Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at Chase County State Fishing Lake
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing Chase County State Fishing Lake: what the data says
175-acre lake near Cottonwood Falls. Flint Hills state fishing lake from KDWP's bathymetric map collection. The lake tops out around 36 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The chart traces 3.2 miles of shoreline here. With a shoreline index of 2.2, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. About 46% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Chase County State Fishing Lake
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 2-ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (9 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (15 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Chase County State Fishing Lake
The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 11 to 36 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 36-ft range, prime in winter. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Back-bay flat (9 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (15 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (15 ft) | |
| Winter | 11 to 36 ft | midday | Deep basin (36 ft) |
Crappie fishing at Chase County State Fishing Lake
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 36 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (15 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Back-bay flat (9 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (36 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Chase County State Fishing Lake
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 25 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (9 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (9 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (9 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Saugeye fishing at Chase County State Fishing Lake
Early season saugeye use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 22 ft, then a winter hold in 12 to 30 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 15 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness (shallow) or a jig + crawler and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (3 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + twister tail, Blade bait |
| Summer | 8 to 22 ft | dusk & dawn | Secondary point (8 ft) | Crawler harness (shallow), Jig + crawler |
| Fall | 8 to 28 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (15 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging rap |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (15 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Blade bait |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 36 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 15 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 9 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Chase County State Fishing Lake fishing regulations
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Kansas waters are set by the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks — and special regulations can apply to Chase County State Fishing Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Kansas fishing regulations →
Common questions
How deep is Chase County State Fishing Lake?
Chase County State Fishing Lake is about 36 ft (11 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Chase County State Fishing Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, saugeye, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Chase County State Fishing Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Chase County State Fishing Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Chase County State Fishing Lake?
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
What are the fishing regulations for Chase County State Fishing Lake?
Fishing on Chase County State Fishing Lake is regulated by the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks. Check the official Kansas regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Nearby waters
Cottonwood River 3 mi · Council Grove City Lake 21 mi · Council Grove Lake 24 mi · Marion Lake 30 mi · Madison City Lake 30 mi · Herington Reservoir 30 mi · El Dorado Lake 35 mi · Eureka Lake 36 mi · Wabaunsee County Lake 40 mi · Melvern Lake 43 mi · John Redmond Lake 43 mi · Osage City Reservoir 44 mi
See how Chase County State Fishing Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Kansas · best saugeye lakes in Kansas · best crappie lakes in Kansas · best bluegill lakes in Kansas
Browse all Kansas fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.