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Fishing Polk Daniels Lake: what the data says
100-acre lake near Howard. Elk County state fishing lake with KBS surveyed bathymetric 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 is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
The chart traces 2.5 miles of shoreline here. With a shoreline index of 2.3, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Roughly 96% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Polk Daniels Lake
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is 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 (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (6 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Polk Daniels Lake
Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 6 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 20 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is 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 | 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 Polk Daniels Lake
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 6 to 20 ft game here, winter a 6 to 20 ft one. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 20 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run 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 (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Deep basin (20 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 Polk Daniels Lake
Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 6 to 20 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 2 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in 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 (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 | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 20 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 3 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Polk Daniels 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 Polk Daniels Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Kansas fishing regulations →
Common questions
How deep is Polk Daniels Lake?
Polk Daniels Lake 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 Polk Daniels Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Polk Daniels Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Polk Daniels 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. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
When is the best time to fish Polk Daniels 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 Polk Daniels Lake?
Fishing on Polk Daniels 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
Moline Reservoir 7 mi · Severy City Lake 11 mi · Fall River Lake 16 mi · Sedan City North Lake 20 mi · Sedan City South Lake 21 mi · Verdigris River 24 mi · Toronto Lake 26 mi · Elk City Lake 27 mi · Eureka Lake 30 mi · Woodson County State Fishing Lake 31 mi · Wilson County State Fishing Lake 34 mi · New Yates Center Lake 35 mi
See how Polk Daniels Lake 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.