Fishing in Kansas

State

Kansas

Country

USA

Venues

1,719

Licence

State-issued

PiscaMaps covers 1,719 public fishing venues across Kansas in 6 regions — 271 lakes and reservoirs and 1,438 rivers. The largest is Milford Lake, at 14,607 acres. Arkansas River is the longest mapped river, running 717 km. Southeast Kansas has the most venues on file, with 484.

The most commonly recorded species across Kansas's public waters are Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Flathead Catfish, Walleye and Crappie — the exact mix varies by water type and region. 175 venues have a real boat ramp on file, 133 have nearby camping, and 347 have mapped parking — sourced from OpenStreetMap and recreation.gov's federal facilities database (RIDB) where available.

Fishing Regions in Kansas

Kansas's public fishing venues are spread across 6 regions on PiscaMaps:

Southeast Kansas · 484 North Central Kansas · 332 South Central Kansas · 290 Northeast Kansas · 271 Northwest Kansas · 211 Southwest Kansas · 121

Species Recorded in Kansas

The most frequently recorded species across Kansas's public venues on PiscaMaps:

Largemouth Bass · 1,704 Bluegill · 1,661 Smallmouth Bass · 1,632 Channel Catfish · 1,554 Common Carp · 1,510 Flathead Catfish · 1,503 Walleye · 236 Crappie · 158 Northern Pike · 155 Yellow Perch · 155

Fishing Licence in Kansas

Anyone 16 or older needs a Kansas fishing licence — the resident annual is about $29.50, the non-resident annual about $97.50, with non-resident 1-day (~$14.50) and 5-day licences also sold. A separate trout permit (~$14.50) is required in addition to the fishing licence to keep trout at KDWP's winter community-lake trout program waters. Kansas residents 75 and older need no licence, and anyone under 16 fishes free. Buy from KDWP at ksoutdoors.com. A Kansas fishing licence covers this river where it is public. Kansas riverbeds are private property up to the ordinary high-water mark except on a few federally-declared-navigable reaches (the Missouri, and short stretches of the lower Kansas and Arkansas) — float through freely, but bank/wading access away from a bridge, KDWP site or public park needs landowner permission.

Full access to public fishing venues in Kansas

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many public fishing venues are there in Kansas?+

PiscaMaps covers 1,719 public fishing venues across Kansas in 6 regions — 271 lakes and reservoirs and 1,438 rivers. The largest is Milford Lake, at 14,607 acres. Arkansas River is the longest mapped river, running 717 km. Southeast Kansas has the most venues on file, with 484.
Do I need a fishing licence in Kansas?+

Anyone 16 or older needs a Kansas fishing licence — the resident annual is about $29.50, the non-resident annual about $97.50, with non-resident 1-day (~$14.50) and 5-day licences also sold. A separate trout permit (~$14.50) is required in addition to the fishing licence to keep trout at KDWP's winter community-lake trout program waters. Kansas residents 75 and older need no licence, and anyone under 16 fishes free. Buy from KDWP at ksoutdoors.com. A Kansas fishing licence covers this river where it is public. Kansas riverbeds are private property up to the ordinary high-water mark except on a few federally-declared-navigable reaches (the Missouri, and short stretches of the lower Kansas and Arkansas) — float through freely, but bank/wading access away from a bridge, KDWP site or public park needs landowner permission.
Are there boat ramps and camping near Kansas's fishing lakes?+

175 venues have a mapped boat ramp and 133 have nearby camping on PiscaMaps, sourced from OpenStreetMap and the federal RIDB database.