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Best channel catfish lakes in Kansas

73 Kansas waters hold channel catfish, 66 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. Scent-driven bottom feeder. Holes, channels and inflows — best after dark.

1. Tuttle Creek Lake — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Saugeye, CrappieWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 12 public access sites
2. Milford Lake — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 12 public access sites
3. Perry Lake — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, SaugerWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 23 public access sites
4. Melvern Lake — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, SaugeyeWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites
5. Cheney Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 14 public access sites
6. Wilson Lake — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 8 public access sites
7. Marion Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
8. El Dorado Lake — 55 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites
9. Clinton Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, SaugeyeWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 20 public access sites
10. Hillsdale Lake — 45 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 21 public access sites
11. Neosho River — 15 ft max · White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, Flathead CatfishWhy #11: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 2 public access sites
12. John Redmond Lake — 12 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
13. Kirwin Lake — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
14. Pomona Lake — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Saugeye, CrappieWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 18 public access sites
15. Kanopolis Lake — 32 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Saugeye, CrappieWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites
16. Toronto Lake — 26 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
17. Waconda Lake — 55 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, CrappieWhy #17: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
18. Smoky Hill River — 10 ft max · Walleye, White Bass, Saugeye, Channel CatfishWhy #18: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
19. Webster Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
20. Lovewell Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, BluegillWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites
21. Council Grove Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Saugeye, CrappieWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
22. Arkansas River — 8 ft max · White Bass, Channel Catfish, White Bass & Hybrids, Flathead CatfishWhy #22: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
23. Fall River Lake — 25 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
24. Big Hill Lake — 55 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, CrappieWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
25. Cottonwood River — 12 ft max · Crappie, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Freshwater DrumWhy #25: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached

…plus 48 more Kansas waters holding channel catfish.

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When to fish channel catfish in Kansas

• Spring 3–12 ft — Warm inflows and shallow mud flats after rain.
• Summer 8–25 ft — Deep holes by day; cats roam shallow flats to feed at night.
• Fall 10–30 ft — Fish concentrate in river/creek channels and deeper holes.
• Winter 20–40 ft — Stacked in the deepest holes; slow natural baits.

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 white bass & hybrids lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best blue catfish lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes

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