Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism

Southwest Region Fishing Reports

Fishing reports provide general angling information from KDWPT staff. The department cannot update the reports on a regular, frequent basis. Many factors determine angling success, and fishing conditions and individual fishing success may vary from the report. Anglers are responsible for deciding what species to fish for, what methods to use, and where and when to fish. You can help fellow anglers by sharing successful fishing notes at http://www.facebook.com/kdwpt.

BARBER STATE FISHING LAKE - LOWER - Last Updated: 4/4/2019

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, & Location
Crappie	No report	Up to 12 inches	Crappie should be starting to move shallow. Try minnows, small slab spoons, or jigs around brush in 4-8 feet of water.
Channel catfish	No report	Up to 5 lbs	Try fishing on the sunny, windblown side of the lake. Try prepared stinkbait, cut bait or liver under a bobber or on the bottom. Also try drifting nightcrawlers.
Largemouth bass	No report	Up to 4 lbs	Try jigs, small crankbaits and jerk baits around sunny banks and points later in the day.
Bluegill	No report	Up to 8 inches	Try small jigs, crickets or worms under a bobber around brush and rock piles.
Walleye	No report	Up to 4 lbs	Try curl tail jigs or slim minnow type baits around the dam.

Water temperatures should be in the high 40's to low 50's. Most fish should begin moving shallower, and feeding heavier, in preparation for spawning.

If you would like to post a fishing report go to http:/ksfishing.blogspot.com/ and post a report for Region 3 and the lake you have been fishing. You may also call the Dodge City Regional office as 620-227-8609 to make a report.

Please discard of leftover bait in a trash can, even baitfish. Remember it is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water!

A Dodge City District newsletter is available. Information about fishing and fisheries management throughout southwest Kansas will be updated at least twice each year. If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter you can go to the following link to get on the mailing list. http://kdwp.state.ks.us/news/KDWP-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Dodge-City-Fishing-District

CLARK STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 4/4/2019

Work to repair the Clark County State Fishing Lake spillway will begin around the end of April 2019, and will entail drawing the reservoir down about 11 feet. To learn more, CLICK HERE.

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, & Location
Crappie	No report	Up to 15 inches	Crappie should be starting to move shallow. Try minnows, small slab spoons, or jigs around brush in 4-8 feet of water.
Channel catfish	No report	Up to 5 lbs	Try fishing on the sunny, windblown side of the lake. Try prepared stinkbait, cut bait or liver under a bobber or on the bottom. Also try drifting nightcrawlers
Largemouth bass	No report	Up to 6 lbs	Try jigs, small crankbaits and jerk baits around sunny banks and points later in the day.
Bluegill	No report	Up to 8 inches	Try small jigs, or crickets & worms under a bobber around brush and rock piles.
Walleye	No report	Up to 25 inches	Try jigs tipped with worms, minnows or leaches or small minnow type crank baits as the bottom presentation. You can also try slab spoons.
White bass	Fair	Up to 1.5 lbs	Try curl tail jigs or slim minnow type baits around the dam

Water temperatures should be in the high 40's to low 50's. Most fish should begin moving shallower, and feeding heavier, in preparation for spawning.

If you would like to post a fishing report go to http://ksfishing.blogspot.com/ and post a report for Region 3 and the lake you have been fishing. You may also call the Dodge City Regional office as 620-227-8609 to make a report.

Please discard of leftover bait in a trash can, even baitfish. Remember it is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water!

DODGE CITY LAKE CHARLES - Last Updated: 3/16/2017

HORSETHIEF RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 4/4/2019

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, & Location
Crappie	No report	Up to 12 inches	Crappie should be starting to move shallow. Try minnows, small slab spoons, or jigs around brush in 4-8 feet of water.
Channel catfish	No report	Up to 5 lbs	Try fishing on the sunny, windblown side of the lake. Try prepared stinkbait, cut bait or liver under a bobber or on the bottom. Also try drifting nightcrawlers.
Largemouth bass	No report	Up to 4 lbs	Try jigs, small crankbaits and jerk baits around sunny banks and points later in the day.
Bluegill	No report	Up to 8 inches	Try small jigs, crickets or worms under a bobber around brush and rock piles.
Walleye	No report	Up to 4 lbs	Try curl tail jigs or slim minnow type baits around the dam.

Water temperatures should be in the high 40's to low 50's. Most fish should begin moving shallower, and feeding heavier, in preparation for spawning.

Please discard of leftover bait in a trash can, even baitfish. Remember it is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water!

MEADE STATE LAKE - Last Updated: 4/4/2019

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, & Location
Crappie	No report	Up to 12 inches	Crappie should be starting to move shallow. Try minnows, small slab spoons, or jigs around brush in 4-8 feet of water.
Channel catfish	No report	Up to 5 lbs	Try fishing on the sunny, windblown side of the lake. Try prepared stinkbait, cut bait or liver under a bobber or on the bottom. Also try drifting nightcrawlers.
Largemouth bass	No report	Up to 4 lbs	Try jigs, small crankbaits and jerk baits around sunny banks and points later in the day.
Bluegill	No report	Up to 8 inches	Try small jigs, crickets or worms under a bobber around brush and rock piles.
Flathead catfish	No report	Up to 40 lbs	Live bait around brushpiles

Water temperatures should be in the high 40's to low 50's. Most fish should begin moving shallower, and feeding heavier, in preparation for spawning.

Please discard of leftover bait in a trash can, even baitfish. Remember it is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water!

PRATT COUNTY LAKE - Last Updated: 4/4/2019

As authorized by K.S.A. 32-807, and as further specified under K.A.R.115-7-1, a fish salvage condition will exist at Pratt County Lake as a result of needed repair to the dam infrasturctuee.

It shall be legal to take fish from this project as designated by posted sign. Additional legal means of take include snagging, seine, gig, and hand.

This order will take effect when posted (03/28/2019) and remain in effect until posted notice is removed.

Pratt County Lake will be drained in the spring of 2019 to make repairs to the road and both inflow and outflow structures that were compromised by the flood in 2018. Length and Creel limits will be removed by posted order sometime in early December 2018.

Please discard of leftover bait in a trash can, even baitfish. Remember it is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water!

SCOTT STATE LAKE - Last Updated: 4/19/2019

General Comments
Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method & Location
Channel Catfish	Fair/Good	Most in the 13 to 18 inch range	Fishing shrimp, cut or prepared baits up in the creek or toward the upper end of Timber Canyon Cove has been best.
Crappie	Fair/Good	Up to 13 inches	Fishing jigs around the fish attractors has begun to produce fish that are beginning to stage for spawning. Look for fish to move shallow and begin spawning with an onset of warmer weather.
Largemouth Bass	Fair/Good	Up to 5.5 lbs.	Casting soft plastics and slow-rolling spinner baits around shoreline habitat.
Rainbow Trout	Good/Excellent	0.5 lb. average	The 2018/2019 trout season concluded on April 15, 2019 so a valid trout permit is no longer needed to fish for and harvest trout the remainder of the year until November 1, 2019 begins the start of the 2019/2020 trout season. Residents age 16 through 74 and nonresidents 16 and older must possess a valid state fishing license to fish year-round. Harvest regulations remain in effect as a 5 fish/day/person creel limit applies. Possession limit is three times the daily limit. Still fishing worms, power bait, salmon eggs, marshmallows, and corn alone or in various combination off the bottom is a popular approach using traditional casting equipment. Fly rod anglers can also be effective casting nymphs, small streamers, wooly buggers, or salmon egg imitations. Anglers continue to report catching limits.
Sunfish	Good	Up to 8 inches	Worms and small jigs fished around the fish attractors has been productive for some pretty nice fish in the 6-7 inch range.
Saugeye/Walleye	Good/Excellent	Up to 7 lbs.	Casting minnow imitating swimbaits or crankbaits over points, shallow flats adjacent to drop-offs, and along lines of cattails. Overall, anglers report catching good numbers of fish and a fair number of fish in the 18 to 23 inch range have been reported.
Release all walleye/saugeye less than 18 inches and largemouth bass less than 15 inches. Please discard of leftover bait in a trash can, even baitfish. Remember it is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water! Cedar Bluff District Newsletter: A biannual newsletter detailing fishing related projects and activities in the Cedar Bluff District, which includes such waters as Cedar Bluff Reservoir, Sheridan and Scott State Fishing Lakes, Antelope Lake, and other public fishing waters in northwest Kansas are available. If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter you can go to the following link to get on the mailing list. The link is: http://kdwp.state.ks.us/news/KDWP-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Cedar-Bluff-Fishing-District

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Southwest Region Fishing Reports