Catch Rates High at Kansas’ Top “Whatever’s Biting” Waters
PRATT – Looking to catch a fish, and don’t care whether it’s a crappie, bass or “whatever?” There’s a list for that. The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism’s (KDWPT) “Whatever’s Biting” list ranks waters that provide good fishing for a variety of species. The idea for this list came about from KDWPT fisheries biologists who noted that when creel survey clerks asked anglers what they were fishing for, many had replied, “Whatever’s biting.”
Here’s how it works. Kansas’ top “Whatever’s Biting” waters are each assigned a total score based off of the water’s “Density Ratings” for select species, as seen in the 2020 Kansas Fishing Forecast (ksoutdoors.com/Fishing/Fishing-Forecast). Density Ratings identify how many high-quality sized fish a water contains. For example, a lake may have a lot of crappie, but few fish over 8 inches; therefore, Density Ratings are a good way to determine which lakes to fish for the greatest opportunity of catching quality fish.
Top 10 lakes in the 2020 “Whatever’s Biting” list received scores based on the lake’s combined Density Ratings for bluegill, largemouth bass, channel catfish and crappie. For reservoirs, the scores are a composite of Density Ratings for black bass (smallmouth, largemouth and spotted bass), channel catfish, crappie, percids (walleye and saugeye) and temperate basses (white bass, striped bass and wipers).
Cast a line into one of Kansas’ top “Whatever’s Biting” waters for 2020; chances are, you’ll catch whatever’s out there.
Top 10 Lakes
- Plainville Lake, Rooks County
- Rooks County State Lake
- Cowley County State Fishing Lake
- Eureka City Lake, Greenwood County
- Howard-Polk Daniels Lake, Elk County
- Butler County State Fishing Lake
- Chanute City Lake, Neosho County
- Osawatomie City Lake, Miami County
- Wilson County State Fishing Lake
- Antelope Lake, Graham County
Top 10 Reservoirs
- Glen Elder Reservoir, Mitchell and Osborne counties
- Kanopolis Reservoir, Ellsworth County
- Sebelius Reservoir, Norton County
- Lovewell Reservoir, Jewell County
- Kirwin Reservoir, Phillips County
- Webster Reservoir, Rooks County
- Marion Reservoir, Marion County
- Wilson Reservoir, Russell and Lincoln counties
- Big Hill Reservoir, Labette County
- Melvern Reservoir, Osage County
For species specific information, view the 2020 Kansas Fishing Forecast here: https://ksoutdoors.com/Fishing/Fishing-Forecast.
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