock or other cover. Worms and plastics in the brushpiles. |
| Redear Sunfish | Same as bluegill | ||
| General Comments | |||
| 38 brushpiles were added to Cowley SFL. You can find the locations HERE, just zoom in on the map to see Cowley SFL. | |||
EL DORADO RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 11/18/2022 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!! | ||
| Wiper | Fair | Up to 21 inch | 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. Mainlake ledges and deeper water near structure are holding fish where spoons, jigs, or jigging raps produce action. |
| White bass | Fair to Good | up to 14 inch | 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. Same as wiper report |
| White Perch | Fair | up to 6 inch | Click HERE for info on properly identifying white perch. Small live bait such as worms on smaller hooks. Look for white perch in the main lake areas near structure such as break, humps, or old roads. |
| Crappie | Fair to Good | Up to 15+ inches | 20/day creel limit effective January 1, 2018. 8 to 14 deep near brush or timber on jigs and minnows. |
| Catfish | Fair to Good | up to 36 inches, with a lot of 19 to 24 "eater" sized fish. | There is a 25 to 35 inch protective slot limit on blue catfish and a 5/day creel with no more than 2 blue catfish over 35 inches. A blue catfish tagging project in underway at El Dorado. Please see the information below in the General Comments section for all the details! Fresh cut baits on river channel edges in the upper portion of the reservoir will work well for most of the cold water winter season. Please harvest the blue catfish that are under the 25 inch slot length limit (while following the 5/day creel limit). El Dorado has an abundance of fish under the slot. The El Dorado blue catfish population will benefit from the harvest of these "short" fish as growth rate of the remaining fish will improve. |
| Walleye | Fair | Up to 25 inches | THE WALLEYE LENGTH LIMIT IS 21-INCHES WITH A 2/DAY CREEL LIMIT. Crankbaits and jigs on roads, breaks, or river channels. Walleye are starting to push a little deeper with the cooling water temps. |
| Rainbow Trout | Good | Trout season opened November 1. Fish are being caught on a variety of baits included small spinners, jigs, cheese, worms, and PowerBait. Trout were last stocked on Tuesday November 15. Trout Program information can be found HERE. | |
| General Comments | |||
| 2.25 ft below Normal Pool, releasing 6 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. Blue Catfish Tagging Project Underway at El Dorado Blue catfish – native to major river basins in eastern Kansas – can reach massive sizes. Kansas’ current state record was caught from the Missouri River, weighing in at more than 100 pounds. As blue catfish populations become established in Kansas’ largest reservoirs, popularity of this species among anglers also continues to grow. One such growing fishery can be found in El Dorado Reservoir. While many anglers might associate El Dorado Reservoir with monster walleye, hard-fighting wipers, or slab crappie, blue catfish are developing a following in the 8,000-acre impoundment. Blue catfish were introduced into El Dorado Reservoir in 2004 to establish an additional predatory fish population and to provide anglers with a new sport fishing opportunity. Annual stockings occurred for six years, creating a population that first exhibited natural recruitment in 2009. As the population grew, it became apparent that the fishery would benefit from harvest of smaller fish. In 2016, KDWPT implemented a 25- to 35-inch protected slot length limit, five fish daily creel limit, and a maximum of two fish over 35 inches. As with any new regulation, data is needed to gauge effectiveness. To collect this data, KDWPT Fisheries biologists are tagging up to 2,000 blue catfish in El Dorado Reservoir. Tags will appear as a small yellow vinyl tube beneath the fish’s dorsal fin. Each tag will display an ID number unique to that fish and a phone number to call to report the catch, (620) 342-0658. Biologists hope to gain information about the area’s blue catfish population size, entrainment through the dam, and the fish’s susceptibility to harvest. Success of this project is dependent on anglers reporting the tagged fish they capture. Information needed during the call will be the length of the fish, date, tag number, and whether the fish was kept or released. Anglers who report their tagged catch will receive an award as compensation for their participation. Anglers should note that tagged blue catfish that are not legal for harvest must be returned to the water immediately after recording the tag information. If the tagged catfish is legal for harvest, anglers may keep or release the fish. Because part of this study is to evaluate harvest patterns, biologists encourage anglers not to let the presence of a tag influence their decision to keep or release the fish. If you find a tagged blue catfish on the end of your line this summer, please take the time to call it in. Data collected from these fish are invaluable to fisheries biologists and will only improve angling success in the future. | |||
HARVEY COUNTY EAST LAKE - Last Updated: 11/28/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Catfish | Fair | up to 24" | Try fishing cut bait, worms, or stink bait throughout the lake. |
| Crappie | Fair | up to 14" | Try a jig or minnow fished near shallow structure. Most are smaller with some bigger ones mixed in. |
| Largemouth Bass | Poor | up to 20" | Try fishing soft plastics near structure. |
| Saugeye | Poor to Fair | up to 25" | Fish with jigs, large crank baits, or minnows near the dam or rocks. |
| General Comments | |||
| Water levels are very low. Use cation if launching a boat! | |||
KINGMAN STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 11/28/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel catfish | Fair | Up to 24" | Try using cut bait or stink bait lake wide. |
| Largemouth Bass | Poor | Up to 4lbs | Fish near structure and rocks with soft plastics, or jerk baits. |
| Northern Pike | Poor | Up to 35" | Try using large jerk baits or spinner baits. |
| Crappie | Fair to Good | Up to 14" | Use minnows or small jigs near structure. Most Crappie are smaller with a few big ones mixed in. Anglers are encouraged to harvest the smaller Crappie to prevent the population from becoming overpopulated. |
| General Comments | |||
| Water levels are very low. Use cation if launching a boat! | |||
MARION COUNTY LAKE - Last Updated: 10/7/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Catfish | Good | up to 24 inch | Stink baits and worms are good spring time channel catfish baits. Fish windy shorelines where the waves are stirring up the bottom. |
| Crappie | Fair | up to 12 inches | 20/day creel limit Jigs or minnows fished near brush or other cover. 8 to 14 feet deep. |
| Bass | Fair | up to 18 inch | 13 inch to 18 inch slot limit 5 fish per day creel limit. Please harvest largemouth bass under 13 inches to improve effectiveness of this slot limit! Plastic worms and baits in the weed beds and around woody cover. |
| Saugeye | Slow | up to 22 inch | Flukes and jig and crawler on windy points. |
| Bluegill | Good | up to 8 inch | Small jigs or bobber and live bait near shoreline cover. |
| White Bass & Wipers | Fair | Windy points and shorelines on shad imitating plastics, crankbaits, or inline spinners. | |
| General Comments | |||
| 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: 11/22/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broken Bridge Boat Ramp Status | Due to the low water levels in the reservoir, the Broken Bridge Boat Ramp is becoming unusable for larger boats/trailers. T-posts were placed to mark the end of the concrete slab. Do not use the ramp if your trailer axles will go past the T-posts. Ramp maintenance is being planned. Updates to follow. | ||
| 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! | ||
| Channel Cat | Fair | up to 26 inch | Channel cat reports have slowed up some, but some jig anglers are picking up some cats incidental to whites and crappie. |
| White Crappie | Fair | up to 14 inches | 20/day creel limit Crappie have moved back out to deeper water near breaks and structure. Jigs and minnows are producing. |
| Walleye | Fair | Up to 24 inches | NEW WALLEYE HARVEST REGULATIONS EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2022. 18 INCH MINIMUM LENGTH LIMIT 3/DAY CREEL LIMIT WITH NO MORE THAN ONE FISH 21 INCHES OR LONGER. Walleye are being found in a variety of depths as the water continues to cool. Fish are being caught from 4 feet to 16 feet deep. Jig and plastics are good right now, tipping with some live bait helps. |
| White Bass | Fair to Good | up to 14 inch | White bass are moving a lot right now and the old cliché "they are where you find them" fits too well. White bass are grouped up and fishing can be hot and heavy when you're on fish. Locating the fish is where the work comes in. Decent electronics and time searching can pay off for those willing to put in the work. Jigs and plastic are excellent choices. KDWP fall test net samples showed very good numbers of white bass in the lake this fall. |
| Wiper | Fair to Good | 18 to 24 inches | Same as white bass |
| 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' | ||
| Coordinates for new brushpiles constructed April 2019 | N 38 23.464' W 097 05.412' N 38 23.149' W 097 05.476' N 38 23.169' W 097 05.516' | ||
| General Comments | |||
| 2 feet below Normal Pool, releasing 5 CFS. | |||
SEDGWICK CO. - LAKE AFTON - Last Updated: 8/11/2022 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 to Good | 4"-8" | Use a small hook with a small piece of work or panfish lures. White perch may not be possessed alive. |
| Channel Catfish | Good | up to 24" | Try cut bait, worms, or stink bait. Harvest-sized Channel Catfish are stocked regularly in the Spring and Fall. Visit https://ksoutdoors.com/Fishing/Special-Fishing-Programs-for-You/Urban-Fishing-Program for more information. Urban Catfish Stocking will resume on August 26 |
| Crappie | Poor | up to 12" | Crappie should be grouped up offshore relating to structure and brush. Try using minnows or jigs in 8-15 feet of water. Most Crappie are small with a few big ones mixed in. |
| Bluegill | Fair | up to 8" | Try a small piece of worm under a bobber around rocks and brush. |
| Largemouth Bass | Poor | up to 21" | Bass can be found near shorelines relating to deep water and off shore structures.Try soft plastics, spinner baits, and crankbaits near structure/cover. |
| General Comments | |||
| Great Kansas Fishing Derby May 15 to Sept 15 Visit www.ksfishderby.com for more info; Tagged Fish - Channel Catfish, Black Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Drum, Carp, Flathead Catfish | |||
WELLINGTON CITY LAKE - Last Updated: 9/16/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Catfish | Good | up to 26 inch | Worms during times of inflow. Also fresh cut bait or prepared baits along windy shorelines and around the feeder. |
| Wiper | Slow | ||
| Crappie | Fair | up to 11 inch | Jigs and minnows near standing timber or in the brush piles. 7 to 14 feet deep. |
| Saugeye | Fair | up to 20 inch | Rocky shorelines on flukes early and late in the day |
| General Comments | |||
WELLINGTON HARGIS CREEK - Last Updated: 10/7/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Catfish | Good | up to 26 inch | Night crawlers or prepared stink baits fished on windy points or where the wind is blowing in to the shoreline. |
| Crappie | Fair | up to 8 inch | Minnow and bobber near the standing timber. |
| Largemouth Bass | Slow | up to 16 inch | Near the standing timber or shoreline cover early and late in the day on plastic baits, spinner baits, or crank baits. |
| General Comments | |||
WICHITA - URBAN FISHING REPORT - Last Updated: 11/29/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Catfish | Poor | Up to 5lbs | The majority of public fishing waters around the Wichita Metro Area are stocked regularly in the Spring and Fall with harvest-sized Channel Catfish. They can be easily caught on worms and hotdogs. In the winter, these fish can be caught, just be patient! |
| Crappie | Poor to fair | Up to 12" | Try using minnows or a small jigs in deeper areas of the lakes. Crappie fishing is best at the KDOT Lakes, OJ Watson Park, and Chisholm North lake. |
| Largemouth Bass | Poor | Up to 20" | Largemouth Bass can be found in most Wichita area lakes but fishing can be tough due to low populations and high angling pressure. Your best opportunities to catch bass are at the KDOT lakes, Emery Park, Blackbird/Sunflower Ponds, and Chisholm North lake. Lures that work best in cold water are small bass jigs, small soft plastics, jerkbaits, and lipless crankbaits |
| Bluegill | Poor to fair | Up to 10" | Bluegill are present in every lake in the area but are especially good at Blackbird/Sunflower ponds, Chisholm North lake, and Emery Park Pond. Try a small piece of worm or a small jig. |
| Rainbow Trout | Fair to Good | up to 23" | Trout season began on November 1. A trout permit is required to fish at Vic's Lake and Slough Creek in Sedgwick County Park and KDOT East. Rainbow trout have been stocked! Try using floating dough baits, worms, small spoons, or spinners. Artificial lures only at Slough Creek 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 | |||
| Trout stockings have resumed! Visit https://ksoutdoors.com/Fishing/Special-Fishing-Programs-for-You/Trout-Fishing-Program for more information. | |||
WINFIELD CITY LAKE - Last Updated: 10/7/2022 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!!! | ||||
| Crappie | Fair | up to 12 inch | Crappie are being caught in water 8 to 15 feet deep near standing timber, off the points, and near breaks or ledges. | ||
| Channel catfish | Fair to Good | up to 22 inch | Windy weather will bring channel catfish into shallow windblown areas where wave action is stirring up food. Stinkbaits, fresh cut bait, and worms are good summer baits. | ||
| Black bass | Fair | up to 17 inch | Fish the weedy and woody areas for largemouth and the rocky windblown areas for smallmouth. | ||
| White bass | Fair | up to 14 inch | Jigs and twistertails off of points and along windy shorelines. | ||
| Wiper | Same as white bass | ||||
| Walleye | Fair | Up to 26 inch | Trolling medium sized crankbaits on the north shore flats and in the upper end. 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.
TORONTO RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 11/3/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| channel catfish | very good | 0% 11"-16" 15% 16"-24" 77% 24"-28" 8% 28"-36" | Use a worm, stink bait, or shad sides on windy shoreline and channel breaks. |
| largemouth bass | poor | 23% 8"-12" 23% 12"-15" 54% 15"-20" 0% 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 12 bass per hour of electrofishing sampled in the reservoir. 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 | very good | 0% 6"-9" 55% 9"-12" 27% 12"-15" 18% 15"-18" 0% 18"+ | Use plastic jig, imitation shad, or spinner on windy shoreline and rocky points. |
| white crappie | very good | 79% 5"-8" 12% 8"-10" 6% 10"-12" 3% 12"-15" 0% 15"+ | Use a jig or minnow on windy shoreline, brush piles, and timber in Toronto Cove, Mann's Cove, and north side of Duck Island. Crappie are feeding on small gizzard shad blown up on shoreline. Cold front will push crappie offshore. |
| General Comments | |||
| Fresh cedar tree fish habitat brush piles were installed this winter and can be located by using the link below. Link to USACE reservoir water level: http://www.swt-wc.usace.army.mil/TORO.lakepage.html Size structures are from 2021 fall test netting and 2021 spring electrofishing for largemouth bass. To view a map of Toronto Reservoir brush piles, copy this file into Google Earth and zoom into the reservoir. 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. | |||
BIG HILL RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 9/9/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Good | 6-12" | Crappie fishing remains good. Look for them in deeper timber and also around Rea Bridge. Minnows and small plastic jigs have been working best. |
| Channel Catfish | Good | 16-24" | Catfishing remains good. Look for catfish in the shallows in the evenings as well as in the deeper timber during the day. Shad sides are the preferred bait. |
| Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass | Fair | 12-20" | Largemouth bass fishing has slowed a bit. Largemouth have moved into the deeper water in the standing timber. Diving crank baits and soft plastic swim baits have been working best. Smallmouth bass fishing remains slow. Look for them near the dam or on any rocky shoreline in deeper water. Soft plastic crayfish worked slowly up the rocks have been working best. |
| Bluegill and Redears | Good | 5-7" | Bluegill and redear fishing remains steady. Bluegill and redear can be found near any submerged vegetation or in deeper brush piles. Worms under a bobber are 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. | |||
BONE CREEK RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 10/3/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill / Redear Sunfish | Good | 4-8 inches | 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. |
| Channel catfish | Good | 15-36 inches | 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. Anglers from boats should focus on flats and near rock habitat. Cut and live bait are good baits to try. |
| Black Crappie | Fair | 8-14 inches | 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" - 15% 12-15" - 11% 15-20" - 74% | Largemouth bass can be found lakewide in a variety of habitats that are available at Bone Creek. Anglers should focus on the edges of vegetation that can be found along the shoreline and coves, as water begins to warm up this spring. There is an abundance of submerged trees in a range of depths that will also hold fish. The water clarity will affect fishing, depending on time of day, so don't hesitate to fish the trees that can be found in deeper water. Casting swimbaits, jigs, jerkbaits, 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. To bolster the current population and recruitment of Largemouth Bass at Bone Creek, the KDWP fisheries biologist has increased stocking efforts of Largemouth Bass. In 2019, 218, 377 (fry) were stocked when a hatchery surplus was available. In 2021, 13,500 phase II advanced fingerling Largemouth Bass were stocked. In April 2022, 260,000 (fry) were stocked when a hatchery surplus was available. In June 2022, 25,000 advanced fingerling Largemouth Bass were stocked. In total, 517,774 largemouth bass have been stocked since 2018. The KDWP fisheries biologist plans to request 25,000 phase II advanced fingerling Largemouth Bass for the next five years to help bolster year classes and recruitment of Largemouth Bass. In addition to, it was proposed and passed to move from a 13-18" slot length limit to an 18" minimum length limit to protect the stocked fingerlings and naturally spawned Largemouth Bass to preferred lengths for bass anglers. This went into effect on January 1, 2022. |
| Saugeye | Good | 16-26 inches | Fall sampling indicated that there is a high percentage of fish in the 18-24" range. 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. Anglers have reported catching saugeye near the dam on the east side of the lake on swimbaits, jigheads with plastics, and crankbaits. The minimum length for Saugeye at Bone Creek is 18 inches and a daily creel of 5 fish per day! It was proposed by fisheries staff to continue the 18" minimum length limit and a daily creel of 5 per day and on January 1, 2022, the limit has raised from a 2 creel limit to 5 per day for anglers in 2022. |
| Newsletter | STAY UP TO DATE ON FISH STOCKINGS, FISH SAMPLING, AND FISH HABITAT PROJECTS: 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 | ||
| General Comments | |||
| Water Temperature: 70° F, 10/3/2022 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. 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: 10/5/2022 Print
| species | ratings | size | baits, methods, locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Slow | 8 to 12 inches | Use dark jigs or minnows in the trees along the drop offs. |
| Channel catfish | Good | varies, | 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. Fish the creek mouth where the fresh water comes in and the fish are stacked up. |
| Largemouth bass | Great | most bass in the 13 to 16 inch range | The bass are in 1 to 8 foot from the surface, above the thermocline. Pattern fish with jigs, spinners, gizzard shad plugs, lots of smaller fish but larger fish like 5 to 7 pounds are available. |
| General Comments | |||
| The best way to measure social distancing is with a fishing pole. This lake has limited shoreline access so please spread out, social distance. Crappie have been starting to pick up on minnows or dark jigs. Largemouth bass can be good but fish the deeper structue. 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: 11/29/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, & Location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Channel catfish | Slow | varies | Go fishing, the fish have to eat. try bluegill chunks, chicken liver. Anglers are catching big Fish. Fish feeders are OFF. Gearup. | ||
| 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 | Slow | some small fish but some real good ones also, with 50 limit | use minnows and dark jigs, recently bigger fish over 11 inches reportedly caught, but lots of 9 inch fish. | ||
| Comments | |||||
| The best way to measure social distancing is with a fishing pole. This lake is great for shoreline angling, lots of room to spread out. The lake is low because of a leaky dam. Plans are underway to repair the leak. Go fishing, the fish have to eat. Remember the length and creel limits. Due to a leak in the dam water levels can be low and will remain low until repairs are made. The County and Wildlife and Parks are committed to repairing the dam and restoring the fishery. This may begin this fall. Zebra Mussels have recently been found in Hillsdale Lake, and Linn Valley, Linn County, (Private Lake Development), we'd like to remind you to "Clean, Drain and Dry" your boat and equipment.
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: 11/29/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bass ( Largemouth and Spotted Bass) | Slow | Fish 10 to 17 inches dominate the population | bass are along the piers, in cover, use spinners, plastic baits, crankbaits. Some fish are in deeper water breaks. |
| Bluegill/redear sunfish | Slow | all sizes | Nice redear sunfish 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 | Slow | 12-22 inches | Use just about any catfish bait, cut bait, stink baits, chicken liver, worms, the fish feeders are ON. After hard rains fish the south end where the water comes in. Fish the creek mouth where the fresh water comes in and the fish are stacked up. We recently restocked channel catfish so the density is really high. Remember the length limit is 15 inches and the creel limit is 2 per person |
| Crappie | Slow | 8 - 12 inches and up | Sampling indicates a good crappie population with a good percentage of fish over 10 inches. Try using minnows, jigs under a 5ft float, along the piers. |
| General Comments | |||
| Zebra Mussels have recently been found in Hillsdale Lake, and Linn Valley, Linn County, (Private Lake Development), we'd like to remind you to " Clean, drain and dry" The lake is partially drained for "Water level management" The boat ramp is usable and the fishing is good. 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 largemouth bass. | |||
COFFEY COUNTY LAKE - Last Updated: 10/28/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Methods, Locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| largemouth bass | Slow-Fair | 8 in to 21 inches | Spinnerbaits, rattletraps, or swimbaits fish around cover near the warmer water will be your best bet. Numbers are low so fishing is slow. |
| walleye | Fair | 14-25 inches | Vertical jigging or dragging bottom bouncers over depth changes and points. |
| channel catfish/blue catfish | Fair-Good | 1/2-5 lbs, Blues up to 50lbs. | Various prepared baits, liver, and worms usually good for channel catfish lakewide. Using fresh cut bait such as shad or carp usually is best for blue catfish. Fishing wind blown banks or up in the riprap should be productive or try creek channel swings and humps. Don't be afraid to fish shallow water for both species. 921 blue catfish were tagged for a population study, so be on the lookout for tags in the blue cats that you catch and please report any you do catch. If you report a tag, you will receive a prize and your name will be entered in a drawing for a Yeti cooler towards the end of the year. |
| smallmouth bass | Slow-Fair | 10-20 inches | Throwing small shad imitators like compact spinnerbaits or crankbaits. Crayfish imitating baits should also work. Ned rigs or drop shots are great techniques to use for smallmouth. Summer to fall transition is good time for topwater baits such as poppers, walking baits, or buzzbaits. |
| white bass/Wipers | Good-Excellent | up to 5lbs. | Use shad imitation lures like small spinners, crankbaits or bucktail jigs. and look for schools of shad or focus on wind blown flats or rocky points. Vertical jigging slab spoons is also a good technique. Fish are busting shad on the surface finding these schools and throwing topwater baits or the lures listed above can be real productive. |
| crappie | Fair | 11-15 inches | Look for crappie in deeper water, fish the standing timber near the creek channel or old road beds. They may also be found on old pond dams and near the old quarry by the west island. |
| General Comments | |||
| Entrance gate phone number is 620-364-2475 call for lake conditions. Fishing near the warm water outlet during the fall and winter can be very productive for multiple species. Registration for Coffey County Lake is now available online at https://www.coffeycountyks.org/home/showdocument?id=3502. 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 | |||
CRAWFORD STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 10/3/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method &Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill / Redear sunfish | Fair | 6-8 inches | Bluegill can be caught using a bobber and worm, 1/16-1/32 ounce jighead, and a fly rod and small fly. 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 | 18-21 inches | 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 | 18-24 inches | 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 | 11-16" - 55% 16-24" - 41% 24-28" - 3% > 28" - 0% | Channel catfish can be found throughout all portions of the lake. Anglers can target 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 | Good | All sizes | Flathead catfish can be found in deep water next to submerged trees and structure. Live bait, such as green sunfish, and artificial lures are two types of fishing to try. There have been reports of flathead catfish being caught up to 30 lbs. |
| Crappie | Good | 5-8" - 25% 8-10" - 50% 10-12" - 25% >12" - 0% | 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 6-8" size range. The 6-8" crappie have been aged by fisheries staff and are 8-12 years old. Please consider harvesting your daily creel limit of 50 crappie per day to help reduce numbers of crappie and open up space for them to grow. 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. Eight brushpiles were created and added. GPS coordinates are listed below in the comments section. 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" - 24% 12-15" - 42% 15-20" - 30% > 20" - 4% | Largemouth bass densities and size structure are 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. Cedar trees were added to the lake in October of 2021 and spring of 2019 to enhance fish habitat and spawning structure. An additional fish habitat project is planned for winter of 2021 to add additional spawning structure and fish attractor locations to bolster the current structure available for largemouth bass. Largemouth bass phase II advanced fingerlings have been stocked in 2020 (7,500 fingerlings), 2021 (3,750 fingerlings) and 2022 (3,890 fingerlings). The KDWP Fisheries Biologist plans to continue to request phase II advanced fingerling stockings for the next three years to help bolster current year classes of largemouth bass. This will be evaluated through fin clips to assess genetics to realize stocking contribution to the fishery. In conjunction with the stocking, cedar trees will be added to the lake to enhance spawning, refuge, and forage structure near shore for largemouth bass to flourish. |
| Newsletter | STAY UP TO DATE ON FISH STOCKINGS, FISH SAMPLING, AND FISH HABITAT PROJECTS: 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 | ||
| General Comments | |||
| Water Temperature: 69° F, 10/3/2022 KDWPT Fisheries and State Park staff enhanced current fish habitat by adding approximately 150 cedar trees near shoreline spawning areas to enhance largemouth bass and spotted bass structure, as well as added cedar trees to current brushpiles near shoreline access areas in October of 2021. Additionally, nearly 100 cedar trees and 40 "Georgia Cubes" were added to the lake in spring of 2019. Fisheries staff plan to add additional cedar trees to enhance fish habitat in the winter of 2021. Cedar trees were placed on existing brushpiles. The GPS coordinates for those existing brushpiles are as follows: N 37.642683, W 094.806843 (Northeast corner dock) 37.641414, W 094.807232 (East cove dock on west side of cove) N 37.640050, W 094.809163 (Middle arm, east side) N 37.637126, W 094.811680 (East fishing pier) Cedar trees were placed on new brushpiles. The GPS coordinates for the new brushpile locations are as follows (Updated 10/13/2021): N 37.642581, W 094.808307 (North point) N 37.644641, W 094.810386 (North boat ramp) N 37.643394, W 094.811154 (Marina northeast dock) N 37.641860, W 094.812640 (Marina Cove southwest dock) N 37.643614, W 094.811419 (Marina Cafe dock) N 37.641616, W 094.813571 (Marina Cove, west end) N 37.641749, W 094.812921 (Marina Cove, southwest dock) N 37.641966, W 094.806699 (East Cove, east bank) N 37.641278, W 094.807183 (East Cove, southwest bank) N 37.641637, W 094.807649 (East Cove, northwest bank) N 37.642103, W 094.807946 (East Cove, north point) Georgia Cubes were added to six new locations. The GPS coordinates for the Georiga Cubes are as follows: 16 Georgia Cubes @ N 37.642602, W 094.808321 (North point) 6 Georgia Cubes @ N 37.642695, W 094.806880 (Northeast corner dock) 7 Georgia Cubes @ N 37.641402, W 094.807221 (East cove dock on west side of cove) 5 Georgia Cubes @ N 37.637147, W 094.811688 (East fishing pier) 3 Georgia Cubes @ N 37.643472, W 094.811373 (Marina northeast dock) 3 Georgia Cubes @ N 37.644663, W 094.810369 (North boat ramp) 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. 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. Great Kansas Fishing Derby May 15 to Sept 15 Visit www.ksfishderby.com for more info; Tagged Fish - Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Spotted Bass, White Crappie, Bluegill, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish, Wiper (Striped Bass Hybrid), Common Carp, Freshwater Drum | |||
CRITZER LAKE - Last Updated: 11/29/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | Slow | 13 to 18 inches with a few at 22 inches | Work the edges and out in the middle in the trees. Fish above the strat line. Some larger fish available, best luck with dark colored jipnpigs, plastic worms, crank baits in close to cover. The majority of fish are in the 12 inch to 6 pound range. In 2021 a 9.88 was caught and released. |
| Smallmouth Bass | Poor | 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 a lot of fish in the 3 pounds and up to 15 pounds range. Use cut shad, cut sunfish, worms, liver, prepared baits, lakewide or along the piers along the parking lot. We recently stocked several thousand channel catfish into the lake to boost the population. |
| Crappie | Slow | any size | Sampling indicates good numbers of nice fish (9 to 12 inches) use minnows and milky white, pink jigs in 12 ft. East half of lake is better. Fish are in deeper water along the 10ft. line. |
| Walleye | Poor | most between 12 to 17 inches | Some are taken on jigs tipped with worms, spinners, dam and upper creek channel |
| General Comments | |||
| The best way to measure social distancing is with a fishing pole. Water levels are normal. Go fishing, the fish have to eat. Some good bass and catfish were caught this week. The fish feeder is ON. Recently there were 1,500 channel catfish, and 400,000 walleye fry stocked to spice up the fishing. 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. Zebra Mussels have recently been found in Hillsdale Lake, and Linn Valley Lake, this is a private lake community, 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 Great Kansas Fishing Derby May 15 to Sept 15 Visit www.ksfishderby.com for more info; Tagged Fish - Channel Catfish, Bullhead | |||
ELK CITY RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 9/9/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Good | 8-14" | Crappie fishing has been good. Look for crappie near the dam or in brush in the Elk River. Some fish have also been caught in the flooded timber. Vertical jigging skirt jigs have been working best. |
| Blue and channel catfish | Good | 18-30" | Catfishing remains good. Drifting shad sides on the flats have been producing the most fish. Also look for some fish in the trees on the south side of the lake. |
| White Bass | Fair | 10-14" | The white bass fishing has slowed. Also look for white bass to be in the deeper holes of the river feeding. Minnows, soft plastics and hair jigs have been working best. |
| Outlet | Fair | 12-20" | Water release has slowed and so has the fishing. There are still some catfish being caught in the stilling basin. Chicken livers and shad have been working best. |
| 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: 11/3/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| channel catfish | good | 14% 11"-16" 7% 16"-24" 36% 24"-28" 43% 28"-36" | Use a worm, stink bait, or shad sides on windy shoreline and channel breaks. |
| crappie | good | 77% 5"- 8" 13% 8"-10" 9% 10"-12" 1% 12"-15" <1% 15"+ | Use a jig or minnow on windy shoreline, brush piles, and channel breaks. Crappie are feeding on small gizzard shad blown up on shoreline. The lake is low enough that you can easily locate the brush piles now. Cold front will push fish offshore. |
| largemouth bass | poor | 75% 8"-12" 25% 12"-15" 0% 15"-20" 0% 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 | 17% 6"- 9" 34% 9"-12" 36% 12"-15" 13% 15"-18" | Use plastic jig, imitation shad, or spinner on windy shoreline and rocky points. |
| General Comments: | |||
| Fresh cedar tree fish habitat brush piles were installed this winter which may be located by using the map below. Link to USACE reservoir water level: http://www.swt-wc.usace.army.mil/FALL.lakepage.html Size structures listed are from 2021 fall test netting and 2021 spring electrofishing for largemouth bass. 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 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: 11/29/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| largemouth and spotted bass | Slow | varies | shad imitating crank baits, or soft plastic baits close to fish structure, the deeper side of weed beds and along rocky points. |
| channel and flathead | Good | varies, some very nice | There is a good population of channel catfish, many around 3-4 pounds. Fish are lakewide, best with 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. We recently stocked 1,000 larger channel catfish into this lake. The fish feeders are ON for the season. |
| walleye | Slow | varies | use dark jigs and crankbaits, along flats and drop-offs. most fish are above the 18 inch length limit. |
| crappie | Slow | varies, many over 11 inches | Most fish are caught in the south end, especially around brushpiles and along deeper water breaks. 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 | |||
| The best way to measure social distancing is with a fishing pole. Ft Scott Lake has boat ramps and several docks and good shoreline access for fishing. This lake has great shoreline angling, lots of room to spread out, for social distancing. The 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 Scoratino Park. The tree placement along the dam are very accessible for shoreline anglers. This project is will improve angler success for bass and crappie. Recently there were 3,500 channel catfish stocked to spice up the fishing. Zebra Mussels have recently been found in Hillsdale Lake, and Linn Valley, Linn County, (Private Lake Development), we'd like to remind you to "CLEAN, DRAIN and DRY" all watercraft before and after entering this lake. 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. Great Kansas Fishing Derby May 15 to Sept 15 Visit www.ksfishderby.com for more info; Tagged Fish - Channel Catfish | |||
GARNETT NORTH - Last Updated: 10/28/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Fair-Good | 8-14 inches | Focus on deep water habitat such as brush or sharp dropoffs, fish can be caught on various colored jigs or small slab spoons or crankbaits. |
| Channel catfish | Good | 8-30 inches | Livers, shad sides, or other prepared baits along ledges or windy banks. The upper end of the lake should be good when water is running in. |
| Largemouth Bass | Good | up to 5lbs. | Various techniques work this time of year including Texas-rigged creature baits, wacky-rigged stick baits, spinnerbaits, vibrating jigs, and swimbaits. Casting along the water willow beds, near any type of brush, or off of points should produce some fish. Remember to harvest fish below the slot limit to benefit the population. Fall transition is also the perfect time to throw topwater baits early and late in the day lures such as buzzbaits, poppers, spooks, or whopper ploppers are great choices. |
| Wipers | Slow-Fair | up to 6 lbs | Chicken livers or shad imitating baits such as crankbaits, spinnerbaits, rattletraps, soft jerkbaits, fished around wind blown banks and dropoffs. |
| 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: 10/28/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Methods, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Fishing Opportunity | |||
| Largemouth Bass | Good | up to 5lbs. | Any type of moving bait should produce some fish, if not switching to finesse worms like wacky rigged stick baits or even a Texas rigged creature bait should work. Baits such as a spinnerbait, vibrating jig, shallow water crankbait, or swimbaits are all good options. |
| Bluegill | Fair-Good | up to 8 inches | Small jigs or flies, also bobber with a worm. |
| Channel Catfish | Fair-Good | 8-24 inches | chicken livers, cut bait or other prepared bait lakewide. |
| Crappie | Slow | 6-10 inches | Minnows under a bobber over deep water will be your best bet. |
| TROUT | Fair | This is a TYPE 1 WATER - ALL ANGLERS NEED A TROUT PERMIT. TROUT SEASON BEGINS NOV. 1 AND RUNS THRU APRIL 15. Small jigs or spinners or prepared trout bait should work. |
| Comments: 550 Trout were stocked on 10-27 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: 10/28/2022 Print
| Species | Size | Rating | Bait, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Catfish | up to 20lbs. | Good | Drifting various baits lakewide or focusing on wind blown shorelines using various baits such as livers or fresh cut bait |
| Blue Catfish | up to 30 lbs. | Fair-Good | Fishing wind blown shorelines with fresh cut bait. Good number of fish in the 5-10 lb. range. A few fish over 35" MINIMUM LENGTH LIMIT IS 35" |
| White Bass | up to 3lbs. | Good | Throwing shad imitating baits along the dam or wind blown shorelines. Fishing below the dam can be good during low to moderate releases. Good numbers of big fish are available. |
| Crappie | up to 15" | Slow-Fair | Along the dam or up in the creeks using jigs of various colors or minnows under a bobber. Target areas with rock or woody structure. |
| Comments - BOAT RAMP IS BACK OPEN AT THE DAM. Fishing should be good below the dam for multiple species during low to moderate releases. Brush Pile Coordinates:
N 38o 14.743'
N 38o 14.658'
N 38o 14.419'
N 38o 14.256'
N 38o 14.722'
N 38o 14.811'
N 38o 14.922'
N 38o 15.222' Fishing below the dam during low to moderate releases should be good for most species. 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: 11/29/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Channel, blue and flathead catfish, | Good | all sizes, | This lake supports good fishing for big blue cats, good channel channel and flatheads. Good baits are worm, frozen shad or liver, Sunfish or cut shad, prepared baits. In the winter months try shoreline fishing at the hotwater outlet. Walk into the lake from the east side. Some blue catfish have been caught that are over 80 pounds. Catfishing can be very good just about anywhere along the shoreline. Trotlines are doing very well. | |||||||
| Crappie | Good | 9 - 12 inches | Crappie anglers are doing well. Fish the hotwater outlet, the dam/outlet, and numerous brushpiles. Sampling and angler reports indicate that there are still alot of good crappie here, most in the 10-12 inch range. Best lures to use are jigs/ minnows, near structure. | |||||||
| Largemouth Bass | Good | varies but 16 to 20 inches is common | Use surface plugs or plastic worms along the rip rap and shoreline along shaded areas. The hot water area is a favorite. | |||||||
| White bass | Slow | varies, some almost 2 pounds | Use shad imitations, silver spoons. Most of the fish caught in the area of the hot water outlet have been the 1 to 2 pound range. Fish the creek mouth where the fresh water comes in and the fish are stacked up. | |||||||
| Wiper | Slow | some up to 12 pounds | Most fish are in the 4 - 6 pound range with a few larger. Find surface gizzard shad and fish close to the shad. | |||||||
| Carp | Slow | all sizes | newly flooded shoreline cover using dough baits | |||||||
| General Comments | ||||||||||
| Water levels have improved. Call the Linn County Park at 913-757-6633. The water level is great, just a little murky. The fish are waiting for you. The best way to measure social distancing is with a fishing pole. Overall the bass are steady, the channel catfish and wipers are improving. 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. There was a 6 pounder and a 7 pounder caught last week. 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/ 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 Linn Valley Private Lake, 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
| ||||||||||
LYON STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 11/3/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill and Redear | good | 45% 4-7" 53% 7-9" 2% 9-11" | Use worm, small jig, or small silver spoon around brush piles and deep ends on rock jetties. The water is very clear and the fish spook easily. |
| Channel Catfish | good | 40% 11-16" 20% 16-24" 20% 24-28" 20% 28-36" | Use worms, shad sides, or liver around deep brush piles and channel breaks. The feeders are empty for the winter. |
| Largemouth Bass | good | 25% 8-12" 45% 12-15" 30% 15-20" 1% >20" | Use spinners or jigs around brush piles and channel breaks. Fish spook easily due to clear water. |
| Crappie | good | 6% 5-8" 31% 8-10" 34% 10-12" 28% 12-15" | Use small jigs or minnows around deep brush piles and channel breaks. |
| General Comments | |||
| ATTENTION! This lake has zebra mussels. Live fish may not be transported away from this lake. Clean, drain, and dry all boats. Size structure listed for largemouth bass is from May 2022 electrofishing. The size structures listed for crappie, bluegill, redear, and channel catfish are from October 2021 test netting. To view a map of brush pile and habitat cube locations, copy these files into Google Earth and zoom into the lake. This winter I installed fresh cedar tree fish habitat brush piles. For more information about the Fall River/Toronto Fisheries District, click here to access newsletters. Great Kansas Fishing Derby May 15 to Sept 15 Visit www.ksfishderby.com for more info; Tagged Fish - Channel Catfish, Black Bass, Crappie, Bluegill | |||
MARAIS DES CYGNES WILDLIFE AREA - Last Updated: 10/3/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| blue, flathead, channel catfish | Very Good | varies | fish in the river are concentrated below riffles, stink baits, cut shad, liver, live bluegill |
| white bass/wipers | Slow | varies | minnows, jigs, work the pools below the rifles, |
| crappie | slow | varies | on the river use jigs just below riffles |
| carp, buffalo | slow but could improve with more river flow. | varies | fishing or bowfishing can be good to excellent when wildlife pools are draining or the river is flooding. |
| General Comments | |||
| This area has shoreline angling, lots of room to spread out, for social distancing. The marais des cygnes river is at a low flow but could produce some good fishing opportunities. Several reports about good bluecat caught on cut bait or shad with trotlines or rod n reel. 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. 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: 10/10/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Good | 0.25-1 lbs | Crappie are now transitioning into fall patterns. Fish are moving into the shallows during dawn and dusk to feed. They can be found holding in 10-15ft during the day. The recent drop in water temperatures has greatly improved fishing conditions. |
| White Bass | Fair-Good | 0.5-2 lbs | White Bass are chasing shad schools in open water. Fish will transition to flats during dawn and dusk. Shad imitations are producing bites. |
| Walleye/Saugeye/Sauger | Good | 0.5-2 lbs | Fish are moving into the shallows during dawn and dusk. Shallow rocky shorelines adjacent to drop offs are the best areas to target using jigs, live minnows, or shallow running crank baits. |
| Blue Catfish | Good | 2-30 bs | Blue catfish are being caught using cut shad. Target wind-blown shorelines and shallow mud flats. Fish can be found cruising the river channel during the day. |
| Channel Catfish | Good | 1- 6 lbs | Channel catfish can be caught on a variety of baits including nightcrawlers, chicken livers, and cut bait. |
| Black Bass | Good | 1-4 lbs | Target brush and vegetation in shallow coves using soft plastics for Largemouth Bass. Smallmouth can be found on rocky points, shorelines, and along the dam. Crankbaits or soft plastics are producing fish. |
| 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 | |||
| Several good reports of multi-species action on the dam! Recent Black Bass surveys indicated a healthy Smallmouth population with many fish in the 12-18 inch range. Water Level: As of October 7th, Melvern Reservoir was 1.4ft below normal pool level with 20 cfs discharge. Current water level conditions can be found at: https://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/Locations/District-Lakes/Melvern-Lake/Daily-Lake-Info-2/ Invasive Species: 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: 11/15/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill / Redear / Warmouth | Good | 6-9 inches | Bluegill and Redear Sunfish up to 9 inches are common on the strip pits on the Mined Land Wildlife Area. Focus your efforts around structure, slopes, and shallow water at the ends of the pits. Worms under a slip bobber, or 1/16 jigs will be a good bet to try. Casting parallel to shore or the ends of the pits are good locations along vegetation. 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 | 15-32 inches | Channel catfish have been stocked across the entire wildlife area. Try shad sides, liver, worms or prepared baits. Slip bobbers with worms, stink bait, or live bait fished along the edges will be a good technique to try. |
| Crappie | Fair | 8-12 inches | 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, 22, 41, and 40, to name a few. |
| Largemouth Bass | Good | 12-21 inches | Largemouth bass can be found in many of the strip pits. Focus your efforts around aquatic vegetation, slopes, beaver dams or any terrestrial or aquatic structure, and shallow water. Many of the strip pits have quality populations. However, there are many with an abundance of 8-12" fish. Consider keeping your daily creel limit of 5 largemouth bass under the protected slot limit (i.e., 13 - 18 inches) to reduce densities to allow for better growth in the strip pits. Many strip pits have quality largemouth bass populations with 15-19" being common. 1/2 oz weedless jigs, ned rigs, bladed jigs, and drop shots thrown parallel to the shore along the slope will be a good technique to try. |
| Rainbow trout | Good | 10-15 inches | The first rainbow trout stocking of the winter and spring of 2022/2023 trout season occurred on Wednesday, October 26, 2022 with a total of 1,200 rainbow trout (800 pounds). The second rainbow trout stocking occurred on Monday, November 15, 2022, with a total of 975 rainbow trout (650 pounds). Good luck! 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. Remember anglers -- A trout permit is required to be able to fish on the "Trout Pit" on Unit #30 during the trout season (November 1-April 15). Rainbow trout & Brown Trout are managed under a combined daily creel limit of five fish. 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 inches | 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. 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. NEW FOR 2020 -- As of January 1, 2020, there is no longer a 20" minimum and daily creel of 1 Brown Trout per day. Therefore, anglers may keep brown trout in combination with rainbow trout for a combined daily creel of 5. |
| Walleye | Fair | 18-21 inches | 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. Limited opportunities exist, due to not being stocked since 2016. 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 inches | Wiper are stocked on the Mined Land Wildlife Area in Unit #21. Stockings have occurred since 2007. 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. |
| Newsletter | STAY UP TO DATE ON FISH STOCKINGS, FISH SAMPLING, AND HABITAT PROJECTS: 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 | ||
| General Comments | |||
| Water Temperature: 70° F, 10/3/2022 Bathymetric maps are now available for the Mined Land Wildlife Area strip pits. This is an ongoing effort by the District Fisheries Biologist, so new pits will be added on a weekly basis. The bathymetric maps that show how deep the strip pits are and water contours can be viewed at the following link: http://ksdot.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=3e0ba6a852d2479aa6e384b4f87a0c2b. The free Explorer GIS app can also be downloaded to use when you're out fishing from your mobile phone, or tablet. This has the ability to use your location to use similar to a depth finder while you're fishing. You can search in your Android, or iPhone, app store for "Explorer GIS", once it is installed you can search for "2020 KDWPT Fishing Access". This will allow for view while you're out fishing. Good luck! 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. 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. 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. 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: 9/9/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Catfish | Good | 14-24" | Catfishing remains good. Recent sampling has shown that channel catfish are moving in to feed in 4-6 feet of water at night to feed. Look for them in the shallows at dark. Chicken liver and shrimp are working best. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | 8-18" | Largemouth bass fishing has slowed. Largemouth can be found in the deeper brush piles and near shoreline structure in the mornings and evenings. Soft plastic baits have been working best, as well as top water lures on calm evenings. |
| Crappie | Good | 8-12" | Crappie fishing remains good. Crappie are still in the deeper brush piles. Minnows have been working best. |
| Bluegill/Redear Sunfish | Good | 6-8" | Bluegill and redear fishing has been good. They can be found near the shoreline around vegetation as well as in the deeper submerged brush piles. Worms under a bobber are working 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. Great Kansas Fishing Derby May 15 to Sept 15 Visit www.ksfishderby.com for more info; Tagged Fish - Channel Catfish, Black Bass, Crappie, Bluegill | |||
MOUND CITY LAKE - Last Updated: 11/28/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, &amp; Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Catfish | Good | Size varies but most are much larger than the 15 inch length limit, with some large fish | Catfish angling has been very good. The fish feeders are OFF. There are alot of big catfish in this lake. Try stink baits, chicken liver, cut shad or chunks of sunfish. The lake supports high numbers of 2 to 8 pounders. The creek in the south end maybe excellent right after a hard rain. We recently stocked channel catfish to expand the population. |
| Bluegill/Redear Sunfish | Slow | varies | Use small baits, jigs or small worm under a float set for shallow water, fish maybe in shallow. |
| Crappie | Slow | 8 to 14 inches some larger | Try deeper areas adjacent to fish habitat, brushpiles. Recent sampling indicates that majority of crappie are in the 10 inch range with some fish in the 13 to 15 inch ranges. Minnows and dark jigs are best. |
| Largemouth Bass | Good | varies | The bass are slower with the cold water. There are many fish in the 3+ range. Recent sampling indicates a good population with majority of fish 14 to 19 inches. Try plastics, jig and Pig, slab, try along the rock, trees and timber |
| General Comments | |||
| This is a great Kayak or small craft lake. The best way to measure social distancing is with a fishing pole. This lake has great shoreline angling, lots of room to spread out, for social distancing. Warm weather will really speed up the fishing. Water level is good and clear. 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 this season. Best baits are dark colored jigs and minnows, mainly around underwater structure. Fish feeders are ON and there are lots of big catfish using the feeders. Largemouth bass numbers have really improved and continues to produce great fishing. Recently there were 2,000 channel catfish stocked to spice up the fishing. Zebra Mussels have recently been found in Hillsdale Lake, and Linn Valley, Linn County, (Private Lake Development) 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: 5/24/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paddlefish | Closed | Paddlefish snagging season has ended. | |
| 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: 10/3/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill/Redear | Good | 3-6" - 15% 6-8" - 82% 8-10" - 3% | Anglers, whether catching for bait, for fun, 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'. |
| Warmouth | Fair | 7-10 inches | Anglers can find warmouth primarily near rocky habitats, such as jetties and on dam. 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 | Good | 11-16" - 32% 16-24" - 60% 24-28" - 6% > 28" - 2% | Channel catfish can be found throughout all portions of the lake. Boat anglers can focus their efforts on the flats of 4-8', 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 be 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 | 5-8" - 22% 8-10" - 65% 10-12" - 11% >12" - 2% | 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 | 8-12" - 35% 12-15" - 32% 15-20" - 28% > 20" - 4% | 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 include spinnerbaits, top-water lures, plastic worms, and live bait under a bobber are all tactics for anglers to pursue. |
| Newsletter | STAY UP TO DATE ON FISH STOCKINGS, FISH SAMPLING, FISH HABITAT PROJECTS: 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 | ||
| General Comment | |||
| Water Temperature: 68° F, 10/3/2022 A habitat enhancement project was conducted in spring of 2020 with over 250 cedar trees being submerged and 27 new brushpile locations being added. You can find the GPS coordinates at the following link by opening the "Complete Online Map": https://ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/Locations/Hunting-Fishing-Atlas/Fishing-Atlas 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. 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: 10/10/2022 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 | ||
| Sunfish | Good | Up to 0.25 lbs | Osage SFL contains several sunfish populations including Bluegill, Redear Sunfish, and Warmouth. With cooler temperatures, fish can be caught in shallow water 3-6ft near vegetation using worms or small lures. |
| Channel catfish | Good | 0.5-5 lbs | Catfish are being caught using liver, stink bait, shad, nightcrawlers and cut bait. |
| Crappie | Good | 0.25 - 1lbs | Both Black and White Crappie occur in Osage SFL. A strong year class of 4-6 inch fish were recorded during a recent survey. Additionally, 12-14 inch fish are present. With cooler temperatures, fish are transitioning to shallow structure in 3-6 ft |
| Largemouth bass | Good | 0.5-2 lbs | Target bass near the edges of aquatic vegetation, rock jetties, and brush piles using a variety of soft plastics. |
| General Comments | |||
| 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. GPS coordinates for cube clusters placed on 7/13/21 are: 1. N 38.772333 W 95.672267 4. N 38.767067 W 95.668917 2. N 38.77125 W 95.671467 5. N 38.76465 W 95.67415 3. N 38.771017 W 95.6731 6. N 38.76345 W 95.674617 Great Kansas Fishing Derby May 15 to Sept 15 Visit www.ksfishderby.com for more info; Tagged Fish - Channel Catfish, Black Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Carp | |||
PLEASANTON CITY LAKE EAST - Last Updated: 11/29/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, &Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wipers | Slow | size varies, | look for shad on the surface and cast close. Majority of fish are in the 3 to 5 pound range. spoons, crank baits are good, use shad imitations. |
| Channel catfish | Good | All sizes, | This lake has a good catfish population and produces nice fish. The fish feeders are ON. Anglers commonly catch fish in the 2- 7 pound range, with some over 10 pounds. Best baits are bluegill chunks, worms, liver, traditional chicken liver, shrimp, prepared baits, lakewide. Gear up for these big channels. We recently stocked 2000 channel catfish. |
| Largemouth bass | Good | varies | lots of bass with a balanced population. try dropoffs, and the deep side of weed bed habitat. Try using silver or blue crank baits or soft baits. Lots of bass in the 12 to 15 inch range. An angler caught 8 yesterday with the biggest at 4 lbs. |
| Walleye | Slow | 18-24 inches | An incidental fish taken near deeper habitat. |
| White Crappie | Good | 8-14 inches | The crappie are improving and are in the 8 inch to 15 inches long. Fish are in deeper and around the brushpiles. Use pink, blue/white tube or green jigs, minnows. Fish the creek mouth where the fresh water comes in and the fish are stacked up. |
| General Comment | |||
| Water levels have improved. This is a great Kayak or small craft lake. The best way to measure social distancing is with a fishing pole. The best time to fish is anytime you can. This lake has great shoreline angling, lots of room to spread out, for social distancing. Warm weather will really speed up the fishing. This is a great kayaking while you are fishing lake, no recreational boating. Have the lake to yourself. 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, 2,800 are stocked in mid October to increase fishing opportunities. This will supplement the population and maintain fishing opportunities. Zebra Mussels have recently been found in Hillsdale Lake, and (Private) Linn Valley Lake in Linn County, 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.
| |||
PLEASANTON CITY LAKE WEST - Last Updated: 11/28/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, &amp; Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| channel catfish | Slow | Size varies, some up to 8 pounds | Lots of channel catfish and anglers are doing well. Use cut shad or sunfish or best on chicken liver, shrimp, worms, prepared baits, along dam, lots of fat fish from 2 - 6 pounds. This lake is a great channel catfish lake with great shoreline angling, lots of room to spread out, for social distancing. Gearup for these big channel catfish. We recently restocked this lake so the catfish numbers are even higher. The fish feeders are ON. |
| crappie | Slow | All sizes | Density and quality of fish is good. The crappie are in and out with the water temperatures. Most about 9 inches with some in the 12 inch range. Because of the lake design and habitat placements, most fish are accessible from the shoreline. Fish with jigs, blue /white, minnows, |
| largemouth bass | Good | 12-23 inches | water levels are good and lots of fish in the 2 to 4 pound range. Use crank baits or spinners, recent sampling shows many bass over 3 pounds. Even with the colder water temperatures bass are still responding to stick baits and medium depty crank baits. |
| bluegill | Good | varies | Most fish are under 8 inches. use a small worm or jig under a float. |
| General Comments | |||
| Water levels have improved. This is a great Kayak or small craft lake. The best way to measure social distancing is with a fishing pole. The fish feeders are ON and support alot of channel catfish. This lake has great shoreline angling, lots of room to spread out, for social distancing. Water levels are good. Best time to fish is anytime you can. Pleasanton West Lake produces a quality bass and channel catfish fishery. Largemouth bass, overall are in very good condition and health. Try your luck with roadrunners, jigs, and spinners for these sizeable fish! Recently there were 2,800 channel catfish stocked to spice up the fishing. Zebra Mussels have recently been found in Hillsdale Lake, and Linn Valley, Linn County, (Private Lake Development), 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 RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 11/28/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel, Blue, Flathead Catfish | Slow | all sizes | good baits are worms or dip baits and cut sunfish or cutshad. Both of the Parks provide many great shorelines for bank fishing. The Rock Quarry is a good place for shore fishing. The outlet can be very good when releasing larger amounts of water. There is the occasional harvest of a blue catfish. Channel catfish are in great shape, many in the 2 to 4 pound range. Lots of catfish caught in the spillway on worms or cut bait. |
| Walleye/saugeye | Slow | varies | Try crank baits or jigs tipped with night crawlers along the flats |
| White bass/Wipers | Slow | varies | There are good white bass up to 2 pounds and good wipers up to the 5-6 pound pounds. Good baits are minnows/live baits, cut bait, sometimes for wipers use liver and shad imitation lures. Look for where shad are schooled up. |
| Crappie | Good | varies but range 8 -12 inches | Very good crappie are still being caught. Sampling shows alot of good crappie over 10 inches here. Shallow windy shorelines and points are good places for crappie feeding on gizzard shad. Best baits are dark jigs and/or minnows. When releasing high volume of water the outlet/spillway is fantastic. |
| Largemouth Bass | Poor | Most are 10 to 15 inches | Pomona has a limited black bass fishery with some smallmouth bass being caught. Catches are more common in the Marina area and in the coves on a variety of baits to include crankbaits and soft baits |
| General Information | |||
| Water levels have improved. Pomona has produced many good crappie in the 10 to 14 inch range and excellent white bass. Angling will improve as the water cools down. 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 | |||
WILSON STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 9/9/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location | |
| Channel Catfish | Good | 16-24" | Catfishing remains good. Look for fish in the shallows near dark and near any inflowing water on the upper end and the creeks that flow into the lake. Shad sides and chicken livers have been working best. | |
| Largemouth and Spotted Bass | Fair | 10-22" | Largemouth bass fishing has slowed. Most bass have moved into the deeper brush piles, but some can still be found near shoreline structure. Look for bass to feed more actively in the early morning and evening hours. Soft plastic baits and top water lures during calm days have been working best. | |
| Crappie | Good | 8-12" | Crappie fishing remains good. Crappie are still being found in the deeper brush piles. Minnows have been working best. | |
| Bluegill and Redear | Good | 6-8" | Bluegills and redears fishing remains good. Bluegill and redear can be found in the deeper brush piles. Jigs tipped with a worm have been working 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: 10/28/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Bait, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | Good | 6-14" | Using light tackle and small lures like beetle spins, small inline spinners or small plastic baits will be productive. Some larger fish are available but not high in density. |
| Channel Catfish | Good | 12-26" | Livers, shad sides, stink bait fished on wind blown banks. Lots of fish in the 1-4 lb. range. |
| Walleye | Poor-Fair | 8-12" | Fall sampling indicates a few fish over 15" are available. |
| Bluegill | Good | 4-6" | mealworms, nightcrawlers, or small jigs fished near shore and around vegetation or brush. |
| Crappie | Fair-Good | 6-10" | Recent sampling has shown there are a lot of 8" fish currently with some fish tickling the 10" mark. Fishing with jigs and minnows around the deeper brush piles or cube clusters will produce fish, but probably not many keepers. |
| We added 120 brush piles and 220 Georgia Cubes to the lake for fish habitat. For a map of these habitat locations and a bathymetric map of Woodson State Fishing Lake CLICK HERE | |||
YATES CENTER - SOUTH OWL - Last Updated: 10/28/2022 Print
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | Slow-Fair | 1-5 lbs. | Vibrating jigs, spinnerbaits, or shallow water crankbaits fished near the water willow beds. Flipping jigs and Texas rigged creature baits around the same cover should also be productive. Topwater baits early and late near the water willow beds will also produce. The water is really muddy so fishing is tougher. |
| channel catfish | Good | 1/2-15 lbs | Using shad sides livers or other prepared baits on wind blown banks should get a few bites. |
| Walleye | No reports | 10-24" | Jig and crawler along creek channel |
| crappie | Slow | up to 14" | Look for crappie around deeper water structure and try using live bait, jigs, or small slab spoons. |
| 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. The road to South Owl will be closed for construction for up to 60 days, so the lake is essentially closed to boat traffic. The water is extremely turbid so conditions are tougher for bass, crappie, and walleye. 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: 10/28/2022 Print
| Species | Size | Rating | Baits, Methods, Locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redear and Bluegill | up to 10" | Fair-Good | A good population of both species is present in this lake. small jigs or worms fished around deeper brush or timber. |
| Largemouth Bass | 8-18" | Good | Vibrating jigs, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, or swimbaits fished around the timber and points. Or fishing Texas-rigged plastics or heavy cover jigs around the timber and brush piles. |
| Catfish | up to 10lbs. | Good | Shad sides, worms, or other prepared baits fished on windy flats or upper end of lake when water is coming in. Don't be afraid to fish shallow water. Feeders are on, DO NOT TIE BOATS TO THE FEEDERS! |
| Wipers/White Bass | 8-18" | Fair-Good | Vertical jigging slab spoons or shad imitation jigs around the creek channel and deeper water or fish may be caught along the rocky shorelines or windy points using small spinners, crankbaits, or hair jigs. |
| Crappie | up to 12" | Fair-Good | Focus on deeper water in standing timber near channel bends and dropoffs, vertical jigging minnows or jigs should be productive. Lots of 8-9" fish, and anglers are encouraged to keep these fish up to 20/day to benefit the population. |
| Walleye | 15-24" | slow | No reports |
| 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. | |||