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2,975-acre reservoir near Marquette. Kansas's first federal reservoir, known for saugeye and wiper. The lake tops out around 32 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. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Drawn out, this is 3,754 acres of water rimmed by 28.3 miles of bank. An index of 3.3 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. About 53% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Tip to tip the water measures near 6.7 mi with a 2.7-mi widest point. You'll find it in Ellsworth County. The nearest mapped water is Smoky Hill River, 19 mi to the east.
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 32 ft. Top water on the chart: Weed flat, a weed flat in the 2 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (20 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (4 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | midday | Break off the point (20 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 32 ft. Top water on the chart: Old creek channel, a creek channel in the 16 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Smoky Hill River inflow (1 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (16 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (16 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | midday | Deep basin (32 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 25 ft before dropping to 10 to 32 ft for winter. The spot to know is Old creek channel, a creek channel in about 16 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (16 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (16 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | midday | Deep basin (32 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring puts bluegill in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 25 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 1 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (13 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow feeding flat (13 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Break off the point (20 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
When the water first warms, walleye slide up into 4 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 32 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 32 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Gravel shoal: a gravel shoal around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Keep a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Gravel shoal (4 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 10 to 32 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (20 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 32 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (20 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (32 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring saugeye on Kanopolis Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 22 ft in summer and finish the year down in 12 to 30 ft. Put Gravel shoal first on the milk run — a gravel shoal near 4 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a crawler harness (shallow) or a jig + crawler.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Gravel shoal (4 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + twister tail, Blade bait |
| Summer | 8 to 22 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (20 ft) | Crawler harness (shallow), Jig + crawler |
| Fall | 8 to 28 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (20 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging rap |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Old creek channel (16 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Blade bait |
Kanopolis Lake also holds white bass & hybrids (10 to 30 ft in summer), blue catfish (8 to 32 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
21 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 32 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
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 Kanopolis Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Kansas fishing regulations →
Kanopolis Lake is about 32 ft (10 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target largemouth bass, channel catfish, crappie, bluegill, walleye, saugeye, white bass & hybrids, blue catfish on Kanopolis Lake.
Weed flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
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.
Fishing on Kanopolis 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.
Smoky Hill River 19 mi · Wilson Lake 38 mi · Marion Lake 50 mi · Herington Reservoir 53 mi · Cheney Lake 61 mi · Waconda Lake 62 mi · Milford Lake 66 mi · Lake Afton 74 mi · Council Grove City Lake 78 mi · Chase County State Fishing Lake 79 mi · Council Grove Lake 80 mi · Cottonwood River 80 mi
See how Kanopolis Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Kansas · best walleye lakes in Kansas · best saugeye lakes in Kansas · best crappie 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. 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.