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Fishing Pleasanton Reservoir: what the data says
168-acre reservoir near Pleasanton. Public eastern Kansas city reservoir with KBS surveyed bathymetric contours. The lake tops out around 25 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 the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
The chart traces 4.4 miles of shoreline here. With a shoreline index of 3.1, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. 77% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Pleasanton Reservoir
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 25 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 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 | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Break off the point (20 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Pleasanton Reservoir
Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 25 ft. Start at Old creek channel. It's a creek channel holding about 8 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (8 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (25 ft) |
Crappie fishing at Pleasanton Reservoir
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Old creek channel: a creek channel around 8 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (8 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (8 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (25 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Pleasanton Reservoir
Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (25 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 25 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 20 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 5 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Pleasanton Reservoir 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 Pleasanton Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Kansas fishing regulations →
Common questions
How deep is Pleasanton Reservoir?
Pleasanton Reservoir is about 25 ft (8 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 Pleasanton Reservoir?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Pleasanton Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Pleasanton Reservoir?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 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 Pleasanton Reservoir?
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 Pleasanton Reservoir?
Fishing on Pleasanton Reservoir 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
Butler City Lake 15 mi, MO · Louisburg State Fishing Lake 22 mi · Rock Creek Lake 27 mi · Miola Lake 29 mi · Fort Scott City Lake 29 mi · Cedar Creek Lake 34 mi · Hillsdale Lake 36 mi · Schell-Osage Conservation Area 37 mi, MO · Montrose Conservation Area 41 mi, MO · Gardner City Lake 47 mi · Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area 48 mi, MO · New Olathe Lake 48 mi
See how Pleasanton Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Kansas · best crappie lakes in Kansas · best bluegill lakes in Kansas · best channel catfish 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.