Kansas

Fishing in Kansas

Fishing in Kansas is exciting for anglers of all skill levels. The vast variety of fishing is not only for bass, walleye, catfish and crappie, but also for stiper and wiper (hybrid of white bass and striper). What’s more, there are numbers of small ponds and streams offering a wide variety of panfish including bluegill, and some lakes and streams are also stocked with trout.

Best Fishing Spots in the State

The state can be divided in 5 regions.

Region 1:

Glen Elder Reservoir: This is a 12,586-acre reservoir giving excellent catches of crappie, wipers, walleye, smallmouth bass and channel catfish. You can catch crappie while trolling along the bluffs, dam and near the river breaks off the state park shore. For smallmouth bass, topwater baits work very well early in the morning and at dusk when the water is calm. Once the wind starts a little, try a variety of crankbaits, throwing them 4-8 feet of water near rocky areas.

Kanopolis Reservoir: This 16,000-acre lake gives good catches of channel catfish, crappie, walleye/saugeye, white bass and wipers. For wipers, live shad or slab spoons may too work. Chumming works for channel catfish. Sponge and dip baits are favorite baits. Remember that from 15 July to 15 september, float line fishing is legal in Kanopolis. Trot lines and set lines too are still legal, but mark them well with name and address.

There are numerous other lakes in this region, viz. Cedar Bluff, Sebelius, Webster, Kirwin, Wilson and Lovewell, which are excellent for fishing in Kansas of different species. The Lake Cedar Bluff offers trout fishing too.

Region 2:

Milford Reservoir: This is a 16,200-acre lake and is an excellent place for fishing largemouth, smallmouth, spotted, black and white bass, catfish, channel, blue and flathead catfish, crappie, walleye and wiper. Especially bass and catfish offer a chance for trophy.

Perry Reservoir: This is a 11,630-acre reservoir and gives channel catfish, sauger, largemouth, smallmouth and white bass, and white crappie. You have to be careful of the zebra mussels which are spread throughout the lake. For sauger, tubes and deep diving cranks work, while tube jigs or chrome lures for white bass. Tube jigs also work for white crappie.

Tuttle Creek Reservoir:  This is a 12,500-acre lake and gives largemouth, and white bass, channel catfish, crappie and saugeye.

Along with these, there are other water bodies in this region, like Clinton, Hillsdale, Douglas, Geary, Miami, Middle Creek, Pottawatomie #1 and #2, Kaw and Kansas Rivers, Cedar Lake and Olathe Lake. Lake Clinton offers trout fishing too.

 

Region 3:

Barber State Fishing Lake (Lower): You can catch largemouth bass, walleye, crappie and channel catfish here. You can try soft plastics, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits for largemouth, and trolling, jigs tipped with nightcrawlers for walleye.

Goodman State Fishing Lake: Channel catfish, bluegill, white crappie, and largemouth bass can be caught here. For channel catfish, try shad sides, shrimp, prepared stink baits or nightcrawlers along the upper end of the lake and by the inflows. Small jigs, cricket or a piece of worm is useful for bluegill, jigs and minnows work for white crappie. For largemouth, try top water bait in the low light periods of the day and jigs, worms and crankbaits during the heat of the day.

Jetmore City Lake: You will get here channel catfish using stinkbait, worms or liver, bluegill with small jigs, cricket or a piece of worm under a bobber, and largemouth bass with top water bait in the low light and jigs, worms and crankbaits during the heat of the day.

Pratt County Lake: You will get largemouth bass, bluegill, walleye, channel catfish, crappie and wiper in good quantity here. Use plastic baits, jigs, spinnerbaits and crankbaits for largemouth, small jigs and worms under a bobber for bluegill, jigs tipped with worms, minnows or leeches for walleye, stinkbait, cut bait or liver for channel catfish, minnows, jigs and worms for crappie, and topwater baits for wiper.

Other water bodies in this region are Clark, Finney, Hain, Hodgeman, Kiowa, Meade, Scott, Cimarron, Coldwater City, Dodge City, Great Bend Stone, Ford County, and so on.

Region 4:

Cheney Reservoir: You will have to beware of the zebra mussels. The lake gives good catches of white bass, wiper, walleye, crappie, channel catfish and white perch.

Council Grove: Fair to good fishing of channel catfish, saugeye, white bass, wiper, and white crappie occur here.

El Dorado Reservoir: This Lake too is full of zebra mussels of which you should be beware. The lake gives excellent catches of largemouth, smallmouth, white and spotted bass, walleye, wiper, blue and channel catfish, and white crappie. Trolling crankbaits or casting jigs/spinners are good for white bass. A jig and crawler combination is excellent for walleye.

Marion Reservoir: This Lake too is good for channel catfish, white crappie, walleye, white bass, and wiper. Beware of zebra mussels.

Other lakes in this region are Butler, Chase, Cowley, Kingman, McPherson, and Harvey County East and West.

Region 5:

Coffee County Lake: This Lake gives good catches of largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, channel catfish, white bass, wipers and crappie.

Fall River Reservoir: This gives good catches of channel catfish, crappie, largemouth and white bass. Channel catfish can be caught good on worms, shad sides or stink bait at the river-mouth or spillway.

Other lakes in this region are Big Hill, Bone Creek, Elk City, John Redmond, Lacygne, Lebo City Lake, Melvern, Pomona, Toronto, Montgomery, Wilson and Woodson.

 

With such vast fishing opportunities, the state of Kansas is definitely worth visiting! So when will you be going for fishing in Kansas?