SHAWNEE, Kan. – Anglers who frequent Kingman State Fishing Lake, located just seven miles west of Kingman, KS, will have much to look forward to this fall.
After several months of deliberation and planning, staff at the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks have decided to fully renovate the waterbody to improve aquatic habitat and fishing conditions. But the good news doesn’t stop there – staff may also use the downtime to upgrade the roads in the area’s campground, as well.
Renovations will first begin with a fish salvage order that went into effect Monday, February 6, 2023. During the fish salvage order, the public may collect any remaining fish in the designated waterbody by traditional rod and reel only, all other methods including seining and snagging are still prohibited (per K.A.R. 115-7-1). However, daily creel limits and size limits are temporarily removed (per K.A.R. 115-25-14) during this period.
Once all fish have been removed from the waterbody, the lake will then be drained so that staff may improve existing habitat.
“Kingman State Fishing Lake developed an overabundance of undesirable fish species that ultimately created poor water conditions,” said Micah Waters, district Fisheries biologist at KDWP. “At this point, the most effective method for getting our local fish populations back in balance will be to fully drain and renovate the lake and start a ‘new’ fishery. This will ensure the fish stocked have adequate food and shelter, that the water quality is sufficient, and it will ultimately create a better experience for anglers, as well.”
Once staff have fully renovated the aquatic habitat, they’ll wait for the waterbody to reach an ideal water level before stocking the following species:
- Largemouth Bass
- Channel Catfish
- Bluegill
- Northern Pike
- Black Crappie
Weather permitting, staff anticipate the project will be fully complete by this fall.
Click HERE for more information on Kingman State Fishing Lake and to explore other public fishing areas in Kansas.
