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: 3/19/2020
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, & Location |
| Crappie | No report | Up to 12 inches | Crappie should be starting to move out of deep water. Fish any brush ou can find especially in the creek channels or around a drop-offs. Use minnows, small slab spoons, or jigs. |
| Channel catfish | No report | Up to 5 lbs | Try fishing any areas of inflow from recent rains. Try prepared stink bait, cut bait or liver under a bobber or on the bottom. Also try night crawlers. |
| Largemouth bass | No report | Up to 4 lbs | Try jigs and soft plastic later in the day around wood or vegetation. |
| Bluegill | No report | Up to 8 inches | Try small jigs & worms under a bobber around brush, the dam and rock piles. |
| Walleye | No report | Up to 4 lbs | Walleye should soon be on the rocks near the dam. Try small jigs with plastic swimbaits, wobble jigs tipped with worms, minnows or leaches or trolling small minnow type crank baits. |
Water temperatures are warming up and should be in the mid 40's. Most fish should be starting to feed in preparation to spawn. Go to the KDWPT Fisheries page on Facebook for a recent post about general spawning temperatures of fish in Kansas.
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
CLARK STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 3/19/2020
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, & Location |
| Crappie | No report | Up to 12 inches | Crappie should be starting to move out of deep water. Fish any brush ou can find especially in the creek channels or around a drop-offs. Use minnows, small slab spoons, or jigs. |
| Channel catfish | No report | Up to 5 lbs | Try fishing any areas of inflow from recent rains. Try prepared stink bait, cut bait or liver under a bobber or on the bottom. Also try night crawlers. |
| Largemouth bass | No report | Up to 6 lbs | Try jigs and soft plastic later in the day around wood or vegetation. |
| Bluegill | No report | Up to 8 inches | Try small jigs & worms under a bobber around brush, the dam and rock piles. |
| Walleye | No report | Up to 7 lbs | Walleye should soon be on the rocks near the dam. Try small jigs with plastic swimbaits, wobble jigs tipped with worms, minnows or leaches or trolling small minnow type crank baits. |
| White bass | No report | Up to 1.5 lbs | Small twister tail jigs, spoons and crankbaits on windblown areas. |
Water temperatures are warming up and should be in the mid 40's. Most fish should be starting to feed in preparation to spawn. Go to the KDWPT Fisheries page on Facebook for a recent post about general spawning temperatures of fish in Kansas.
The repair work is completed. Boats are being put on the water only at 1 ramp on the south east side.
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: 3/19/2020
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, & Location |
| Crappie | No report | Up to 12 inches | Crappie should be starting to move out of deep water. Fish any brush ou can find especially in the creek channels or around a drop-offs. Use minnows, small slab spoons, or jigs. |
| Channel catfish | No report | Up to 5 lbs | Try fishing any areas of inflow from recent rains. Try prepared stink bait, cut bait or liver under a bobber or on the bottom. Also try night crawlers. |
| Largemouth bass | No report | Up to 4 lbs | Try jigs and soft plastic later in the day around wood or vegetation. |
| Bluegill | No report | Up to 8 inches | Try small jigs & worms under a bobber around brush, the dam and rock piles. |
| Walleye | No report | Up to 4 lbs | Walleye should soon be on the rocks near the dam. Try small jigs with plastic swimbaits, wobble jigs tipped with worms, minnows or leaches or trolling small minnow type crank baits. |
Water temperatures are warming up and should be in the mid 40's. Most fish should be starting to feed in preparation to spawn. Go to the KDWPT Fisheries page on Facebook for a recent post about general spawning temperatures of fish in Kansas.
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: 3/19/2020
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, & Location |
| Crappie | No report | Up to 12 inches | Crappie should be starting to move out of deep water. Fish any brush ou can find especially in the creek channels or around a drop-offs. Use minnows, small slab spoons, or jigs. |
| Channel catfish | No report | Up to 5 lbs | Try fishing any areas of inflow from recent rains. Try prepared stink bait, cut bait or liver under a bobber or on the bottom. Also try night crawlers. |
| Largemouth bass | No report | Up to 4 lbs | Try jigs and soft plastic later in the day around wood or vegetation. |
| Bluegill | No report | Up to 8 inches | Try small jigs & worms under a bobber around brush, the dam and rock piles. |
Water temperatures are warming up and should be in the mid 40's. Most fish should be starting to feed in preparation to spawn. Go to the KDWPT Fisheries page on Facebook for a recent post about general spawning temperatures of fish in Kansas.
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: 3/19/2020
The fish salvage condition is no longer in place at Pratt County Lake. The repairs have been completed and the lake is filling. On July 2, 2019, 700 pounds of channel catfish averaging 1.5 pounds each were stocked to begin building fish populations back up. Largemouth bass, walleye and wipers, as well as more channel catfish, will be stocked when they are available.
Please discard of leftover bait in a trash can, even baitfish. Remember it is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water!
A Dodge City District newsletter is available. Information about fishing and fisheries management throughout southwest Kansas will be updated at least twice each year. If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter you can go to the following link to get on the mailing list. http://kdwp.state.ks.us/news/KDWP-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Dodge-City-Fishing-District
SCOTT STATE LAKE - Last Updated: 3/20/2020
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location |
| Channel Catfish | Slow/Fair | Most in the 13 to 18 inch range | Cut bait fished in the shallows on warmer days. |
| Crappie | Fair/Good | Up to 13 inches | Vertically fishing jigs around the deeper brushpiles or drifting jigs from a boat on the main lake. Look for fish to move shallow to spawn in early April as the weather and water warms up some more. Spawning fish can be caught fishing jigs under a bobber along riprapped shorelines and around shallow brush and vegetation. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | Up to 5.5 lbs. | Casting soft plastics and swim baits around shoreline habitat and brush piles. |
| Rainbow Trout | Good/Excellent | Up to 2.5 lbs. | The sixth and final stocking of the season was conducted March 13, 2020 as approximately 500 trout were released into Barrel Springs Pond. Stillfishing powerbait, corn, marshmallows, worms off the bottom, alone or in various combinations, is a popular approach. Active fishing methods such as casting small in-line spinners and spoons with light spincasting tackle or fishing slow-sinking nymphs with a fly rod can be effective too. |
| Sunfish | Good | Up to 8 inches | Worms under a bobber and small jigs fished around deeper brush. |
| Saugeye | Fair | Up to 7 lbs. | Bouncing brightly colored, curly-tailed jigs or fish imitating swimbaits along the dam face at night can be good for spawning fish. Fish in post spawn feeding mode can be caught casting swim-baits and jigs tipped with minnows over shallow points and shelves, and along edges of cattails. |
| General Comments | |||
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| 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 | |||