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Marion to the Neosho confluence at Emporia: classic Flint Hills flathead water. The river tops out around 12 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
Cottonwood River maps at 5,925 acres behind 169.8 miles of shoreline. A development index of 15.7 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. Figure 47 mi of water from one end to the other, 8.8 mi at the beam. It sits in Chase County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Chase County State Fishing Lake, is 3 mi to the north.
Early season flathead catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Even in summer they hold at 3 to 12 ft; winter keeps them in 4 to 12 ft. Put Flint Hills snag reach first on the milk run — a standing timber / brush near 8 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Flint Hills snag reach (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Flint Hills snag reach (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 51.3) (7 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 51.3) (7 ft) |
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Even in summer they hold at 4 to 12 ft; winter keeps them in 4 to 12 ft. The chart's best answer is Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1) — creek channel, 9 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 51.3) (7 ft) | |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1) (9 ft) | |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1) (9 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1) (9 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: spotted bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 4 to 12 ft covers summer, 4 to 12 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Current seam (mile 0.6), a current seam in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for spotted bass in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a drop shot over brush or an underspin + fluke (schoolers) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.6) (7 ft) | Ned rig on gravel points, Shaky head |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.6) (7 ft) | Drop shot over brush, Underspin + fluke (schoolers) |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.6) (7 ft) | Walking topwater, Underspin |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 0.6) (7 ft) | Damiki/hover rig, Jigging spoon |
Spring crappie on Cottonwood River hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 4 to 12 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 12 ft. Put Flint Hills snag reach first on the milk run — a standing timber / brush near 8 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Flint Hills snag reach (8 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Flint Hills snag reach (8 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1) (9 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1) (9 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, freshwater drum slide up into 3 to 12 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 12 ft, winter 4 to 12 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1): a creek channel around 9 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening. Keep a jig + crawler combo or a small crankbait (slow) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Jig + curly tail (bounced), Small blade bait |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1) (9 ft) | Jig + crawler combo, Small crankbait (slow) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1) (9 ft) | Blade bait (vertical), Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Jigging spoon (slow) |
Come spring, look for common carp tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 2 to 12 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 12 ft. Start at Tailout eddy (mile 51.3). It's an eddy pocket holding about 7 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Dam tailrace (10 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Dam tailrace (10 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1) (9 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 51.3) (7 ft) |
Cottonwood River carries 35 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Dam tailrace, about 10 ft down.
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 Cottonwood River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Kansas fishing regulations →
Cottonwood River is about 12 ft (4 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target flathead catfish, channel catfish, spotted bass, crappie, freshwater drum, common carp on Cottonwood River.
Flint Hills snag reach is the top-rated area: a standing timber / brush in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for flathead catfish in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For flathead catfish, the summer bite is best in after dark 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.
Fishing on Cottonwood River 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.
Chase County State Fishing Lake 3 mi · Council Grove City Lake 25 mi · Council Grove Lake 27 mi · Madison City Lake 28 mi · Marion Lake 30 mi · El Dorado Lake 32 mi · Herington Reservoir 32 mi · Eureka Lake 33 mi · John Redmond Lake 43 mi · Wabaunsee County Lake 43 mi · Neosho River 44 mi · Osage City Reservoir 45 mi
See how Cottonwood River stacks up: best crappie lakes in Kansas · best channel catfish lakes in Kansas · best flathead catfish lakes in Kansas · best freshwater drum lakes in Kansas
Browse all Kansas fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.