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Verdigris River Fishing Report

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

A southeast Kansas river: the Verdigris runs catfish, white bass and crappie past Independence and Coffeyville.

1/5
Tough. Pick your battles.Post-front sun and slick water make them sulk.
Water temp
~84 F est.
Air / High
97 / 98 F
Wind
S 14 mph

Sources: 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.

1/5Tough. Pick your battles.Post-front sun and slick water make them sulk.

Verdigris River stays in its summer rhythm: early magic, midday siesta, evening reprieve. Today brings clear skies, wind S around 14 mph, rising pressure near 1010 hPa and a high of 98. Water sits around 84 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: plan around them and beat the heat.

The plan, species by species

Catfish (blue, channel)Fair

Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

Largemouth bassSlow

Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

White bassSlow

Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

CrappieSlow

Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

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.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp97 F
High / Low98 / 72 F
WindS 14-16 mph
Pressure1010.1 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset06:55 / 19:46
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~84 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, 98/72 F, wind 15 mph, rain 0%

Fair or better. A 15 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

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

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: spring and fall

The headline act on most American reservoirs. Relates to cover: docks, brush, grass edges and points. Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

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. Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

When to come: the Verdigris 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
Largemouth bass
Crappie
Catfish (blue, channel)
White bass
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 84 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 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 Verdigris River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 99 F, wind to 15 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 99 F, wind to 14 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 99 F, wind to 14 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, white bass and crappie limits per current Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks regulations.

Access

Public bridge crossings, Independence and Coffeyville city parks, and wildlife areas along the corridor.

About this water

A prairie river through southeast Kansas past Independence and Coffeyville, Montgomery County.

Fishing Verdigris River: the full guide

A river across southeast Kansas

The Verdigris River rises in the Flint Hills of eastern Kansas and flows south past Independence and Coffeyville into Oklahoma, draining a broad agricultural basin through Montgomery County. It is a turbid prairie river holding channel, blue and flathead catfish, white bass, crappie, largemouth and freshwater drum, with reservoirs on its tributaries feeding the system.

Catfish first

Catfish are the river’s strength: channel cats are everywhere and flatheads grow large in the deeper holes and around log jams, taken on cut and live bait fished on the bottom, best at night and around current breaks. Low-water summer conditions concentrate fish in the remaining holes, which makes them findable if you walk.

White bass and crappie

White bass move up the river in spring in genuine numbers, taken on jigs and small spoons at the riffles and current seams below the dams and bridges: the most exciting fishing of the year here. Crappie hold wood and any structure through the cooler months, and largemouth work the slack water and oxbows.

Montgomery County logistics

Access is via public bridge crossings, city parks in Independence and Coffeyville, and state wildlife areas along the corridor, with Elk City Lake and Big Hill Lake nearby as reservoir alternatives. The river responds sharply to rain and can rise and muddy for days: check flows before making the drive.

Common questions

What is the main fishery?

Catfish: channels throughout and flatheads in the deeper holes and log jams, best on cut and live bait at night.

When do white bass run?

Spring, at the riffles and current seams: the most exciting fishing of the year on this river.

What if the river is muddy?

It rises and colors for days after rain. Elk City Lake and Big Hill Lake nearby are the usual fallbacks.

Is fishing good at Verdigris River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Tough. Pick your battles. Post-front sun and slick water make them sulk.

Nearby waters

Neosho River21 miOologah Lake45 miGrand Lake58 miGrand Lake o the Cherokees61 miSkiatook Lake64 miLake Hudson71 mi
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