Trout Stocking

Trout Fishing Program

New for 2025/2026: The Kansas trout season runs Dec. 1 - March 31 during the stocking period. During this season, some waters stocked with trout require a trout permit ($20) whether fishing for trout or not, while others require a trout permit only for anglers fishing specifically for trout.

Trout waters are listed on the Trout Season Info PDF.

Note: All residents age 16 through 74, and non-residents age 16 or older, must have a valid fishing license. Youth age 15 or younger must only possess a Youth Trout Permit ($7).

Trout permits are available and are valid 365 days from the date of purchase.

Stocking dates will be announced around the first of December, January, and February.

View a listing of trout stocking locations.

After March 31, there still may be trout in ponds and lakes around the state. You may trout fish these waters without a trout permit after March 31; however, the limit of 5 trout per day, and 15 trout in possession, still apply.

Limit: The daily creel limit is 5 trout. The possession limit is 15 trout.

Some local governments in areas such as Kansas City have their own trout stocking programs. Many of these require a separate/local fee, but the state permit is not required; Contact local city and county recreation departments for complete details.

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Trout Stocking Schedule

 

Northeast Region Trout Stocking Schedule

Northeast Region Stocking Schedule for 2025-2026 Schedule

Department-owned Waters

Trout Stockings by KDWP

Community Lake Stockings

Please contact local city/county offices for dates of stockings if not listed below

Northwest Region Trout Stocking Schedule

Northwest Region Trout Stocking Schedule for 2025-2026 Season

Community Lake Stockings

Please contact local city/county offices for dates of stockings if not listed below

South Central Trout Stocking Schedule

Department-owned Waters

Trout Stocking by KDWP

Community Lake Stockings

Please contact local city/county offices for dates of stockings if not listed below

Southeast Region Trout Stocking Schedule

Southeast Region Trout Stocking Schedule for 2025-2026 Season

Department-owned Waters

Trout stockings by KDWP

Community Lake Stockings

Please contact local/city offices for dates of stockings if not listed below

Southwest Region Trout Stocking Schedule

Southwest Region Trout Stocking Schedule for 2025-2026

Department-owned Waters

Trout Stockings by KDWP

Community Lake Stockings

Please contact local city/county offices for dates of stockings if not listed below

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Trout Stocking Locations

A trout permit is required of all anglers at these lakes:

• Coffeyville - Le Clere
• Dodge City Lake Charles
• Eisenhower State Park Pond
• Ft. Scott Gun Park Lake
• Lake Henry in Clinton SP
• Mined Land WA Unit #30
• Pratt Centennial Pond
• Willow Lake at Tuttle Creek SP
• Webster Stilling Basin
• Sandsage Bison Range and WA Sandpits (Periodically Dry)
• Vic’s Lake and Slough Creek in Sedgwick County Park
• Garnett Crystal Lake
• Kings Lake-Emporia
• O.J. Watson Park-Wichita
• Kanopolis Seep Stream (Changes to access due construction on stilling basin; view Kanopolis Lake map)
  Glen Elder Outlet

A trout permit is required for trout anglers only at these lakes:

• Colby Villa High Lake
• Lake Shawnee - Topeka
• Sherman County - Smoky Gardens Lake
• Salina Lakewood Lake - Changed to 2 trout creel 2019-2020 SEASON
• Moon Lake on Fort Riley
• Scott State Park Pond - Barrel Springs Pond
• Hutchinson-Carey Park Pond (new location for 2024-2025 Trout Season)
• Atchison City Lake # 1
• Holton-Elkhorn Lake
• Syracuse Sam's Pond
• Cimarron Grasslands Pits
• Great Bend Vet's Lake
• Meade State Fishing Lake
• Cherryvale-Tanko Lake
• Herington-Father Padilla Pond
• Ft. Riley Cameron Springs
• Shawnee Mission Lake (State Trout Permit required January of 2025)
• Kill Creek Lake (State Trout Permit required January of 2025)

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South Fork of the Solomon River above Webster Reservoir Map

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Urban Fishing Program

Species Highlight – Catfish: Did you know more than 150,000 harvest-sized channel catfish are stocked around urban areas every year? These catfish are farm-raised through a local fish producer making them easier to catch and lighter on taste than wild catfish. Anglers can have a successful outing by using a basic split-shot and hook baited with a worm or piece of hotdog straight out of the package. The simplicity makes this an ideal opportunity for new anglers of any age to catch these fish for harvest or photos! Even experienced anglers enjoy the stress-free experience of urban catfish fishing.

The Program

To improve fishing opportunities in urban areas where the demand for fish exceeds the supply, we created an urban fish stocking program. More than 85 lakes statewide are stocked with 3/4- to 1 1/2-pound channel catfish, hybrid sunfish, and wipers as often as every two weeks from April through September. All metropolitan areas that have a human population over 40,000, with available public fishing waters, are served by this program. In addition, communities in western Kansas with high populations relative to county and adjacent counties, also receive stockings.

Where to Fish

If you live in the listed counties, you have an urban lake near you. These are great locations for a quick family fishing trip. Just throw the gear in the car and make the short drive to the nearest designated urban fishing lake. The counties served by the program are Atchison, Barton, Butler, Douglas, Ellis, Ford, Finney, Johnson, Leavenworth, Lyon, Ottawa, Pottawatomie, Reno, Riley, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Thomas, and Wyandotte.

Get Your License

Purchase Fishing License

Stocking Schedules

• Urban Stocking Schedule: April - July
• Urban Stocking Schedule: August - October

Urban Lakes

Atchison County

• Atchison State Fishing Lake - Will be stocked April 1 and July 15

Butler County

• Andover - Lake George
• Benton Poling Lake

Douglas County

• Clinton State Park
• Clinton SP - Lake Henry
• Lawrence - Mary's Lake

Finney County

• Garden City - Sandsage Bison Range & WA

Johnson County

These are the lakes and ponds of Johnson County in the Urban Fishing Program

• Olathe Black Bob Park Pond
• Olathe-Cedar Lake
• Olathe-Frisco Lake
• Olathe East High School Pond
• Olathe - Mahaffe Farmstead Pond
• Olathe Stagecoach Park Pond
• Olathe - Waterworks Lake
• Overland Park - Kingston Lake
• Overland Park Regency Lake
• Overland Park Wilderness Pond
• Overland Park South Lake
• Lenexa Lake Lenexa
• Lenexa Mize Boulevard Pond
• Lenexa Rose's Pond
• Leawood Tomahawk Parkway North Pond
• Leawood Tomahawk Parkway South Pond

Leavenworth County

• Lansing City Lake - 1 1/4 acres, East edge of Lansing

Lyon County

• Emporia - Camp Alexander Lake - 2 acres, 1783 Road P5
• Emporia - Peter Pan Park - 3 acres, S of Rudolph and Kansas Avenues, W of S. Congress
• Emporia-Jones Park Ponds - 5 acres, S of 24th Avenue between Prairie & Lincoln Street

Ottawa County

• Ottawa State Fishing Lake 138 acres, 5 N 1 E of Bennington

Pottawatomie County

These are the lakes and ponds of Pottawatomie County that are in the Urban Fishing Program.

• Pottawatomie State Fishing Lake #2 - 75 acres, 1-1/2 E 2-1/2 N of Manhattan

Reno County

• Hutchinson-Carey Park Pond
• Hutchinson-Carey Park Lagoon

Riley County

The following lakes are designated as urban waters:

• Ft. Riley - 7 mile pond
• Ft. Riley - Breakeneck Lake
• Ft. Riley - Pritchard Pond
• Ft. Riley - Moon Lake

Saline County

These are the lakes and ponds of Saline County that are in the Urban Fishing Program.

• Salina Lakewood Lake
• Salina Indian Rock Lake
• Saline State Fishing Lake

Sedgwick County

View and print maps, directions and more information about Wichita area fishing locations:

• Fish Wichita Locations

Community Lakes in the Wichita Area

Northwest:

• Blackbird Pond
• Sunflower Pond
• Colwich City Lake
• Sedgwick County Park
• Valley Center - Arrowhead Park
• Valley Center - McLaughlin Lake
• Dillon's Pond

Northeast:

• KDOT East Lake
• KDOT West Lake
• K-96 Lake
• Park City - Chisholm Pointe Lake
• Kechi City Lake
• Chisholm North Lake
• Chisholm Island Pond
• Andover - Lake George
• Benton - Poling Park

Southwest:

• Lake Afton
• Clearwater - Chisholm Ridge Lakes
• Haysville - Rigg's Lake
• Watson Park
• South Lake

Southeast:

• Derby - Rainbow Valley Lake
• Derby - Stone Creek Park Lake
• Derby - High Park
• Mulvane - Cedar Brook Pond
• Harrison Park Pond
• Emery Park Pond

Rivers:

• Arkansas River
• Little Arkansas River

Shawnee County

These are the lakes and ponds of Shawnee County in the Urban Fishing Program

• Governor's East Pond
• Topeka Cedar Crest Pond
• Governor's West Pond
• Shawnee Co Shawnee Jr.
• Shawnee State Fishing Lake
• Shawnee Co Karl's Lake
• Topeka Westlake
• Topeka Central Park Lake
• Topeka - Clarion Lake

Wyandotte County

These are the lakes and ponds of Wyandotte County in the Urban Fishing Program

• Bonner Springs - North Park Lake

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Urban Stocking Schedule: August - October

Stocking information is in pounds not fish numbers. Fish will be stocked within 5 days of the noted scheduled date. The fish that are stocked are an average of 3/4 pounds with no fish shorter than 12 inches.

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Urban Stocking Schedule: March - June

Stocking information is in pounds not fish numbers. Fish will be stocked within 5 days of the noted scheduled date. The fish that are stocked are an average of 3/4 pounds.