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Wilson Lake Fishing Report

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

The clearest lake in Kansas: Wilson’s rock and bluff water grows striped bass and walleye in the Smoky Hills.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
11 cfs
Air / High
102 / 102 F
Wind
SSE 12 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 06868200, 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.

Wilson Lake lines up a genuinely fishable day across the board. The river is running 11 cfs, on the rise. Today brings clear skies, wind SSE around 12 mph, rising pressure near 1007 hPa and a high of 102. Water sits around 66 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

WalleyeGood

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

Northern pikeGood

Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

White bassFair

The spring river run: small crankbaits and roadrunners up the tributaries.

CrappieSlow

Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

Tomorrow: Similar at 102 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 Saline River at Wilson Dam.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 06868200.

4101611 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp102 F
High / Low102 / 76 F
WindSSE 12-14 mph
Pressure1007.2 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 2%
Sunrise / Sunset07:05 / 20:00
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 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 · Overcast, 102/76 F, wind 18 mph, rain 2%

Slow. 102 F: be on the water at dawn and off by mid-morning, or fish after dark.

Species guide

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

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.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. The spring river run: small crankbaits and roadrunners up the tributaries.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: spring, early winter

The ambush predator of weedbeds and cabbage edges. Aggressive, big and always worth a wire leader. Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

When to come: the Wilson Lake 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
Walleye
White bass
Northern pike
Crappie
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 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 Wilson Lake 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. Walleye led the card at good. High of 105 F, wind to 23 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 103 F, wind to 21 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 101 F, wind to 17 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

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. Striped bass and walleye have length and creel limits: check current KDWP regulations.

Access

Wilson State Park, Hell Creek, Minooka and Sylvan Park ramps around the lake.

About this water

A 9,000-acre Corps reservoir on the Saline River, Russell and Lincoln counties, Kansas: the state’s clearest large lake.

Fishing Wilson Lake: the full guide

Clear water on the prairie

Wilson Lake covers 9,000 acres on the Saline River in the Smoky Hills of central Kansas, and its water clarity is unusual for the region: rocky shorelines, limestone bluffs and sand rather than the silt that colors most prairie reservoirs. That clarity supports a distinctive fishery: striped bass are the headline species, with walleye, smallmouth and white bass on the rock, plus channel and flathead catfish.

Striper hunting

Wilson is Kansas’s best striped bass water: fish chase shad across the main lake and stack on points and humps. Summer mornings bring surface boils where topwater and swimbaits get destroyed; the rest of the day rewards trolling deep or vertical jigging over marked schools. Spring pushes fish up the Saline River arm, and fall concentrates them on the main-lake structure again.

Walleye and smallmouth

Walleye hold the rocky points and riprap: jerkbaits at dusk in spring, crawler harnesses over the flats in summer. Smallmouth are a genuine bonus in Kansas, working the rock and bluff bases with tubes and Ned rigs in the clear water. White bass school with the stripers, and catfish work the flats and channel edges on cut bait.

Smoky Hills logistics

Wilson State Park and Corps areas provide ramps, campgrounds and shoreline access, including Hell Creek and Minooka. The Kansas wind is constant and builds waves fast on open water: fish protected shorelines when it blows and use the chop to your advantage on the points. Russell and Lucas are the nearby towns, with the Garden of Eden folk-art site worth the detour.

Common questions

Is the striper fishing that good?

It is the best in Kansas: summer surface boils and consistent deep schools make Wilson the state’s destination striper lake.

Why is the water clearer here?

Rock and sand shorelines rather than erodible silt, plus limestone geology, keep clarity higher than typical prairie reservoirs.

Are there really smallmouth?

Yes: the rock and bluff structure supports them, an unusual bonus in Kansas and a fun light-tackle option.

Is fishing good at Wilson Lake 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

Kanopolis Lake34 miGlen Elder Reservoir41 miCedar Bluff Reservoir68 miMilford Lake83 miMarion Reservoir85 miHarlan County Lake91 mi
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