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Fishing New Olathe Lake: what the data says
241-acre lake near Olathe. Kansas public fishing water with KDWP bathymetric map coverage and KBS surveyed contours. The lake tops out around 46 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 4.4 miles of shoreline here. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 2.5) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Roughly 40% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives.
Largemouth Bass fishing at New Olathe 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 8-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 (8 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (8 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 (32 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at New Olathe 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 20 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Cedar Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in the 2-ft range, prime in spring. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Cedar Creek inflow (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Cedar Creek inflow (2 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (32 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (46 ft) |
Crappie fishing at New Olathe 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 Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in spring. 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 (8 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (8 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (8 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (32 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at New Olathe 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. Back-bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 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 | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (8 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (8 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (8 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Saugeye fishing at New Olathe 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 Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 21 ft that grades prime for summer. 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 | Cedar Creek inflow (2 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + twister tail, Blade bait |
| Summer | 8 to 22 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (21 ft) | Crawler harness (shallow), Jig + crawler |
| Fall | 8 to 28 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (21 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging rap |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (32 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Blade bait |
Walleye fishing at New Olathe Lake
Come spring, look for walleye tight to the bank in 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 15 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 32 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Cedar Creek inflow (2 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (32 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (32 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (32 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 46 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 32 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 21 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 8 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Cedar Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 2 ft
New Olathe 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 New Olathe Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Kansas fishing regulations →
Common questions
How deep is New Olathe Lake?
New Olathe Lake is about 46 ft (14 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 New Olathe Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, walleye, saugeye, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on New Olathe Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on New Olathe Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish New Olathe 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 New Olathe Lake?
Fishing on New Olathe 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
Gardner City Lake 4 mi · Hillsdale Lake 14 mi · Douglas County State Fishing Lake 16 mi · Miola Lake 20 mi · Wyandotte County Lake 20 mi · Longview Lake 21 mi, MO · Kansas River 23 mi · Leavenworth County State Fishing Lake 23 mi · Louisburg State Fishing Lake 28 mi · Lone Star Lake 28 mi · Clinton Lake 28 mi · James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area 28 mi, MO
See how New Olathe 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. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.