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Best blue catfish lakes in Kansas

15 Kansas waters hold blue catfish, 12 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. Open-water giant of big rivers and reservoirs; follows shad schools and feeds in current year-round.

1. Tuttle Creek Lake — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Saugeye, Crappie
2. Milford Lake — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Crappie
3. Perry Lake — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Sauger
4. Cheney Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Crappie
5. Melvern Lake — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Saugeye
6. Wilson Lake — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
7. El Dorado Lake — 55 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
8. Clinton Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Saugeye
9. Neosho River — 15 ft max · White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish
10. John Redmond Lake — 12 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
11. Kanopolis Lake — 32 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Saugeye, Crappie
12. Elk City Lake — 36 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
13. Lovewell Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
14. Verdigris River — 15 ft max · White Bass, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Blue Catfish
15. Kansas River — 20 ft max · White Bass, Channel Catfish, White Bass & Hybrids, Flathead Catfish

When to fish blue catfish in Kansas

• Spring 5–25 ft — High water is your friend — fish current seams and flooded flats.
• Summer 10–40 ft — Drift cut bait across channel edges and deep flats.
• Fall 15–45 ft — Blues shadow massive shad schools — find bait on the graph first.
• Winter 20–50 ft — The trophy season: anchor on deep holes packed with wintering shad.

Also in Kansas: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best white bass lakes · best saugeye lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best white bass & hybrids lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes

Blue Catfish elsewhere: Indiana · Ohio · Kentucky · Texas · Oklahoma · Tennessee · Missouri · Georgia