Kansas Public Waters
3 notable public water bodies. Use “Fishing near me” to sort by distance.
| Water | Type | Distance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milford Lake KS | lake | — | Walleye and crappie. |
| Wilson Lake KS | lake | — | Stripers and walleye. |
| Kansas River KS | river | — |
Coordinates are approximate. Always confirm public access, boat-launch status, and local rules with the managing agency before you travel.
Spot profiles
Each profile covers the water’s type, the species recorded there, access notes, and the regulations or special rules that apply to that specific waterbody.
Planning a trip in Kansas
Everything below is drawn from FishFig's verified Kansas data layer — license fees, stocking records, resolved statewide limits, and reported license-free dates. Each figure names its source.
Public waters in Kansas covered here
This state hub indexes 3 notable public water bodies: 2 lakes, 1 river. The dataset is a curated list of destination waters rather than every public access point, so a productive local pond or municipal lake near you may still be missing.
Species profiles exist for 3 of the 3 tracked waters. Commonly indexed destinations include Milford Lake, Wilson Lake and Kansas River.
Use the "Fishing near me" sorter on this page to reorder the list by straight-line distance from your location. Straight-line distance is a planning estimate, not a drive time — a water 20 miles away across a ridge or a bay can take far longer to reach than one 40 miles down a highway, and seasonal closures, launch fees, and permit requirements are set by the managing agency rather than by this list.
What a Kansas fishing license costs
A resident annual license for Kansas is $27.50, and the non-resident annual license is $77.50 — a difference of $50.00. The non-resident rate is roughly 2.8 times the resident rate — meaning the license is usually the smallest expense in the trip budget.
Short-term options as published: Resident 1-day $6.00; Nonresident 1-day $12.50; Nonresident 5-day $27.50.
At the published short-term prices, a resident annual license breaks even at about 5 single days. Below that trip count the short-term pass is cheaper; above it the annual license is. (Break-even arithmetic from the published fees — confirm current products with Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP).)
Saltwater: No saltwater stamp (inland state)..
Senior and reduced-rate options: Resident senior fish (age 65-74) $15.00; Resident age 75+ free.
Source: Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks — Fishing Application and Fees (2026). https://kdwpt.ks.gov/fishing/fishing_fees
Stocking in Kansas
A statewide annual stocking total for Kansas is pending verification in this dataset, so this tool shows no number rather than an estimate. Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) publishes stocking by water, county, and species.
Stocking totals for Kansas are pending verification. State fish agencies publish annual stocking lists by water, county, and species; consult Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) for current figures before relying on any number.
Source: verify locally — see Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) stocking reports.
Why stocking matters to planning: put-and-take fisheries are the most catch-rate-sensitive to plant timing, so a water that fishes poorly in April can fish well in May once the trucks arrive. Check the current-year plant list before writing off a water, and check it again before assuming a hot bite will last.
Size and bag limits tracked for Kansas
Kansas has 11 statewide limits resolved in this tool — Brown Trout, Channel Catfish, Crappie, Flathead Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout and Smallmouth Bass, among 11 in the tracked set. Each entry below carries the agency citation it came from.
Brown Trout: bag 5 (combined rainbow & brown trout); season Dec 1, 2025 – Mar 31, 2026 (stocked waters; trout permit required). Citation: Kansas Dept. of Wildlife & Parks — Statewide Creel & Length Limits (2026).
Channel Catfish: bag 10; season Year-round. Citation: Kansas Dept. of Wildlife & Parks — Statewide Creel & Length Limits (2026).
Crappie: bag 50; season Year-round; Several reservoirs impose lower limits/minimums.. Citation: Kansas Dept. of Wildlife & Parks — Statewide Creel & Length Limits (2026).
Flathead Catfish: bag 5; season Year-round. Citation: Kansas Dept. of Wildlife & Parks — Statewide Creel & Length Limits (2026).
Largemouth Bass: minimum length 15 in; bag 5 (combined black basses: largemouth, smallmouth, spotted); season Year-round. Citation: Kansas Dept. of Wildlife & Parks — Statewide Creel & Length Limits (2026).
Northern Pike: minimum length 30 in; bag 2; season Year-round. Citation: Kansas Dept. of Wildlife & Parks — Statewide Creel & Length Limits (2026).
These are statewide general rules only. Slot limits, special-regulation waters, catch-and-release stretches, and zone-by-zone seasons override them — and a general rule that is absent from this list is not the same as no restriction. Confirm the rule for the exact water you are fishing with Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) before keeping a fish.
Free fishing days in Kansas
Reported license-free dates for 2026: June 6–7, 2026. Most states waive the license only, not the rules — size and bag limits, gear restrictions, seasons, and any required report card still apply, and some states still require a free or zero-cost license to be issued before you fish.
Reported for 2026 by public aggregators and may not match the official state schedule. Always confirm the current year’s dates and any species/stamp exceptions with the agency before planning.
Source: Compiled from 2026 public Free-Fishing-Day roundups (modefreefinds.com, heyitsfree.net, fishkillflea.com). Not an official source — verify with the state agency. (compiled 2026-08-29).
State agency & contact
Licenses, regulations, and stocking are set by the agency below. When FishFig can’t verify a figure, contact them directly.
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP)
FishFig is an independent guide and is not affiliated with Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP). Verify every figure with the agency before purchasing a license, keeping fish, or relying on stocking data.