2026 regulation year
Kansas Wiper (hybrid striped bass) + striped bass 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules
Morone saxatilis × Morone chrysops (wiper, sterile hybrid); Morone saxatilis (striped bass)
Last updated
Kansas is the country's most aggressive WIPER (HYBRID STRIPED BASS — Morone saxatilis × Morone chrysops sterile hybrid produced by KDWP hatcheries) stocking flagship — KDWP stocks 800,000+ wiper fingerlings annually across the major Corps + Bureau of Reclamation reservoirs (Milford + Wilson + Cheney + El Dorado + Cedar Bluff + Pomona + Marion + Lovewell + Webster), producing the densest stocked-wiper fishery in the United States. The wiper is a sterile hybrid (does not naturally reproduce) — KS does not have a self-sustaining naturally-reproducing inland striped bass population like Lake Texoma OK or Lake Cumberland KY (the salinity geology that supports inland striper reproduction is absent in Kansas), so the entire fishery is stocking-dependent. KS state-record wiper 22 lb 8 oz (Cheney Reservoir, 1995); KS state-record striped bass 43 lb 8 oz (Wilson Lake, 1992 — pre-wiper-era stocked striper from Wilson, when KDWP stocked pure striped bass before transitioning to the wiper-only program in the mid-1990s). Wiper fight aggressively, school heavily under shad balls + open-water structure, and respond to the same Sassy Shad + Alabama rigs + topwater chuggers that work for natural-population striper elsewhere — making KS the country's most accessible inland wiper fishery within easy reach of Kansas City + Wichita + Topeka metros. Statewide the wiper + striped bass limit is 5 fish per day with no minimum length, but KDWP tightens it water-by-water on the major reservoirs: a 21-inch minimum + 2 fish per day on Cheney + El Dorado, an 18-inch minimum + 2 fish on Pomona + Council Grove + Clinton + La Cygne, and a 2-fish-per-day no-minimum cap on Wilson + Cedar Bluff + Kanopolis + Glen Elder + Lovewell (Milford + Marion + Webster keep the 5-fish statewide bag). The April – June spawning run on Milford + Wilson + Cheney + El Dorado on tributary arms is the densest fishing window of the year — schools of pre-spawn wiper concentrate on tributary inflow + shallow shoals. White bass (Morone chrysops — separate species from the wiper hybrid) is the natural sister population — KDWP white bass carry no daily limit and no statewide minimum length.
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Season
Open year-round Open year-round statewide on listed wiper / striper reservoirs; April – June spawning run on Milford + Wilson + Cheney + El Dorado is the densest fishing window of the year.
Bag & possession
- Daily bag
- 5 / day combined wiper + striped bass statewide; reduced to 2 / day on most major reservoirs (Wilson + Cheney + El Dorado + Cedar Bluff + Pomona + Council Grove + Clinton + Kanopolis + Glen Elder + Lovewell + La Cygne); white bass no daily limit statewide
- Possession
- 15 in possession wiper + striped bass statewide (3× the 5-fish daily creel); 6 where the 2 / day reservoir rule applies; white bass no possession limit
Size, slot, trophy rules
- Size
- No statewide minimum; 21 in min on Cheney + El Dorado; 18 in min on Pomona + Council Grove + Clinton + La Cygne; 2 / day no minimum on Wilson + Cedar Bluff + Kanopolis + Glen Elder + Lovewell; no minimum on white bass
- Trophy rule
- KS state-record wiper 22 lb 8 oz Cheney Reservoir 1995 + KS state-record striped bass 43 lb 8 oz Wilson Lake 1992 (pre-wiper-era); KDWP 800,000+ wiper fingerlings stocked annually — country's densest stocked-wiper fishery; the 21 in min + 2 / day rule on Cheney + El Dorado is among the most aggressive wiper trophy-protection rules in the country
Gear restrictions
- Hook-and-line; trolling permitted (Alabama rigs + Sassy Shad + topwater chuggers most-effective spring run tactic)
- Live shad bait permitted (threadfin + gizzard shad natural forage base on KS reservoirs)
- KS Fishing Licence required ages 16+ ($27.50 res / $52.50 NR annual)
- Confirm current-year KDWP Fishing Regulations Summary for reservoir-specific wiper / striper rules
Named water-body overrides
Where statewide rules differ on specific Kansas waters:
Cheney Reservoir
Wiper + striped bass 21 in min, 2 / day; KS state-record wiper 22 lb 8 oz Cheney 1995
El Dorado Reservoir
Wiper 21 in min, 2 / day; south-central KS wiper flagship
Pomona Lake
Wiper 18 in min, 2 / day
Council Grove Lake
Wiper 18 in min, 2 / day
Clinton Lake
Wiper 18 in min, 2 / day; Lawrence-area reservoir
La Cygne Reservoir
Wiper + striped bass 18 in min, 2 / day; Evergy power-plant cooling lake (eastern KS)
Wilson Lake
Striped bass 2 / day, no minimum; KS state-record striped bass 43 lb 8 oz Wilson 1992 (pre-wiper-era)
Cedar Bluff Reservoir
Wiper 2 / day, no minimum; western KS trophy wiper flagship
Kanopolis Lake
Wiper 2 / day, no minimum
Glen Elder Reservoir / Waconda Lake
Wiper + striped bass 2 / day, no minimum
Lovewell Reservoir
Wiper 2 / day, no minimum; north-central KS reservoir
Milford Lake
Wiper 5 / day, no minimum (statewide rule); densest spring wiper run in the state
Marion Reservoir
Wiper 5 / day, no minimum
Webster Reservoir
Wiper 5 / day, no minimum
John Redmond Reservoir
Wiper 2 / day, no minimum; Neosho River reservoir N of Burlington
Crawford State Fishing Lake
Wiper 18 in min, 2 / day; Crawford State Park near Girard
Middle Creek State Fishing Lake
Wiper 18 in min, 2 / day; SFL S of Louisburg
Woodson State Fishing Lake
Wiper 18 in min, 2 / day; SFL E of Toronto
Leavenworth State Fishing Lake
Wiper 18 in min, 5 / day; SFL near Tonganoxie (KC metro)
Lyon State Fishing Lake
Wiper 2 / day; SFL N of Emporia
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
Wiper + striped 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 wiper + striped bass season in Kansas?
- Kansas keeps wiper + striped 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 wiper + striped bass?
- The Kansas daily bag limit for wiper + striped bass is 5 / day combined wiper + striped bass statewide; reduced to 2 / day on most major reservoirs (Wilson + Cheney + El Dorado + Cedar Bluff + Pomona + Council Grove + Clinton + Kanopolis + Glen Elder + Lovewell + La Cygne); white bass no daily limit statewide. The possession limit is 15 in possession wiper + striped bass statewide (3× the 5-fish daily creel); 6 where the 2 / day reservoir rule applies; white bass no possession limit. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
- What size wiper + striped bass can you keep in Kansas?
- The Kansas size rule for wiper + striped bass is No statewide minimum; 21 in min on Cheney + El Dorado; 18 in min on Pomona + Council Grove + Clinton + La Cygne; 2 / day no minimum on Wilson + Cedar Bluff + Kanopolis + Glen Elder + Lovewell; no minimum on white bass. Trophy rule: KS state-record wiper 22 lb 8 oz Cheney Reservoir 1995 + KS state-record striped bass 43 lb 8 oz Wilson Lake 1992 (pre-wiper-era); KDWP 800,000+ wiper fingerlings stocked annually — country's densest stocked-wiper fishery; the 21 in min + 2 / day rule on Cheney + El Dorado is among the most aggressive wiper trophy-protection rules in the country.
- Do you need a license to fish for wiper + striped bass in Kansas?
- Yes. Kansas requires a valid fishing license to fish for wiper + striped 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 wiper + striped bass in Kansas?
- Yes. In Kansas, wiper + striped bass fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; trolling permitted (Alabama rigs + Sassy Shad + topwater chuggers most-effective spring run tactic); Live shad bait permitted (threadfin + gizzard shad natural forage base on KS reservoirs); KS Fishing Licence required ages 16+ ($27.50 res / $52.50 NR annual); Confirm current-year KDWP Fishing Regulations Summary for reservoir-specific wiper / striper rules.
- Do specific Kansas waters have different wiper + striped bass rules?
- Yes. 20 named Kansas waters carry rules that override the statewide wiper + striped bass regulation, including Cheney Reservoir, El Dorado Reservoir, Pomona Lake, and 17 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.