Best flathead catfish lakes in Kansas
10 Kansas waters hold flathead catfish, 5 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. Solitary giant that lairs in log jams and deep holes by day and prowls at night — live bait only.
- Tuttle Creek Lake — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Saugeye, Crappie
- Milford Lake — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Crappie
- Perry Lake — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Sauger
- Neosho River — 15 ft max · White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish
- John Redmond Lake — 12 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Elk City Lake — 36 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Arkansas River — 8 ft max · White Bass, Channel Catfish, White Bass & Hybrids, Flathead Catfish
- Cottonwood River — 12 ft max · Crappie, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Freshwater Drum
- Verdigris River — 15 ft max · White Bass, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Blue Catfish
- Kansas River — 20 ft max · White Bass, Channel Catfish, White Bass & Hybrids, Flathead Catfish
When to fish flathead catfish in Kansas
- Spring 5–20 ft — Pre-spawn fish feed hard near wood cover and hole edges.
- Summer 8–30 ft — Day = log-jam lairs and deep holes. Night = shallow flats and bar edges with big live bait.
- Fall 10–35 ft — Fish concentrate near wintering holes — the year's best big-fish window.
- Winter 20–45 ft — Stacked and sluggish in the deepest holes.
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 blue catfish lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes
Flathead Catfish elsewhere: Minnesota · Iowa · Indiana · Nebraska · Ohio · Wisconsin · Kentucky · Arizona · Mississippi · Texas · Illinois · Oklahoma · Tennessee · Missouri · Georgia · West Virginia · South Carolina