Fishing Report For Milford Lake, KS

Current Report: Good

The Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks reports good fishing for blue catfish using cut bait, worms, and stink bait. Check for limit restrictions before fishing.

WINTER. Now that the cold Winter has set in, big blues are being caught in deep holes, around 15 to 30 feet deep. Prime areas are in the main river channel and on deep channel ledges. Here these catfish await warmer water in Spring. They are less aggressive now, but slow drifting, or dead sticking baits, can still trigger bites. Cut bait, or live bait taken from this lake are the top bait choice. Use slip sinkers, 3-way rigs, or Carolina rigs with enough weight to keep the bait bumping bottom as you drift or slow troll.

SPRING. Spring begins the aggressive feeding, in preparation for summer. Blues at this time are typically caught 6 to 15 feet deep in bays and coves, on shallow flats and along shallow ledges where baitfish school. Some are holding 15 to 25 feet deep along channel bends and breaks. Transition zones between the main channel and secondary creek channels, and flats around creek mouths are popular areas. Cut bait is the ideal bait this time of year, with locals preferring cut shad.

SUMMER. Early Summer is post-spawn season for big blue catfish. They follow big schools of baitfish, and feed heartily. Live shad is the preferred bait at night, while cut bait is catching nice blues during the day. Stay around channel edges and fish areas that have concentrations of bait. Once Summer weather has warmed lake water into the 80's, blue catfish move closer to the main basins. During hottest months blue cats commonly suspend along the thermocline where it intersects channel ledges. They hold in deeper feeding areas, 10 to 30 feet deep, preferring to remain in slow-moving current when available. Blues, including some of the bigger ones, are caught while slow trolling, or drifting ledges, adjacent to river channels, or within the channel along the edges. The lake record here is over 80 pounds, and big blues, 25 to 50 pounds, are regularly caught. Anglers fishing from the bank are catching a few fish, but boats are the preferred approach. Late Summer, if the water temperature rises above the high 70's, they become less active, and fishing can slow down.

FALL. Fall is one of the better times of year for catching blue catfish. Early in Fall, they cruise shallow flats in 6 to 18 feet of water, in search of food. Areas with good reports include long points and channel bends. Later, in the season they migrate away from the shallows and current, to moderately dee channel breaks in the main body of the lake, around 15 to 30 feet deep. They remain in these areas and feed aggressively in preparation for Winter.

Current Report: Good

WINTER. Now that it's Winter, hybrid stripers hang out in deeper water and feed close to the bottom. They most often feed 20 to 40 feet deep before, during and after ice over. Warm afternoons occasionally draw stripers shallower, so look for them around 20 feet deep as they feed on roaming schools of gizzard. In Winter, it is important to locate schools of bait, then look for wipers schooling below the bait. Hybrids concentrate along the main river channel, on deep channel ledges, and some of the deepest holes around the river channel. Fish finders, and forward facing sonar, are a big help in locating these roaming schools. Nice fish are being caught while trolling or drift fishing. Spoons, swimbaits, blade baits, crankbaits, live bait and cut bait are typically effective this time of year. Due to slower metabolism, anglers are triggering more strikes as deep as 40 feet, by making slower presentations.

SPRING. When water temperatures rise into the mid 60's now, it's the ideal time for hybrid stripers to spawn. Big hybrid stripers chase baitfish all over the lake. They are being caught up lake toward the incoming current as they feed and prepare to spawn. Expect to find hybrids in 10 to 15 feet of water early and late in the day, deeper during mid day. Most schools gather around the mouths creek-channels, channel bends, humps and points. They can be found in 8 to 18 feet of water on flats and points, or around 15 to 30 feet deep along channel edges. There are plenty of hybrids averaging 2 to 3 pounds, with many 5-pound plus fish being caught. In Spring, work wind-blown points, creeks, and the upper end of the lake if there is inflowing water. If they spawn, they will lay eggs in flowing water. Look for deeper holes in the river channels, as they are a good holding place for hybrid stripers after the spawn. Vertical jigging, or trolling with deep crankbaits are popular.

SUMMER. In Summer, these wipers typically hang out in 10 to 30 feet of water, as do schools of baitfish. They stay above the thermocline, in oxygenated water. Sometimes during the heat of the day they move close to the bottom. Morning often draws hybrid stripers to much shallower water, so look for them around 10 feet as they feed on shallow on roaming schools of shad. Channel ledges and humps from around Milford to lower portion of the lake can be productive. Trolling with spoons, crankbaits, umbrella rigs or swimbaits produces a lot of nice catches in Summer. Live or cut bait can also be effective here. Being successful at fishing for stripers in Summer is often a matter of locating schools of bait, and the wolf packs of wipers are likely to be nearby. Fish finders, and sonar electronics, are a big help in locating these roaming schools.

FALL. In early Fall, baitfish and hybrid stripers return to shallow water preferring areas as shallow as 6 feet deep on points and flats, to 30 feet deep along channel edges. Some of the bigger fish may be slightly deeper than the big schools. During Fall, hybrids are very aggressive when feeding. Most wipers concentrate from mid lake to the incoming-river area at the north end of the lake. Expect to find schooling activity around creek mouths, flats, main channel points, and humps. Early in the day wipers chase bait to the surface and feed aggressively, making this an excellent time for topwater action. Mid day they move into around 10 feet of water. Look for structure nearby deeper sections in channels, and fish them thoroughly. Most any lure that resembles shad will catch wipers at this time of year.

Current Report: Fair To Good

Milford Lake is considered a decent smallmouth bass fishery.

WINTER. Winter has isolated smallies around deeper structure, points, flats and creek channels, often suspending in open water above these features. Before, during and after ice fishing season, they can generally be found from 15 to 30 feet deep. Locals report catching nice fish around rock piles, deep points and channel ledges. Jigging spoons, tube baits, drop-shot worms, jigs and Ned rigs are tempting smallmouth to bite in deep water. I like to work these deeper haunts very slowly, as the bass are somewhat sluggish. Here they hold, feeding less frequently, awaiting warmer water to return in Spring.

SPRING. After ice out, when water temperatures rise into the 50's, smallmouth move from deep wintering spots to shallower water, just outside spawning areas. They feed heavily in 2 to 12 feet of water at this time, and are typically caught on jerkbaits, crankbaits, tube baits, Ned rigs, and crayfish imitating plastics. Once water warms into the high 50's, they move into shallower water, and create nests in gravel or sand areas, then lay their eggs. Some of the better spawning areas include protected, rocky shallow flats and points in 3 to 8 feet of water. Females then move to deeper water and males remain to guard the eggs, and then the fry. After a couple weeks, the males also move into 12 to 15 feet deep, and feed aggressively. Crankbaits, tube baits, Ned rigs, plastic worms, spoons and swimbaits are catching smallies during this period.

SUMMER. Smallmouth bass typically feed shallow early and late in the day, in 3 to 8 feet of water. They are being caught on topwater, crankbaits, swimbaits, Ned rigs and tube baits. Smallmouth bass here feed on crawfish, gizzard shad, threadfin shad, and small sunfish. They prefer rocky or gravel bottom areas, as this is where crayfish live. Popular Summer holding areas include rip rap at the dam, as well as rocky points, humps and structure near the thermocline. During the hotter parts of the day, they are being caught on points, humps, and ledges around 15 to 20 feet deep. Often these deeper fish tend to school, so finding them can deliver some fast action.

FALL. Once Fall arrives smallmouth move into coves and bays 6 to 18 feet deep. Popular areas include rocky points, flats around creek mouths, and wind-blown shallow banks. They thrive in the cooler, shallow water, which is an ideal environment for them. Locals report that tube jigs, and drop shot rigs with small worms or shad shaped plastics, are popular in 10' water or deeper. Worms, jigs, deep-diving crankbaits, swimbaits, and slow-rolled spinnerbaits, are also successful, when bass are shallow to mid depth. Later in Fall, smallies move to slightly deeper water, around 11 to 25 feet deep.