Tuttle Creek Reservoir Fishing Information
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Good | 1/2 to 2 pounds | Crappie fishing has been very good this winter ever since the water levels have stabilized. Boat anglers have been catching all sizes of fish in standing timber 15 to 25 feet deep. Jigs or minnows. |
| White Bass | Slow | 1/2 to 2 pounds | White bass numbers continue to be low due to poor spawning success the last six years. |
| Catfish | Fair | Up to 40 pounds | The lake and the connected river system maintains a good channel catfish population and is one of the best places around to catch channel over 8 pounds. The blue catfish population is finally starting to get established. The vast majority of the fish are below 28 inches and not sexually mature yet. To protect these fish until they have a chance to spawn, a new 35-inch minimum length limit is in place starting January 1, 2018. The plan is to only have a length limit on blue catfish for a few years until the population can sustain itself through natural reproduction. Please check any blue catfish for a yellow tag in its back as we have been tagging some of these 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 (785) 539-7941 or ely.sprenkle@ks.gov A big THANK YOU to all who report their catch! |
| Largemouth Bass | Slow | 1 to 5 pounds | Coves in southern third of the Reservoir have some locally good largemouth bass populations. The McIntyre Cove area tends to produce the best fishing with Carnahan Cove a distant second best. |
| Saugeye | Fair | Up to 6 pounds | The high release rates have moved a lot of saugeye from the Reservoir downstream which has led to some good fishing in the River Pond, the river below the dam or at Rocky Ford. Starting in 2017, the minimum length limit does not apply to saugeye in the River Pond or at the "tubes". The 15-inch minimum length limit is still in effect in the Reservoir. |
| Rainbow Trout | Good | Up to 5 pounds | The fifth stocking of rainbow trout for Willow Lake was completed on February 18th. So far this trout season, Willow Lake has been stocked with 6,650 trout. Anglers have been doing well with traditional trout baits or power baits. A trout permit is required for fishing at Willow Lake during the trout season. |
| General Comments | |||
| Fishing has been getting back to normal as the water levels have come down. You can check current water conditions HERE Zebra mussels were found in Tuttle Creek on August 16, 2017. This makes the Reservoir, River Pond and Rocky Ford as designated Aquatic Nuisance Species waters. Fish may not be transported alive from ANS designated waters. To help prevent the spread of invasive species, please CLEAN, DRAIN & DRY all equipment when changing water bodies and please do not move fish you have caught or your bait. Do you want some more information on fishing in the Manhattan area? You can subscribe to the free Manhattan Fisheries Newsletter by clicking the link. | |||
| Fishing Population | Creel Limit | Min Length Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Catfish | 5 | 35 |
| Bluegill | ||
| Channel Catfish | 10 | |
| Crappie | 50 | |
| Flathead Catfish | 5 | |
| Green Sunfish | ||
| Largemouth Bass | 5 | 18 |
| Saugeye | 5 | 15 |
| White Bass | ||
| Trout | 5 |
* Largemouth, Smallmouth, Spotted Bass in Combination
** Striped Bass or Wiper in Combination
*** Walleye, Sauger or Saugeye in Combination
| Water | Water type | Stocking date | Number stocked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olpe City Lake | COML | 4/10/2019 | 90000 |
| Madison City Lake | COML | 4/10/2019 | 342000 |
| EUREKA CITY LAKE | COML | 4/10/2019 | 259000 |
| HOWARD-POLK DANIELS LAKE | COML | 4/10/2019 | 69000 |
| MOLINE NEW CITY LAKE - NORTH | COML | 4/10/2019 | 185000 |
| GEARY STATE FISHING LAKE | SFLS | 4/10/2019 | 200000 |
| GEARY STATE FISHING LAKE | SFLS | 4/18/2019 | 200000 |
| Bone Creek Lake | COML | 4/15/2019 | 1000000 |
| Chanute City Lake | COML | 4/15/2019 | 160000 |
| CRAWFORD STATE FISHING LAKE | SFLS | 4/15/2019 | 600000 |
| Tuttle Creek Reservoir | RESV | 4/11/2019 | 1000000 |
| Tuttle Creek Reservoir | RESV | 4/18/2019 | 900000 |
| Tuttle Creek Reservoir | RESV | 4/23/2019 | 300000 |
| CENTRALIA CITY LAKE | COML | 4/10/2019 | 400000 |
| CENTRALIA CITY LAKE | COML | 4/16/2019 | 400000 |
| SEDAN NEW CITY LAKE- SOUTH | COML | 4/10/2019 | 70000 |
| SEDAN OLD CITY LAKE- NORTH | COML | 4/10/2019 | 55000 |
| GRAHAM CO-ANTELOPE LAKE | COML | 4/12/2019 | 40000 |
| SABETHA CITY LAKE | COML | 4/16/2019 | 100000 |
| CARBONDALE CITY LAKE - EAST | COML | 4/18/2019 | 300000 |
| OLATHE - CEDAR LAKE | COML | 4/18/2019 | 100000 |
| OLATHE - LAKE OLATHE | COML | 4/18/2019 | 400000 |
| HARVEY COUNTY LAKE-EAST | COML | 4/10/2019 | 314000 |
| SEDGWICK COUNTY-LAKE AFTON | COML | 4/10/2019 | 258000 |
| Paola City Lake - Lake Miola | COML | 4/18/2019 | 500000 |
| CRITZER LAKE | COML | 4/15/2019 | 44000 |
| PLEASANTON EAST LAKE | COML | 4/15/2019 | 26000 |
| Bourbon State Fishing Lake | SFLS | 4/15/2019 | 20600 |
| Fort Scott City Lake | COML | 4/15/2019 | 72000 |
| Sebelius Reservoir | RESV | 4/16/2019 | 500000 |
| POTTAWATOMIE SFL #2 | SFLS | 4/23/2019 | 200000 |
| SHAWNEE STATE FISHING LAKE | SFLS | 4/23/2019 | 300000 |
| 9404600 |
View Trout Stocking Program Information
Northeast Region Trout Stocking Schedule
Department-owned Waters – Trout Stockings by KDWPT
| Northeast Region | Fort Riley Moon Lake | Fort Riley Cameron Springs | Tuttle Creek Willow Lake | Eisenhower State Park Pond | Clinton State Park Lake Henry |
| 1st Stocking | October 29 | October 29 | October 29 | October 29 | October 29 |
| 2nd Stocking | November 18 | November 18 | November 19 | November 19 | November 19 |
| 3rd Stocking | December 19 | December 19 | December 26 | December 19 | December 26 |
| 4th Stocking | February 4 | February 4 | February 4 | February 4 | February 3 |
| 5th Stocking | February 18 | February 18 | February 18 | February 18 | February 17 |
| 6th Stocking | |||||
| Total Estimated Trout Stocked for 2019-2020 Season | 9,000 | 7,500 | 9,200 | 1,200 | 4,000 |
Community Lake Stockings - Please contact local city/county offices for dates of stockings if not listed below
| Northeast Region |
Herington Father Padilla Pond 785-258-2271 |
Shawnee County Lake Shawnee 785-251-6800 |
Holton Elkhorn Lake 785-364-2721 |
Atchison City Lake #1 913-367-5500 |
| 1st Stocking | October 29 | October 26 | November 6 | November 6 |
| 2nd Stocking | February 6 | |||
| Total Estimated Trout Stocked for 2018-19 Season | 400 | 17,000 | 1,700 | 2,000 |