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Fishing Lake Afton: what the data says
382-acre lake near Goddard. Kansas public fishing water with KDWP bathymetric map coverage and KBS surveyed contours. The lake tops out around 20 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.
Lake Afton's chart carries 5.7 miles of bank. With a shoreline index of 2.7, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. 74% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake Afton
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 6 to 20 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (8 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Break off the point (12 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Lake Afton
The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 6 to 20 ft before dropping to 6 to 20 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in winter. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (20 ft) | |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | dusk | Deep basin (20 ft) | |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) |
Crappie fishing at Lake Afton
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 6 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 6 to 20 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 20-ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. 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 (5 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (8 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Back-bay flat (8 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Lake Afton
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 15 ft before dropping to 6 to 20 ft for winter. Spring bluegill concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 5 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. 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 (5 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (8 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Saugeye fishing at Lake Afton
Early season saugeye use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 6 to 20 ft game here, winter a 6 to 20 ft one. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 12 ft, prime for fall. Best bite is 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 (6 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + twister tail, Blade bait |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Crawler harness (shallow), Jig + crawler |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (12 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging rap |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Blade bait |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 20 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 12 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 9 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 8 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 6 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
Lake Afton 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 Lake Afton specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Kansas fishing regulations →
Common questions
How deep is Lake Afton?
Lake Afton is about 20 ft (6 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 Lake Afton?
Anglers target largemouth bass, saugeye, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Lake Afton.
Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Afton?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 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.
When is the best time to fish Lake Afton?
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 Lake Afton?
Fishing on Lake Afton 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
Cheney Lake 16 mi · Wellington Lake 28 mi · Arkansas River 29 mi · Augusta Santa Fe Lake 32 mi · Augusta City Lake 36 mi · Anthony City Lake 38 mi · Winfield City Lake 45 mi · El Dorado Lake 50 mi · Marion Lake 61 mi · Lake Ponca 69 mi, OK · Moline Reservoir 73 mi · Kanopolis Lake 74 mi
See how Lake Afton 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.