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Fishing Woodson County State Fishing Lake: what the data says
256-acre lake near Yates Center. Kansas public fishing water with KDWP bathymetric map coverage and KBS surveyed contours. The lake tops out around 45 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 5.3 miles of shoreline here. With a shoreline index of 2.9, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. 53% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Woodson County State Fishing Lake
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 2 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| 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 | Back-bay flat (15 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (13 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (9 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Woodson County State Fishing Lake
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 40 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 45 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| 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 | Break off the point (9 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (45 ft) |
Crappie fishing at Woodson County State Fishing Lake
Spring crappie on Woodson County State Fishing Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 2 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| 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 | Back-bay flat (15 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Back-bay flat (15 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (45 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Woodson County State Fishing Lake
Spring bluegill on Woodson County State Fishing Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 2 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
| 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 (15 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (15 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (15 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Saugeye fishing at Woodson County State Fishing Lake
Spring puts saugeye in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 22 ft; cold water stacks them in 12 to 30 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for fall saugeye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A crawler harness (shallow) or a jig + crawler covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Secondary point (4 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + twister tail, Blade bait |
| Summer | 8 to 22 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (13 ft) | Crawler harness (shallow), Jig + crawler |
| Fall | 8 to 28 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging rap |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Blade bait |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 45 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 15 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 13 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 9 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 4 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Woodson 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 Woodson County State Fishing Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Kansas fishing regulations →
Common questions
How deep is Woodson County State Fishing Lake?
Woodson County State Fishing Lake is about 45 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 Woodson County State Fishing Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, saugeye, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Woodson County State Fishing Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Woodson 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. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Woodson 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 Woodson County State Fishing Lake?
Fishing on Woodson 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
New Yates Center Lake 4 mi · Toronto Lake 6 mi · Yates Center Reservoir 7 mi · Wilson County State Fishing Lake 12 mi · Fall River Lake 16 mi · Verdigris River 21 mi · Severy City Lake 22 mi · Eureka Lake 26 mi · Neosho River 26 mi · Madison City Lake 27 mi · Thayer New City Lake 29 mi · Thayer Old City Lake 29 mi
See how Woodson 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.