2026 regulation year
Kansas Smallmouth bass 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules
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Kansas smallmouth bass fishery is unusual for the Great Plains — Kansas is one of only a handful of inland US states west of the Mississippi where smallmouth have established self-sustaining naturally-reproducing populations outside their natural Appalachian + Ozark + Great Lakes range, and Wilson Lake (9,000 acres on the Saline River in Russell / Lincoln Counties — USACE Kansas City District 1964) is the flagship. Wilson Lake is the clearest-water reservoir in Kansas — the Saline River watershed has limestone bedrock geology + low sediment load + rocky shoreline structure + relatively cold spring-fed inflow that smallmouth require, supporting KDWP's premier smallmouth fishery. Wilson Lake produces the KS state-record smallmouth 6 lb 14 oz (1986) and routinely produces 4-5 lb fish from the rocky shoreline + main-lake humps + offshore points. Cedar Bluff Reservoir (6,000 acres on the Smoky Hill River in Trego County — Bureau of Reclamation 1951) is the secondary western-KS smallmouth tier — similar limestone-bedrock + clear-water + rocky-shoreline conditions, KDWP-stocked + self-sustaining. Milford + Cheney + Pomona + Council Grove + El Dorado carry small but viable smallmouth populations on listed rocky-shoreline + offshore-structure reaches alongside the dominant largemouth populations. The statewide rule is a 15-inch minimum + 5-fish combined daily aggregate across largemouth + smallmouth + spotted bass — and that 15-inch minimum (not a special 18-inch rule) is what applies on Wilson Lake + Cedar Bluff. The genuinely distinctive smallmouth size rules sit elsewhere: Glen Elder Reservoir carries a 21-inch minimum (the state's most aggressive smallmouth minimum), and Big Hill + Clinton + Perry + Melvern + La Cygne carry an 18-inch minimum. Open year-round statewide — March – May pre-spawn + spawn is the densest fishing window. KS does NOT have a state-wide spring spawning closure (unlike VT or NJ).
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Season
Open year-round Open year-round statewide; March – May pre-spawn + spawn densest fishing window; no spring spawning closure.
Bag & possession
- Daily bag
- 5 / day combined black bass (largemouth + smallmouth + spotted)
- Possession
- 15 in possession (3× the daily creel — KDWP standard)
Size, slot, trophy rules
- Size
- 15 in min statewide (including Wilson Lake + Cedar Bluff); 21 in min on Glen Elder Reservoir; 18 in min on Big Hill + Clinton + Perry + Melvern + La Cygne
- Trophy rule
- Glen Elder Reservoir 21 in min is the state's most aggressive smallmouth minimum; Big Hill + Clinton + Perry + Melvern + La Cygne 18 in min; KS state-record smallmouth 6 lb 14 oz Wilson Lake 1986; Wilson + Cedar Bluff (15 in statewide minimum) are among the few inland US reservoirs with self-sustaining naturally-reproducing smallmouth populations outside the species' natural Appalachian + Ozark + Great Lakes range
Gear restrictions
- Hook-and-line; trolling permitted
- Snagging prohibited for black bass
- KS Fishing Licence required ages 16+ ($27.50 res / $52.50 NR annual)
- Confirm current-year KDWP Fishing Regulations Summary for trophy waters list
Named water-body overrides
Where statewide rules differ on specific Kansas waters:
Glen Elder Reservoir / Waconda Lake
21 in min, 5 / day combined; the state's most aggressive smallmouth minimum
Clinton Lake
18 in min, 5 / day combined; Lawrence-area reservoir
Perry Lake
18 in min, 5 / day combined; Topeka-area reservoir
Wilson Lake
15 in min, 5 / day combined (statewide); KS state-record smallmouth 6 lb 14 oz Wilson 1986; KS's premier naturally-reproducing smallmouth fishery
Cedar Bluff Reservoir
15 in min, 5 / day combined (statewide); secondary western-KS natural-reproduction smallmouth flagship
Milford Lake
15 in min, 5 / day combined; small but viable smallmouth population alongside dominant largemouth
Cheney Reservoir
15 in min, 5 / day combined; secondary smallmouth tier
Big Hill Reservoir
18 in min, 5 / day; SE-Kansas smallmouth fishery near Cherryvale
Melvern Reservoir
18 in min, 5 / day; USACE reservoir S of Topeka
La Cygne Reservoir
18 in min, 5 / day; Evergy power-plant cooling lake (eastern KS)
Woodson State Fishing Lake
18 in min, 2 / day; SFL E of Toronto
Leavenworth State Fishing Lake
18 in min, 2 / day; SFL near Tonganoxie (KC metro)
Official source
Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks (KDWP) publishes the authoritative 2026 Kansasfishing regulations. Always verify the current rule before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override what's published here.
Visit official Kansas fishing regulations →
Emergency-order channel
Smallmouth bass closures, slot-limit changes, and harvest pauses are posted to Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks's emergency-order feed — check it before any Kansas trip during the active season.
Frequently asked questions
- When is smallmouth bass season in Kansas?
- Kansas keeps smallmouth bass open to fishing year-round for the 2026 regulation year — there is no closed season, though the daily bag and size limits below still apply every day.
- What is the Kansas bag limit for smallmouth bass?
- The Kansas daily bag limit for smallmouth bass is 5 / day combined black bass (largemouth + smallmouth + spotted). The possession limit is 15 in possession (3× the daily creel — KDWP standard). Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
- What size smallmouth bass can you keep in Kansas?
- The Kansas size rule for smallmouth bass is 15 in min statewide (including Wilson Lake + Cedar Bluff); 21 in min on Glen Elder Reservoir; 18 in min on Big Hill + Clinton + Perry + Melvern + La Cygne. Trophy rule: Glen Elder Reservoir 21 in min is the state's most aggressive smallmouth minimum; Big Hill + Clinton + Perry + Melvern + La Cygne 18 in min; KS state-record smallmouth 6 lb 14 oz Wilson Lake 1986; Wilson + Cedar Bluff (15 in statewide minimum) are among the few inland US reservoirs with self-sustaining naturally-reproducing smallmouth populations outside the species' natural Appalachian + Ozark + Great Lakes range.
- Do you need a license to fish for smallmouth bass in Kansas?
- Yes. Kansas requires a valid fishing license to fish for smallmouth bass, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a Kansas license — compare resident and non-resident Kansas fees on the state regulations page below.
- Are there gear restrictions for smallmouth bass in Kansas?
- Yes. In Kansas, smallmouth bass fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; trolling permitted; Snagging prohibited for black bass; KS Fishing Licence required ages 16+ ($27.50 res / $52.50 NR annual); Confirm current-year KDWP Fishing Regulations Summary for trophy waters list.
- Do specific Kansas waters have different smallmouth bass rules?
- Yes. 12 named Kansas waters carry rules that override the statewide smallmouth bass regulation, including Waconda Lake, Clinton Lake, Perry Lake, and 9 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.