Black Crappie | Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

The black crappie is not as widespread in Kansas as the white crappie. The black is more suited to clear-water and small impoundments such as farm ponds. Black crappies are distinguished by a uniform dark flecking with no visible barring as seen on the white crappie. The world record black crappie weighed 6 pounds. The Kansas record is 4 pounds, 10 ounces.

2026 Black Crappie Fishing Forecast

Reservoirs

Updated 04/01/26

Location	DENSITY (>8")	PREFERRED (>10")	LUNKER (>12")	BIGGEST FISH #S	Fishing Rating
BIG HILL	0.63	0.13	0.00	0.53	Fair
CEDAR BLUFF	9.88	4.67	0.27	1.27	Good
CLINTON	0.42	0.21	0.03	0.93	Poor
COUNCIL GROVE	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.07	Poor
EL DORADO	0.04	0.00	0.00	0.31	Poor
FALL RIVER	0.02	0.02	0.00	0.54	Poor
GLEN ELDER	0.44	0.24	0.04	1.02	Poor
HILLSDALE	0.91	0.05	0.00	0.49	Fair
KANOPOLIS	2.00	1.64	0.39	1.24	Good
KIRWIN	2.77	2.67	1.40	1.94	Fair
LACYGNE	0.21	0.12	0.00	0.93	Poor
LOVEWELL	1.13	0.69	0.13	2.31	Fair
MARION	2.39	1.00	0.11	1.09	Poor
MELVERN	0.04	0.02	0.00	0.63	Poor
MILFORD	0.94	0.23	0.06	2.07	Fair
PERRY	0.20	0.09	0.02	1.60	Poor
POMONA	0.29	0.12	0.05	1.44	Fair
KEITH SEBELIUS/NORTON	5.10	3.03	0.83	1.28	Fair
TORONTO	0.21	0.04	0.02	1.26	Poor
TUTTLE CREEK	0.23	0.07	0.02	1.09	Poor
WEBSTER	1.53	0.97	0	0.89	Poor
WILSON	0.18	0.16	0.04	1.22	Fair
WOLF CREEK	0.07	0.00	0.00	0.28	Poor

Lakes

Updated 04/01/26

Location	density (>8")	preferred (>10")	LUNKER (>12")	BIGGEST FISH #S	Fishing Rating
ALMA CITY LAKE	2	0.25	0	0.76	Fair
ANTHONY CITY LAKE	4.8	1.3	0.2	1.23	Fair
ATCHISON CITY LAKE #23	10.2	0.2	0	0.53	Good
ATCHISON STATE FISHING LAKE	10.57	0.57	0.14	0.88	Good
BANNER CREEK LAKE	1.42	0.58	0.21	1.56	Fair
BARBER STATE FISHING LAKE	3.92	1.92	0.54	1.11	Fair
BELLEVILLE - ROCKY POND	28.38	13	3.5	1.43	Good
BONE CREEK LAKE	3.88	0.5	0	0.74	Good
BROWN STATE FISHING LAKE	3	0	0	0.51	Fair
BROWNING OXBOW	0.25	0.25	0	0.75	Poor
BUTLER STATE FISHING LAKE	0.25	0	0	0.14	Poor
CENTRALIA CITY LAKE	7.71	0.5	0.17	1.67	Good
CHANUTE CITY LAKE	2	0.5	0	0.68	Fair
CLARK STATE FISHING LAKE	0.08	0.08	0	0.67	Poor
COUNCIL GROVE CITY LAKE	1.5	0.83	0.25	1.93	Fair
COWLEY STATE FISHING LAKE	3.75	1.25	0.38	3.41	Poor
CRAWFORD STATE FISHING LAKE	0.38	0.25	0	0.55	Good
DOUGLAS CO - LONESTAR LAKE	6	1.5	0.63	2.27	Good
DOUGLAS STATE FISHING LAKE	9.09	4.45	1	3.13	Good
EDNA CITY LAKE	3	1.5	0	0.68	Fair
ELLIS CITY LAKE	0.38	0	0	0.33	Poor
EUREKA CITY LAKE	0.08	0	0	0.3	Poor
FORD STATE FISHING LAKE	0.75	0.75	0.75	1.6	Poor
GARDNER CITY LAKE	0.38	0.25	0	0.77	Fair
GARNETT - CEDAR CREEK LAKE	0.53	0.13	0	0.57	Poor
GARNETT CITY LAKE - N	1.33	1	0	0.79	Fair
GEARY STATE FISHING LAKE	1.36	0.45	0.18	1.03	Fair
GRAHAM CO - ANTELOPE LAKE	13.67	12.67	6.78	1.69	Good
GREAT BEND - STONE PARK LAKE	0.78	0.56	0.33	1.3	Fair
GREAT BEND - VETS PARK LAKE	0.33	0.33	0.33	0.88	Fair
GRIDLEY CITY LAKE	12.83	11.83	2	1.44	Good
HAIN STATE FISHING LAKE	0.25	0.25	0	0.85	Poor
HARVEY CO LAKE - E	0.71	0.71	0.29	1.71	Poor
HARVEY CO LAKE - W	0	0	0	0.12	Poor
HERINGTON CITY LAKE - NEW	0	0	0	0.19	Poor
HOLTON - PRAIRIE LAKE	2.25	0.25	0	0.65	Poor
HORSETHIEF	1.86	0.14	0	0.63	Poor
HORTON - MISSION LAKE	0	0	0	0.2	Poor
HOWARD - POLK DANIELS LAKE	2.92	1	0.17	1.06	Poor
JEFFREY ENERGY CENTER - AUXILIARY LAKE	0.08	0.04	0	0.8	Poor
JETMORE CITY LAKE	0	0	0	0.08	Poor
JEWELL STATE FISHING LAKE	17.69	8.38	0.19	1.48	Good
JOHNSON CO - KILL CREEK PARK LAKE	1.33	0.33	0	0.56	Fair
JOHNSON CO - LEXINGTON PARK LAKE	2.17	1.17	0.17	0.96	Fair
JOHNSON CO - SHAWNEE MISSION LAKE	0.43	0.14	0	0.45	Fair
KINGMAN STATE FISHING LAKE	0	0	0	0.22	Poor
KIOWA STATE FISHING LAKE	0	0	0	0.05	Poor
LAKE ATWOOD	82.25	0	0	0.45	Fair
LAKE LENEXA	0.75	0.25	0	0.55	Fair
LAKE OLATHE	1.92	0.17	0	0.83	Good
LAKE SHAWNEE	1.92	1.08	0.08	0.86	Fair
LEAVENWORTH STATE FISHING LAKE	0.67	0.5	0.17	1.13	Poor
LEBO CITY LAKE	0.5	0	0	0.44	Poor
LOUISBURG CITY LAKE	4.5	0	0	0.37	Poor
LYON STATE FISHING LAKE	3.33	1.75	0.67	2.55	Good
MARION CO LAKE	0.33	0.17	0.08	1.76	Poor
MCPHERSON STATE FISHING LAKE	0.28	0.06	0	0.45	Fair
MELVERN RIVER POND	28.4	16.4	0	0.97	Good
MIAMI STATE FISHING LAKE	7.1	0.9	0.5	2.6	Good
MIDDLE CREEK STATE FISHING LAKE	0.5	0	0	0.34	Fair
MINED LAND PIT #44A	0.5	0.25	0	0.55	Fair
MOLINE OLD CITY LAKE - S	3.75	0.75	0	0.71	Good
MONTGOMERY STATE FISHING LAKE	1.5	0	0	0.39	Fair
NEBO STATE FISHING LAKE	0.17	0.17	0.17	1.92	Poor
NEOSHO STATE FISHING LAKE	9.13	0.5	0	0.59	Good
OSAGE STATE FISHING LAKE	2.88	0.5	0	0.52	Fair
OSAWATOMIE CITY LAKE	2.5	1.5	1	0.95	Poor
OTTAWA STATE FISHING LAKE	0.59	0	0	0.38	Poor
PAOLA CITY LAKE - LAKE MIOLA	3.27	0.64	0.36	1.29	Fair
PARSONS CITY LAKE	0.38	0	0	0.3	Poor
POTTAWATOMIE STATE FISHING LAKE #1	3.17	0.5	0	0.78	Fair
POTTAWATOMIE STATE FISHING LAKE #2	1.73	0.45	0	0.52	Fair
PRATT CO LAKE	0.78	0	0	0.42	Poor
SABETHA - PONY CREEK LAKE	6.58	5.42	2.17	1.85	Good
SABETHA CITY LAKE	7.25	3.5	0.25	1.06	Good
SEVERY CITY LAKE	1.5	0.17	0	0.44	Poor
SHAWNEE STATE FISHING LAKE	2.33	1	0.17	1.04	Fair
SPRING HILL CITY LAKE	0.5	0	0	0.31	Fair
STERLING CITY LAKE	21	7.33	0	0.67	Good
THAYER CITY LAKE - NEW	11.5	3.5	0	0.69	Good
WIFA - GRAHAM CO - TREXLER POND	100.63	1.38	0	0.58	Fair
WILSON STATE FISHING LAKE	1.92	1.08	0	0.91	Fair
WINFIELD CITY LAKE	0.89	0.11	0	0.72	Poor
WOODSON STATE FISHING LAKE	5.56	3.22	0	0.86	Good
YATES CENTER - S OWL LAKE	0.25	0	0	0.48	Poor
YATES CENTER CITY LAKE - NEW	3.45	0.27	0	0.62	Fair

Ponds

Updated 04/01/26

Location	DENSITY (>8")	PREFERRED (>10")	LUNKER (>12")	BIGGEST fish #S	Fishing Rating
COLBY - VILLA HIGH LAKE	0.17	0.17	0.00	0.96	Poor
EMPORIA - JONES PARK E POND	2.00	0.33	0.00	0.49	Poor
EMPORIA - JONES PARK N POND	0.67	0.33	0.00	0.59	Poor
EMPORIA - JONES PARK W POND	4.00	2.00	0.33	0.73	Poor
HAYS - VINEYARD PARK POND	8.67	0.67	0.00	0.50	Fair
OVERBROOK CITY LAKE	7.00	0.75	0.25	1.81	Good