Kansas Trout Stream

by Alan Luecke
(Kansas City, MO)

Kanapolis Lake is a Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Smoking Hill river in central Kansas. Starting around 2007 a program was started to convert a small seep stream (a leak of lake water emerging from under the dam) into a trout fishing area. It was hoped that with the creation of deep pools and shelter in addition to the cool lake water that trout could survive year round. Unfortunately this has not happened. A Kansas summer is just too hot.

What has resulted though is a very nice stream that supports trout from October into early summer. It's stocked from October to March. Bluegill and bass can be fished year round.

I stopped by for a couple of hours on a cool very windy April 4th. It was my first trip and my main goal was to find the place. I walked down stream for a half hour and saw one bluegill. I then fished my way back upstream and was pleasantly surprised when I started getting into multiple bluegill. My day was made when a 16" rainbow came up for a size 12 BH Bracken Killer Bugger. I was using my Kiyose 33SF to fight the wind but was glad I had it's backbone for this fish.

I ended up with two trout, two small bass and eight to ten bluegill, all on Killer Buggers. A good day on a beautifully groomed little piece of water. Kanapolis Lake is a half hour south of I-70 west of Salina if your passing by. A Kansas Trout Permit (online) is required.

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” - Benjamin Franklin

"Be sure in casting, that your fly fall first into the water, for if the line fall first, it scares or frightens the fish..." -
Col. Robert Venables 1662

As age slows my pace, I will become more like the heron.