Fishing Report For Hillsdale Lake, KS

Current Report: Fair To Good

Spring and Fall are the best seasons for catching walleye, as they spend a great deal of time shallow.

SUMMER. Currently the water temperature is in the mid 80's, and walleye fishing is a little slow. There are some nice walleye being caught, mostly slow trolling or drifting jigs tipped with worms or minnows. Early in the morning, and from dusk to long after dark, are good times to catch walleye, as they move shallower to feed. The rest of the time they are cruising flats, humps and creek channel edges, in 20 t0 45 feet of water.

FALL. Fall brings cooler temperatures to shallow water, drawing walleye and baitfish into the shallows. Jigs, swimbaits, spoons, crankbaits, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits will all catch walleye again.

WINTER. This Winter fishing for walleye was fair through the ice. They feed primarily on shad and other small fish, close to the bottom. Blade baits, jigs, swimbaits, spoons, deep-diving crankbaits, and worm harness spinners all work while trolling or slow drifting. In years when there is safe ice, walleye are caught with jigs, spoons and bait.

SPRING. In Spring, angler will be finding walleye in the shallows, especially rocky areas and inlet channels. Here they will spawn once the water warms to the mid 40's. Afterwards, they move to shallow points, flats, shoals and ledges just off shore nearby their spawning location. Bright colored jigs, tipped with minnows or nightcrawlers are catching them in 5 to 10 feet of water. Spinnerbaits, jerkbaits and crankbaits are also working when walleye are up shallow.

Current Report: Good

SUMMER. Water temperatures are currently in the 80's, and crappie fishing has been very pretty good. Now that the spawn is over, and the hot Summer sun is warming the shallows, crappie have retreated to depths of 12 to 25 feet, or embedded in the shade of heavy vegetation in shallower water. This is a good time to focus around deep brush piles. Anglers are also locating schools of crappie hanging over deep rocky structures and around creek channel edges with cover.

FALL. Baitfish, which will be moving into shallow flats, coves and bays, will draw crappie into these areas, where they are feeding heavily in preparation for the cold Winter. Small spoons, along with minnows and crappie jigs, are good options during this feeding marathon.

WINTER. Once the shallows start cooling rapidly, crappie will migrate to deeper holding areas, mostly off shore. At this time they are typically caught using a very slow presentation, in 20 to 30 feet of water. Even when they are not on the bottom, they are relating to some cover, or structure change, directly below them.

SPRING. In early Spring, crappie begin staging in 6 to 8 feet of water, just outside spawning bays and shallow flats. Spring is prime time to be on the water, as crappie have moved shallow to spawn. At that time, they are typically caught in 2 to 4 feet of water. Docks, brush, wood and vegetation are where most anglers are catching good numbers using small crappie jigs or live minnows during the spawn. Afterwards, crappie move outside the spawning area and hold on the closest cover. Once they move off the beds, anglers report good success using fish finders and forward facing sonar to locate schools of crappie, which tend to stack vertically around cover. Light tackle with 4 lb to 8 lb line is a popular choice.

Current Report: Fair To Good

SUMMER. Bass are feeding shallow early and late in the day, where they are being caught on topwater, crankbaits and swimbaits. Wacky-rigged stick worms are catching finicky them when the bite is slow. Largemouth bass here feed on gizzard shad, small sunfish and crawfish. During the hotter parts of the day, they are being caught on points, channel edges, and ledges 28 to 30 feet deep. Good reports are from the cove and points near the Antioch Boat Ramp, the Hillsdale Point Boat Ramp and south of the Tontzville Road causeway.

FALL. As Fall arrives, bass here will follow schools of baitfish into coves and shallow bays, where spoons, swimbaits, and slow-rolled spinnerbaits have been successful in prior years.

WINTER. Winter will isolate them around slightly deeper structure, flats, points and creek channels. They can be found from 20 to 45 feet deep. Here they hold, feeding less frequently, awaiting warmer water to return in Spring.

SPRING. Once water temperatures rise into the low 60's, largemouth will move from deep wintering spots to shallower water just outside spawning areas. Jerkbaits, spinnerbaits and vibrating jigs typically get bites just away from the shoreline. At this time they are starting to get focused on the spawn. Once water warms into the mid to high 60's, they will move into 1 to 4 feet of water, and create nests, then lay their eggs. Immediately afterwards, females move to deeper water, and males remain to guard the eggs, and then the fry. After a couple weeks, the males also move to slightly deeper water. Crankbaits, vibrating jigs, plastic worms and swimbaits are catching bass during this period.