Volume 44 - Issue 28 - July 10, 2025

State of Kansas

Department of Wildlife and Parks

Permanent Administrative Regulation

Article 25.—WILDLIFE SEASONS; BAG, CREEL, POSSESSION, SIZE, AND LENGTH LIMITS

115-25-14. Fishing; creel limit, size limit, possession limit, and open season. (a) The open season for the taking of fish in Kansas shall be the first day of January through the last day of December, with the following exceptions:

(1) The flowing portions and backwaters of the Missouri River and any oxbow lake through which the Kansas-Missouri boundary passes and other designated waters, for which the open snagging season for the taking of paddlefish shall be the 15th day of March through the 15th day of May;

(2) the flowing portions of the Kansas River from its origin downstream to its confluence with the Missouri River and the flowing portions of the Arkansas River from its origin downstream to the Kansas-Oklahoma border and on federal reservoirs from 150 yards away from the dam to the upper end of the federal property, for which the open hand-fishing season for the taking of flathead catfish shall be from sunrise to sunset, the 15th day of June through the last day of August;

(3) for floatline fishing, only on designated federal reservoirs; and

(4) those areas closed by posted notice.

(b) Pursuant to K.A.R. 115-18-12, a trout permit shall be required for each individual who wants to fish on the following waters from the first day of December through the last day of March (type one waters):

(1) Dodge City Lake Charles;

(2) Coffeyville LeClere Lake;

(3) Eisenhower State Park Pond;

(4) Fort Scott Gun Park Lake;

(5) Garnett Crystal Lake;

(6) Glen Elder Reservoir Outlet;

(7) Glen Elder State Park Pond;

(8) Kanopolis Seep Stream;

(9) Lake Henry, located in Clinton State Park;

(10) Unit number 30, located in the Mined Land Wildlife Area;

(11) Pratt Centennial Pond;

(12) the following Sedgwick County Park waters:

(A) Vic’s Lake; and

(B) Slough Creek;

(13) Scott State Park Pond;

(14) Topeka Auburndale Park;

(15) Walnut River Area, located in El Dorado State Park;

(16) Webster Stilling Basin;

(17) Willow Lake, located in Tuttle Creek State Park;

(18) King Lake-Emporia; and

(19) OJ Watson Park.

(c) Pursuant to K.A.R. 115-18-12, a trout permit shall be required for each individual who wants to fish for and possess trout on the following waters from the first day of December through the last day of March (type two waters):

(1) Atchison City Lake No. 1;

(2) Belleville City Lake (Rocky Pond);

(3) Cameron Springs, located on Fort Riley;

(4) Cedar Bluff Stilling Basin;

(5) Cherryvale City Lake (Tanko);

(6) Cimarron Grasslands Pits;

(7) Great Bend Veterans Memorial Park Lake;

(8) Great Bend Stone Lake;

(9) Herington-Father Padilla Pond;

(10) Holton-Elkhorn Lake;

(11) Hutchinson Dillon Nature Center Pond;

(12) the following Johnson County Park waters:

(A) Shawnee Mission Park Lake; and

(B) Kill Creek Park Lake;

(13) Kanopolis State Park Pond;

(14) Lake Shawnee, located in Shawnee County;

(15) Meade State Fishing Lake;

(16) Moon Lake, located on Fort Riley;

(17) Salina Lakewood Lake;

(18) Sandsage Bison Range and Wildlife Area Sandpits;

(19) Scott State Fishing Lake;

(20) the following Sedgwick County Park waters:

(A) Moss Lake; and

(B) Horseshoe Lake;

(21) Solomon River between Webster Reservoir and Rooks County #2 Road;

(22) Syracuse-Sam’s Pond;

(23) Colby-Villa High Lake; and

(24) Sherman County Smoky Gardens Lake.

(d) The following daily creel limits and size limits shall apply to each pond, lake, impoundment, and other water of the state that is open to public fishing access and to all perennial and intermittent watercourses of the state, unless special creel limits and size limits apply pursuant to subsection (f).

Species	Creel Limit	Size Limit
Black bass: largemouth, spotted, or smallmouth	5*	15”
Channel catfish (fewer than 30 rays in the anal fin)	10	--
Blue catfish (30 or more rays in the anal fin)	10	only 1 at least 30”
Trout	5*	--
Flathead catfish	5	--
Walleye, sauger, saugeye	5*	15”***
Pike family: northern pike, tiger, or muskellunge	2*	30”
Striped bass	5	--
Wiper: striped bass hybrid	5	--
Paddlefish	2**	--
Crappie: white or black	50*	--
All other species	No limit	--
* The daily creel limit shall be composed of a single listed species or a combination of the species in the listed species group.
** The total snagging creel limit of paddlefish per calendar year shall be six paddlefish.
*** The 15” length limit on walleye, sauger, and saugeye shall not apply to streams, rivers, and tailwaters.

(e) The possession limit shall be three daily creel limits.

(f) Special size limits, creel limits, and bait restrictions for designated waters shall be those limits and restrictions specified in the department’s “Kansas special size limits, creel limits, and bait restriction tables,” dated June 21, 2024, which is hereby adopted by reference. All fish caught from these designated waters that are of a size or number that is illegal to possess shall be released unrestrained to the water immediately. (Authorized by and implementing K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 32-807; effective Jan. 1, 1990; amended Jan. 1, 1998; amended Jan. 1, 2000; amended Jan. 1, 2003; amended Jan. 1, 2004; amended Aug. 1, 2004; amended Feb. 1, 2005; amended Nov. 1, 2005; amended Jan. 1, 2007; amended Jan. 15, 2007; amended Jan. 1, 2008; amended Jan. 1, 2009; amended Jan. 1, 2010; amended March 16, 2010; amended Oct. 20, 2010; amended Jan. 1, 2012; amended Jan. 1, 2013; amended Jan. 1, 2014; amended Jan. 1, 2015; amended Jan. 1, 2016; amended Jan. 1, 2017; amended Jan. 1, 2018; amended Jan. 1, 2019; amended Jan. 1, 2020; amended Jan. 1, 2021; amended Jan. 1, 2022; amended Aug. 21, 2023; amended June 21, 2024; amended July 25, 2025.)

Christopher Kennedy
Secretary
Department of Wildlife and Parks

Doc. No. 053302