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Fishing Wilson County State Fishing Lake: what the data says
167-acre lake near Buffalo. 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
The chart traces 4.1 miles of shoreline here. With a shoreline index of 2.9, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Roughly 45% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Wilson County State Fishing Lake
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 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 texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| 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 (11 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (35 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Wilson County State Fishing Lake
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 11 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 35-ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | open water | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (35 ft) | |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (35 ft) |
Crappie fishing at Wilson County State Fishing Lake
The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 25 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 35 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| 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 | open water | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | open water | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (35 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Wilson County State Fishing Lake
Spring puts bluegill in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 25 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| 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 | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (35 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Saugeye fishing at Wilson County State Fishing Lake
Spring saugeye on Wilson County State Fishing Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 22 ft in summer and finish the year down in 12 to 30 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 11 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a crawler harness (shallow) or a jig + crawler.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (11 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + twister tail, Blade bait |
| Summer | 8 to 22 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Crawler harness (shallow), Jig + crawler |
| Fall | 8 to 28 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging rap |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (35 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Blade bait |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 35 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 11 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 4 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Wilson County State Fishing 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 Wilson County State Fishing Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Kansas fishing regulations →
Common questions
How deep is Wilson County State Fishing Lake?
Wilson County State Fishing 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 Wilson County State Fishing Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, saugeye, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Wilson County State Fishing Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Wilson County State Fishing 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 Wilson County State Fishing 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 Wilson County State Fishing Lake?
Fishing on Wilson County State Fishing 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
Woodson County State Fishing Lake 12 mi · New Yates Center Lake 12 mi · Yates Center Reservoir 12 mi · Toronto Lake 16 mi · Verdigris River 16 mi · Thayer New City Lake 18 mi · Thayer Old City Lake 18 mi · Fall River Lake 23 mi · Parsons Lake 27 mi · Severy City Lake 28 mi · Big Hill Lake 30 mi · Elk City Lake 32 mi
See how Wilson County State Fishing 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.