2026 regulation year
Milford Lake 2026 — Kansas Fishing Regulations
Kansas statewide rules apply unless overridden below.
Last updated
Milford Lake carries 9 special-regulation overlays on top of Kansas's 2026 fishing rules — covering Wiper (hybrid striped bass) + striped bass, Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Crappie (white + black combined), and 4 more species. Verify the agency booklet before launching: in-season changes are not yet wired to this page.
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State-level special regulation
Largemouth + smallmouth + spotted bass 15 in min + 5 / day combined; crappie 50 / day combined (no minimum); walleye 21 in min + 2 / day; wiper 5 / day (no minimum); white bass no daily limit; channel catfish 10 / day (no length limit), flathead 5 / day, blue catfish 28–40 in protected slot + 10 / day (only one fish 40 in or longer) — KDWP-introduced trophy blue-catfish fishery (Milford trophy blue 82 lb); recurring BASS Opens Central + MLF Toyota Series + FLW Tour venue
Source: Kansas special-water list
Per-species rules on Milford Lake
Wiper (hybrid striped bass) + striped bass regulations →
Wiper 5 / day, no minimum (statewide rule); densest spring wiper run in the state
15 in min, 5 / day combined (statewide); recurring Bassmaster Opens Central + MLF Toyota Series + FLW Tour venue
15 in min, 5 / day combined; small but viable smallmouth population alongside dominant largemouth
Crappie (white + black combined) regulations →
50 / day combined (no minimum); KS's premier white crappie reservoir
21 in min, 2 / day; major central-KS walleye fishery
10 / day, no length limit; KS's largest reservoir
Flathead catfish regulations →
5 / day, no length limit; premier reservoir trophy flathead
28–40 in protected slot; 10 / day, only one fish 40 in or longer; KDWP-introduced trophy blue fishery (Milford trophy blue ~82 lb)
Official source
Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks (KDWP) publishes the authoritative 2026 Kansas fishing regulations. Special-regulation lakes and rivers are listed in the agency booklet — always verify before fishing.
Visit official Kansas fishing regulations →
Emergency-order channel
In-season closures, slot-limit changes, and run-count-driven harvest pauses are posted to Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks's emergency-order feed — check it before any Kansas trip during the active season.
Other special-regulation waters in Kansas
Frequently asked questions
- What special fishing regulations apply at Milford Lake?
- Milford Lake carries 9 special-regulation overlays that override Kansas' statewide 2026 rules, covering Wiper (hybrid striped bass) + striped bass, Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Crappie (white + black combined), and 4 more. One of them reads: "Largemouth + smallmouth + spotted bass 15 in min + 5 / day combined; crappie 50 / day combined (no minimum); walleye 21 in min + 2 / day; wiper 5 / day (no minimum); white bass no daily limit; channel catfish 10 / day (no length limit), flathead 5 / day, blue catfish 28–40 in protected slot + 10 / day (only one fish 40 in or longer) — KDWP-introduced trophy blue-catfish fishery (Milford trophy blue 82 lb); recurring BASS Opens Central + MLF Toyota Series + FLW Tour venue." Every overlay on this water body is listed in full above.
- Do I need a fishing license to fish Milford Lake?
- Yes. Milford Lake is in Kansas, so a valid Kansas fishing license is required just as it is anywhere else in the state, issued by Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks (KDWP). The special regulations on this page change the bag, size, slot, or gear rules for Milford Lake; they do not waive the license requirement. Free-fishing days and youth exemptions follow the statewide Kansas rules.
- Do Milford Lake's special rules replace Kansas' statewide limits?
- Only where they conflict. Kansas' statewide 2026 regulations apply on Milford Lake by default; the overlays above replace the matching statewide rules for the species or gear they name, while everything not specifically overridden still follows the statewide rule. When a water-body rule and the statewide rule disagree, the water-body rule wins.
- Which species have special rules on Milford Lake?
- Wiper (hybrid striped bass) + striped bass, Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Crappie (white + black combined), Walleye, Channel catfish, and 2 more have a water-body-specific rule on Milford Lake, each linking to its full Kansas regulations above. Species not listed here follow the statewide Kansas limits.