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Fishing Rock Creek Lake: what the data says
100-acre lake near Fort Scott. Public southeast Kansas fishing lake with KBS surveyed bathymetric contours. The lake tops out around 15 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.
Rock Creek Lake's chart carries 3 miles of bank. With a shoreline index of 2.6, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Rock Creek Lake
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 15 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 | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Deep basin (14 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Rock Creek Lake
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 14 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. 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 | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (14 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Deep basin (14 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Deep basin (14 ft) |
Crappie fishing at Rock Creek Lake
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 15 ft before dropping to 5 to 15 ft for winter. Winter crappie concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 14 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| 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 | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (14 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dawn | Deep basin (14 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Deep basin (14 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Rock Creek Lake
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 2-ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| 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 | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Deep basin (14 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 14 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 6 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 3 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Rock Creek 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 Rock Creek Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Kansas fishing regulations →
Common questions
How deep is Rock Creek Lake?
Rock Creek Lake is about 15 ft (5 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 Rock Creek Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Rock Creek Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Rock Creek 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 interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Rock Creek 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 Rock Creek Lake?
Fishing on Rock Creek 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
Fort Scott City Lake 2 mi · Shawnee Trail Conservation Area 26 mi, MO · Pleasanton Reservoir 27 mi · Shawnee Trail Conservation Area 28 mi, MO · Butler City Lake 36 mi, MO · Schell-Osage Conservation Area 40 mi, MO · Parsons Lake 42 mi · Cedar Creek Lake 43 mi · Thayer Old City Lake 46 mi · Thayer New City Lake 47 mi · Louisburg State Fishing Lake 48 mi · Wilson County State Fishing Lake 51 mi
See how Rock Creek 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.