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Fishing Madison City Lake: what the data says
170-acre lake near Madison. Kansas public fishing water with KDWP bathymetric map coverage and KBS surveyed contours. The lake tops out around 35 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
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. Roughly 60% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Madison City Lake
Spring largemouth bass on Madison City Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 2 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.
| 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 | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (22 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Madison City Lake
Spring channel catfish on Madison City Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 11 to 35 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 34 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (22 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (22 ft) | |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (34 ft) |
Crappie fishing at Madison City Lake
Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 34 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| 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 (22 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (22 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (34 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Madison City Lake
Early season bluegill use the shallows, holding in 1 to 6 ft. Summer is a 4 to 15 ft game here, winter a 10 to 25 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 2 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| 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 (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Break off the point (22 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Saugeye fishing at Madison City Lake
In spring, saugeye run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 22 ft before dropping to 12 to 30 ft for winter. Fall saugeye concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 22 ft. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a crawler harness (shallow) or a jig + crawler most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (10 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + twister tail, Blade bait |
| Summer | 8 to 22 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Crawler harness (shallow), Jig + crawler |
| Fall | 8 to 28 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (22 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging rap |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (22 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Blade bait |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 34 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 22 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 10 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 4 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Madison City 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 Madison City Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Kansas fishing regulations →
Common questions
How deep is Madison City Lake?
Madison City Lake is about 35 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 Madison City Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, saugeye, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Madison City Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Madison City 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. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
When is the best time to fish Madison City 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 Madison City Lake?
Fishing on Madison City 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
Eureka Lake 16 mi · Neosho River 20 mi · John Redmond Lake 22 mi · Toronto Lake 26 mi · New Yates Center Lake 26 mi · Woodson County State Fishing Lake 27 mi · Yates Center Reservoir 27 mi · Cottonwood River 28 mi · Chase County State Fishing Lake 30 mi · Fall River Lake 31 mi · Melvern Lake 33 mi · Severy City Lake 33 mi
See how Madison City 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.