Top 10 fishing spots in Kansas for the most popular sports fish in 2023

TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – Biologists with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) released a list of the top 10 locations to go fishing for Kansas’ most popular sports fish.

The KDWP recently released the 2023 Kansas Fishing Regulations Summary and Fishing Atlas, which goes over everything from how to purchase a license, new regulations for the year and some of the hottest spots to go fishing for your favorite species. The fish listed by the KDWP in the atlas’ fishing forecast include:

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Each lake or reservoir listed by the KDWP includes categories for the density rating, preferred rating, lunker rating and biggest fish caught during sampling. Ratings are averages of all samples collected over the past three years.

Density rating: the number of catchable-size fish captured per unit of sampling effort.

Preferred rating: identifies the relative number of preferred-size fish in the samples.

Lunker rating: represents sampling catch rate of memorable-size fish and serves as an index of trophy angling potential.

Channel Catfish

WaterbodyDensity rating (>16″)Preferred rating (>24″)Lunker rating (>28″)Biggest fish (lbs)Lovewell6.110.960.1313.83Hillsdale5.810.220.06 10.62Big Hill5.470.63 0.03 8.60Marion5.36 0.20 0.02 5.48Toronto3.752.36 0.53 12.78Kanopolis3.70 0.48 0.00 6.54Elk City3.11 0.47 0.03 8.42Wilson2.760.48 0.03 10.11Perry2.54 0.65 0.14 12.70Melvern2.460.30 0.06 11.45Plainville Lake9.58 2.33 0.00 7.67Chase SFL9.500.75 0.00 7.71Parsons City Lake9.12 0.750.12 13.09Garnett-Cedar Creek Lake8.81 0.50 0.00 6.74Woodson SFL8.71 0.41 0.18 13.50Neosho SFL 7.83 0.42 0.08 12.22Eureka City Lake7.62 2.12 0.50 19.44Fort Scott-Gunn Park W. Pond #26.50 0.17 0.00 5.87Mound City Lake5.72 1.11 0.17 10.84Lake Afton5.56 0.11 0.06 8.28

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Crappie

WaterbodyDensity rating (>8″)Preferred rating (>10″)Lunker rating (>12″)Biggest fish (lbs)Sebelius31.3316.70 1.97 1.64Lovewell28.14 9.12 0.90 2.50Cedar Bluff23.27 2.96 0.22 1.29Melvern22.73 10.07 1.34 1.61Hillsdale20.27 9.85 1.27 1.49Marion17.124.12 1.50 1.59Perry12.74 5.65 0.54 1.42Kirwin12.6511.48 6.19 2.06Elk City9.96 2.90 1.02 2.40Toronto9.19 6.28 1.94 2.40Kingman SFL50.20 18.67 5.13 2.62Scott SFL43.70 26.80 1.15 1.53Carbondale City Lake East43.38 11.88 1.50 1.10Eureka City Lake39.83 9.17 1.92 1.56Rooks State Lake36.502.33 0.00 0.61Sabetha City Lake35.6711.082.58 1.45Plainville Lake33.33 0.83 0.17 1.40Ottawa SFL33.00 3.94 0.72 2.03McPherson SFL32.17 10.17 1.72 1.65Parsons City Lake 31.38 10.88 2.50 1.66

Black Bass

WaterbodyDensity rating (>12″)Preferred rating (>15″)Lunker rating (>20″)Biggest fish (lbs)Sebelius222.20 76.19 1.03 5.24Wilson72.76 45.49 0.81 5.77Webster63.81 31.15 0.00 3.99Lacygne56.1545.45 3.74 7.70Kirwin44.99 35.36 0.00 3.72Big Hill42.26 21.05 1.24 5.43Glen Elder26.76 14.59 0.12 5.38Cedar Bluff15.12 5.39 0.04 5.83Milford12.70 4.00 0.00 4.68El Dorado12.05 4.57 0.15 3.47Butler SFL149.70 77.91 5.28 7.03Cowley SFL146.74 62.42 1.59 4.66Gridley City Lake122.06 46.40 0.00 4.26Wilson SFL117.4238.24 1.36 6.15Lyon SFL108.14 31.95 0.33 4.03Alma City Lake107.7437.85 0.00 4.77McPherson SFL106.48 43.62 2.19 5.59Garnett City Lake-North104.62 36.55 0.68 4.91Altamont City Lake-West103.9673.08 12.67 7.08Garnett City Lake-South103.75 36.65 0.23 5.26

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Wiper

WaterbodyDensity rating (>16″)Preferred rating (>20″)Lunker rating (>24″)Biggest fish (lbs)Sebelius9.63 2.37 0.0315.17Webster9.44 1.33 0.19 10.88Kirwin8.250.61 0.06 7.99Milford5.231.73 0.07 7.85Marion4.311.49 0.00 5.38Cheney2.721.70 0.08 9.26Cedar Bluff2.19 1.56 0.18 13.10El Dorado2.13 1.49 0.00 5.92Pomona2.06 0.49 0.00 4.73Lovewell1.59 0.78 0.02 7.35Herington City Lake-New5.50 1.07 0.07 8.96Sheridan SFL3.70 0.00 0.00 2.85Jeffrey Energy Center-Make Up Lake3.221.33 0.06 8.06Jeffrey Energy Center-Auziliary Lake2.75 0.60 0.00 5.88Coldwater Lake2.50 2.50 0.00 8.04Jetmore City Lake2.500.00 0.00 2.95Centralia City Lake2.10 1.15 0.10 7.66Marion County Lake2.08 0.08 0.00 3.13Kiowa SFL1.430.57 0.14 7.42Graham Co-Antelope Lake1.18 0.64 0.09 7.26

Walleye

WaterbodyDensity rating (>15″)
Preferred rating (>20″)Lunker rating (>25″)Biggest fish (lbs)Wilson4.92 2.18 0.28 8.52Kirwin4.67 0.56 0.11 8.46Marion3.330.22 0.00 4.65Cedar Bluff2.88 0.50 0.01 7.93Webster2.75 0.83 0.14 6.60El Dorado2.69 1.11 0.13 7.94Milford2.670.23 0.02 6.17Glen Elder2.50 0.32 0.01 6.61Cheney1.38 0.89 0.137.54Lovewell1.35 0.54 0.02 8.16

Saugeye

WaterbodyDensity rating (>14″)Preferred rating (>18″)Lunker rating (>22″)Biggest fish (lbs)Scott SFL17.59 11.50 1.09 6.41Graham Co-Antelope Lake16.27 4.91 0.27 5.20Bone Creek Lake6.88 3.73 0.27 5.78Parsons City Lake4.75 2.38 0.00 3.91Centralia City Lake3.50 1.950.857.36Carbondale City Lake-East3.27 0.00 0.00 1.78Wellington City Lake3.25 2.88 1.00 7.67Paola City Lake-Lake Miola3.08 0.75 0.08 6.36Geary SFL2.311.31 0.15 6.96Lake Olathe2.22 1.72 0.61 5.15

You can also see the full version of the 2023 Kansas Fishing Forecast online by clicking here. To see the full 2023 Kansas Fishing Regulations Summary and Fishing Atlas, see the document below: