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Neosho River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Southeast Kansas’ river: the Neosho runs flathead catfish, smallmouth and the state’s rarest fish.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
139 cfs
Air / High
98 / 99 F
Wind
S 12 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 07183500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Neosho River sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. The river is running 139 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings clear skies, wind S around 12 mph, rising pressure near 1010 hPa and a high of 99. Water sits around 73 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

MuskellungeExcellent

Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Smallmouth bassGood

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

WalleyeGood

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

Tomorrow: Similar at 100 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Neosho River near Parsons.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 07183500.

8582,1943,531139 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp98 F
High / Low99 / 73 F
WindS 12-15 mph
Pressure1010.4 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain1% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset06:54 / 19:45
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~73 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Clear, 99/73 F, wind 14 mph, rain 0%

Fair or better. A 14 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Neosho River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Muskellunge illustration

Muskellunge

Best: Sep-Nov

The fish of ten thousand casts. Weed edges, rock bars and big-water structure. Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

When to come: the Neosho River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Smallmouth bass
Walleye
Muskellunge
Catfish (blue, channel)
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 73 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~73 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Neosho River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Muskellunge led the card at excellent. High of 100 F, wind to 14 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 100 F, wind to 14 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 100 F, wind to 13 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Kansas requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Kansas license. Catfish and bass limits per current KDWP regulations.

Access

Road crossings, county and state access areas; reservoir tailwaters at John Redmond and Council Grove upstream.

About this water

A 460-mile river through southeastern Kansas to Oklahoma, Labette and Neosho counties, Kansas.

Fishing Neosho River: the full guide

A prairie river with variety

The Neosho River flows about 460 miles from central Kansas through Oklahoma to the Arkansas River, running through southeastern Kansas as a broad, wooded prairie river of gravel riffles and deep holes. It holds flathead and channel catfish, smallmouth and spotted bass, white bass, crappie and the Neosho madtom, an endangered species that gives the river conservation significance.

Catfish and the holes

Flathead catfish are the trophy species, holding the deep holes, log jams and undercut banks: live bait fished at night in summer produces the biggest fish, which reach substantial size. Channel catfish are abundant throughout and take cut and prepared baits from bank and boat, providing the everyday fishery for local anglers.

Bass and white bass

Smallmouth and spotted bass hold the gravel riffles and rock, an underfished component in a state where reservoirs get most of the attention. White bass run the river in spring from the reservoirs below, providing fast action. The river is wadeable in many stretches at summer flows, which suits light-tackle anglers.

Southeast Kansas logistics

Access is via road crossings, county and state areas, and the reservoir tailwaters at John Redmond and Council Grove upstream. Iola, Chanute and Parsons are the local towns. The river rises quickly with rain and stays turbid for days: check gauges and fish the falling water for the best conditions.

Common questions

What is the trophy species?

Flathead catfish: they hold the deep holes and log jams and reach substantial size on live bait at night.

Are there smallmouth?

Yes, on the gravel riffles and rock: an underfished component in a reservoir-focused state.

When does it fish best?

On falling water after rain: the river muddies quickly and takes days to clear.

Is fishing good at Neosho River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Verdigris River21 miGrand Lake56 miOologah Lake58 miGrand Lake o the Cherokees60 miLake Hudson77 miSkiatook Lake82 mi
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