Live wading and fishing conditions for 36 Kansas rivers
Every river below is monitored through its USGS streamflow gauges, refreshed every 15 minutes and rated in plain language for wading safety. Select a river for the live dashboard with current flow, trend, weather and community reports.
Kansas River (Kaw)
The Kaw is Kansas's marquee big river — a wide, sandy, turbid prairie river running from Junction City through Topeka and Lawrence to the Missouri line, and a nationally recognized water trail. This is a boat, sandbar, and bank fishery for channel, flathead, and blue catfish, drum, and carp, not a wade stream; frame conditions as bank-and-boat safety, since high, muddy flows mean strong current, moving sandbars, and unstable banks.
Region: Kansas River Basin · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Blue Catfish · USGS gauges: Kansas R At Wamego, Ks, Kansas R At Topeka, Ks, Kansas R At Lawrence, Ks, Kansas R At Desoto, Ks
Live Kansas River (Kaw) conditions →
Spring River
The clearest, most Ozark-like river in Kansas — Spring River enters the far southeast corner near Baxter Springs over gravel and bedrock, and holds the state's best mix of smallmouth and spotted bass. This is a genuine wade-and-float smallmouth stream, cool and clear where prairie rivers run muddy, and a real destination for river anglers.
Region: Flint Hills & Southeast · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass, Channel Catfish · USGS gauges: Spring R Nr Baxter Springs, Ks
Live Spring River conditions →
Arkansas River
The Arkansas crosses the whole state — a wide, sandy, often shallow prairie river running from the Colorado line through Great Bend and Hutchinson to Wichita and Arkansas City. The upper reaches run thin and can nearly dry in drought; the middle and lower river below Wichita is a bank-and-boat catfish, drum, and carp fishery. Frame conditions as stage, sandbar, and bank safety, not a wading maximum.
Region: Central Prairie · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Blue Catfish · USGS gauges: Arkansas R At Great Bend, Ks, Arkansas R Nr Hutchinson, Ks, Arkansas R At Wichita, Ks, Arkansas R At Arkansas City, Ks
Live Arkansas River conditions →
Cottonwood River
A Flint Hills jewel — a clear, rocky river winding through the tallgrass prairie from the Marion Reservoir country through Cottonwood Falls to join the Neosho at Emporia. This is one of Kansas's genuine river-smallmouth reaches, running over gravel and limestone ledges, with channel cats, spotted bass, and redhorse alongside. Wadeable and floatable at low to moderate flow; it flashes hard and muddy after prairie thunderstorms.
Region: Flint Hills & Southeast · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass · USGS gauges: Cottonwood R Nr Florence, Ks, Cottonwood R At Cottonwood Falls, Ks, Cottonwood R At Emporia, Ks
Live Cottonwood River conditions →
Big Blue River
The Big Blue drops out of Nebraska through Marysville and into Tuttle Creek Reservoir above Manhattan, and below Tuttle Creek Dam it becomes one of the state's best tailwater fisheries. The tailwater stacks white bass, wiper, walleye, and channel cats in the current, while the upper river is a bank-and-boat catfish reach — frame the numbers as current and bank safety, generation-driven below the dam.
Region: Kansas River Basin · Fish for: Channel Catfish, White Bass, Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) · USGS gauges: Big Blue R At Marysville, Ks, Big Blue R Nr Manhattan, Ks
Live Big Blue River conditions →
Neosho River
The Neosho rises in the Flint Hills near Council Grove and runs southeast through Emporia, Iola, and Parsons toward Oklahoma, gathering the Cottonwood along the way. The clear upper reaches near Council Grove hold smallmouth and spotted bass on gravel; the bigger lower river is a strong channel-cat, flathead, and blue-cat fishery. Wadeable up top, bank-and-boat down low.
Region: Flint Hills & Southeast · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Smallmouth Bass, Flathead Catfish · USGS gauges: Neosho R At Council Grove, Ks, Neosho R Nr Iola, Ks, Neosho R Nr Parsons, Ks
Live Neosho River conditions →
Verdigris River
A southeast-Kansas prairie river running through the Fall River and Toronto country down past Independence toward Oklahoma. The upper reaches hold smallmouth and spotted bass on gravel and rock; the lower river below the reservoirs is a channel-cat, flathead, and drum fishery. Wadeable up top at low flow, bank-and-boat down low.
Region: Flint Hills & Southeast · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Smallmouth Bass, Flathead Catfish · USGS gauges: Verdigris R Nr Virgil, Ks, Verdigris R Nr Altoona, Ks, Verdigris R At Independence, Ks
Live Verdigris River conditions →
Fall River
A clear Flint Hills stream feeding Fall River Lake in southeast Kansas, and below the dam a productive smallmouth, spotted-bass, and channel-cat tailwater. The rocky, gravelly reaches make it one of the region's better wade-and-float smallmouth waters; below the lake, the flow is release-driven.
Region: Flint Hills & Southeast · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Spotted Bass · USGS gauges: Fall R At Fredonia, Ks
Live Fall River conditions →
Republican River
A turbid north-central prairie river running from the Nebraska line through Concordia and Clay Center to the head of the Kaw near Junction City, tied into the Milford Reservoir system. A bank-and-boat catfish and white-bass river with a spring walleye and wiper run pushing up out of Milford; treat it as big-river stage and bank safety, not a wade number.
Region: Kansas River Basin · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, White Bass · USGS gauges: Republican R At Concordia, Ks, Republican R At Clay Center, Ks, Republican R At Junction City, Ks
Live Republican River conditions →
Marais des Cygnes River
The 'marsh of the swans' — a low-gradient eastern-Kansas river running from the Melvern and Pomona reservoir country through Ottawa and La Cygne toward Missouri. A bank-and-boat channel-cat, flathead, and saugeye river with a spring white-bass push; treat it as stage and bank safety, release-influenced below the dams.
Region: Flint Hills & Southeast · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Saugeye · USGS gauges: Marais Des Cygnes R Nr Reading, Ks, Marais Des Cygnes R Nr Ottawa, Ks, Marais Des Cygnes R At La Cygne, Ks, Marais Des Cygnes R Nr Ks-Mo St Line, Ks
Live Marais des Cygnes River conditions →
Smoky Hill River
The long, low-gradient river that forms the Kaw where it meets the Republican — running east through Ellsworth, Lindsborg, and Enterprise past the Kanopolis Reservoir. A turbid prairie catfish and white-bass river with a spring walleye and wiper push from the reservoirs; a bank-and-boat fishery, framed as stage and bank safety.
Region: Kansas River Basin · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, White Bass · USGS gauges: Smoky Hill R At Ellsworth, Ks, Smoky Hill R At Lindsborg, Ks, Smoky Hill R At Enterprise, Ks
Live Smoky Hill River conditions →
Ninnescah River
A south-central prairie tributary of the Arkansas, formed where the North and South forks join below Cheney Reservoir. The tailwater below Cheney Dam holds white bass, wiper, walleye, and channel cats in the current; the forks and lower river are quiet catfish and carp water. A bank-and-boat fishery, release-driven below the dam.
Region: Central Prairie · Fish for: Channel Catfish, White Bass, Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) · USGS gauges: Sf Ninnescah R Nr Pratt, Ks, Ninnescah R Nr Peck, Ks
Live Ninnescah River conditions →
Delaware River
The northeast-Kansas river that feeds Perry Reservoir, running from Muscotah down to the lake and out below Perry Dam toward the Kaw. A turbid catfish, white-bass, and walleye river with a strong tailwater fishery below the dam; frame conditions as bank-and-boat stage and bank safety, release-influenced below Perry.
Region: Kansas River Basin · Fish for: Channel Catfish, White Bass, Walleye · USGS gauges: Delaware R Nr Muscotah, Ks, Delaware R At Perry, Ks
Live Delaware River conditions →
Walnut River
A south-central river draining El Dorado Reservoir, running from the Flint Hills through El Dorado and Augusta down to Winfield and Arkansas City. Below El Dorado Dam it holds white bass, wiper, and walleye in the current, with smallmouth in the rockier upper reaches and channel cats throughout; part tailwater, part gravel stream, framed as stage and bank safety in the lower reaches.
Region: Central Prairie · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Channel Catfish · USGS gauges: Wb Walnut R Nr El Dorado, Ks, Walnut R At Winfield, Ks
Live Walnut River conditions →
Wakarusa River
A small, muddy tributary of the Kaw south of Lawrence, dammed to form Clinton Reservoir. Below Clinton Dam the tailwater holds white bass, wiper, walleye, and channel cats in the current; the rest is a quiet, low-gradient catfish and carp stream. A bank fishery, framed as stage and bank safety, release-driven below the dam.
Region: Kansas River Basin · Fish for: Channel Catfish, White Bass, Common Carp · USGS gauges: Wakarusa R Nr Richland, Ks, Wakarusa R Nr Lawrence, Ks
Live Wakarusa River conditions →
Blue River
The Johnson County metro smallmouth stream — a small, clear-to-stained river running north out of Miami County through Overland Park toward the Missouri line and the Kansas City Blue River. A rare Kansas-side smallmouth and largemouth stream in the suburbs, with channel cats in the deeper reaches; wadeable at low flow but flashy after metro rain.
Region: Kansas River Basin · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass · USGS gauges: Blue R Nr Stanley, Ks, Blue R At Kenneth Rd, Overland Park, Ks
Live Blue River conditions →
Elk River
A clear southeast-Kansas river draining the Chautauqua Hills through Elk Falls and Elk City Reservoir toward the Verdigris near Independence. Smallmouth and spotted bass hold on the rock and gravel in the hill reaches, with channel cats and white bass below Elk City Dam; a wade-and-float smallmouth stream up top and a bank-and-boat fishery below the reservoir.
Region: Flint Hills & Southeast · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass, Channel Catfish · USGS gauges: Elk R At Elk Falls, Ks, Elk R Bl Elk City Lk, Ks
Live Elk River conditions →
Solomon River
A north-central prairie river draining the Waconda Lake (Glen Elder) country, running from Beloit through Minneapolis toward the Smoky Hill. A turbid catfish, white-bass, and walleye river below Glen Elder Dam; a bank-and-boat fishery, framed as stage and bank safety, release-influenced below the reservoir.
Region: Northwest / Reservoirs · Fish for: Channel Catfish, White Bass, Walleye · USGS gauges: Solomon R Nr Glen Elder, Ks, Solomon R At Beloit, Ks, Solomon R At Niles, Ks
Live Solomon River conditions →
Little Arkansas River
A central-prairie river running from the Hutchinson country southeast through Halstead and Sedgwick to join the Arkansas in downtown Wichita. A turbid channel-cat and flathead river with white bass in spring and a genuine urban fishery through Wichita; a bank-and-boat river, framed as stage and bank safety.
Region: Central Prairie · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish · USGS gauges: L Arkansas R At Alta Mills, Ks, L Arkansas R Nr Sedgwick, Ks, L Arkansas R At Valley Center, Ks
Live Little Arkansas River conditions →
Saline River
A quiet north-central prairie river draining the Wilson Reservoir country, running from Russell through Lincoln toward the Smoky Hill. Below Wilson Dam it holds walleye, wiper, white bass, and channel cats in the current; a bank-and-boat fishery, framed as stage and bank safety, release-influenced below the reservoir.
Region: Northwest / Reservoirs · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Walleye, White Bass · USGS gauges: Saline R At Wilson Dam, Ks, Saline R At Lincoln, Ks, Saline R At Tescott, Ks
Live Saline River conditions →
Mill Creek
A clear Flint Hills smallmouth stream in Wabaunsee County, running off the tallgrass prairie through Alma and Paxico to the Kaw near Maple Hill. One of the state's better native smallmouth creeks, with channel cats and largemouth in the deeper holes; wadeable over gravel and bedrock at low flow, flashy after prairie storms.
Region: Flint Hills & Southeast · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish · USGS gauges: Mill C Nr Paxico, Ks
Live Mill Creek conditions →
Indian Creek
A Johnson County metro creek running through Overland Park and Leawood along the Indian Creek Trail — a smallmouth and channel-cat stream in warm months and a designated KDWP winter put-and-take trout water (roughly Nov–Mar). Small and flashy; wadeable when low, and a rare in-town cold-season trout novelty.
Region: Kansas River Basin · Fish for: Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish · USGS gauges: Indian C At Overland Park, Ks, Indian C At State Line Rd, Leawood, Ks
Live Indian Creek conditions →
Little Blue River
A north-central prairie river crossing from Nebraska through Hanover and Barnes to join the Big Blue near Tuttle Creek. A turbid channel-cat and flathead river with spring white bass in current; a bank-and-boat fishery, framed as stage and bank safety.
Region: Kansas River Basin · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, White Bass · USGS gauges: Little Blue River At Hollenberg, Ks, L Blue R Nr Barnes, Ks
Live Little Blue River conditions →
Medicine Lodge River
A red-rock river draining the Gyp Hills of south-central Kansas, running through Medicine Lodge toward the Oklahoma line and the Salt Fork. A turbid channel-cat and flathead river with white bass and some smallmouth in the rockier Gyp Hills reaches; a bank-and-wade fishery in scenic red-bluff country, flashy after storms.
Region: Central Prairie · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish · USGS gauges: Medicine Lodge R Nr Kiowa, Ks
Live Medicine Lodge River conditions →
Caney River
A southeast-Kansas river draining the Osage Hills, crossing from Oklahoma near Elgin and running through the Caney country toward the Verdigris. Smallmouth and spotted bass hold on the rock and gravel, with channel and flathead cats in the deeper holes; a wade-and-bank fishery in the border-hill country, flashy after storms.
Region: Flint Hills & Southeast · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass, Channel Catfish · USGS gauges: Caney R Nr Elgin, Ks
Live Caney River conditions →
North Fork Solomon River
The north-central river that feeds Kirwin Reservoir, running from the high plains through Kirwin and Portis toward the Solomon. Below Kirwin Dam it holds walleye, white bass, wiper, and channel cats in the current; a bank-and-boat tailwater fishery in the Kirwin refuge country, framed as stage and bank safety, release-influenced below the dam.
Region: Northwest / Reservoirs · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Walleye, White Bass · USGS gauges: Nf Solomon R At Glade, Ks, Nf Solomon R At Portis, Ks
Live North Fork Solomon River conditions →
South Fork Solomon River
The north-central river that feeds Webster Reservoir, running from the high plains through Webster and Osborne toward the Solomon. Below Webster Dam it holds walleye, white bass, wiper, and channel cats in the current; a bank-and-boat tailwater fishery, framed as stage and bank safety, release-influenced below the dam.
Region: Northwest / Reservoirs · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Walleye, White Bass · USGS gauges: Sf Solomon R At Woodston, Ks, Sf Solomon R At Osborne, Ks
Live South Fork Solomon River conditions →
Stranger Creek
A Leavenworth County creek draining the hills west of the Missouri, running through Easton and Tonganoxie to the Kaw near Linwood. A turbid channel-cat and flathead stream with largemouth in the slower reaches; a bank fishery, framed as stage and bank safety, flashy after rain.
Region: Kansas River Basin · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish · USGS gauges: Stranger C At Easton, Ks, Stranger C Nr Tonganoxie, Ks
Live Stranger Creek conditions →
Chikaskia River
A south-central prairie river running from the Kingman country through Corbin and past Caldwell to the Oklahoma line and the Salt Fork Arkansas. A turbid channel-cat and flathead river with spring white bass in current; a bank fishery, framed as stage and bank safety, flashy after storms.
Region: Central Prairie · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish · USGS gauges: Chikaskia R Nr Corbin, Ks
Live Chikaskia River conditions →
Prairie Dog Creek
A northwest-Kansas creek that feeds Keith Sebelius Lake, running from the high plains past Norton toward the Republican. Below the dam it holds walleye, wiper, white bass, and channel cats in the current; a bank fishery in the Prairie Dog State Park country, framed as stage and bank safety, release-influenced below the reservoir.
Region: Northwest / Reservoirs · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Walleye, White Bass · USGS gauges: Prairie Dog C Ab Keith Sebelius Lake, Ks, Prairie Dog C Nr Woodruff, Ks
Live Prairie Dog Creek conditions →
Marmaton River
A southeast-Kansas river draining the Fort Scott country, running past Uniontown and Fort Scott toward the Little Osage and the Marais des Cygnes system. A turbid channel-cat and flathead river with largemouth and white bass in the slower reaches; a bank fishery, framed as stage and bank safety, flashy after storms.
Region: Flint Hills & Southeast · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish · USGS gauges: Marmaton R Nr Uniontown, Ks, Marmaton R Nr Fort Scott, Ks
Live Marmaton River conditions →
Whitewater River
A small central-prairie river running off the Flint Hills through Towanda to join the Walnut near Augusta. A channel-cat and white-bass stream with smallmouth in the rockier upper reaches; a modest bank-and-wade fishery, flashy after prairie storms.
Region: Central Prairie · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Smallmouth Bass · USGS gauges: Whitewater R At Towanda, Ks
Live Whitewater River conditions →
Pawnee River
A western-prairie river running from the high plains through Burdett and Rozel to join the Arkansas near Larned. A turbid channel-cat and flathead river of the wheat country; a bank fishery, framed as stage and bank safety, flashy after storms and often low between rains.
Region: Central Prairie · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish · USGS gauges: Pawnee R Nr Burdett, Ks, Pawnee R At Rozel, Ks
Live Pawnee River conditions →
Big Creek
A west-central prairie creek draining the high plains through Ellis and Hays to the Smoky Hill near Russell. A turbid channel-cat creek that runs right through Hays; a modest bank fishery, framed as stage and bank safety, flashy after storms and often low between rains.
Region: Northwest / Reservoirs · Fish for: Channel Catfish · USGS gauges: Big C Nr Ellis, Ks, Big C Nr Hays, Ks
Live Big Creek conditions →
Cimarron River
A wide, sandy, often-braided river crossing the far southwest through the Cimarron National Grassland near Elkhart and on toward the Oklahoma line. Flow is intermittent and salty in stretches, but the wetted reaches hold channel cats and carp; a bank fishery in stark high-plains country, framed as stage and bank safety, and often low or dry in summer.
Region: Central Prairie · Fish for: Channel Catfish · USGS gauges: Cimarron R Near Buttermilk, Ks
Live Cimarron River conditions →
Pottawatomie Creek
An east-central Kansas creek draining the Garnett country, running through Garnett and Lane to the Marais des Cygnes near Osawatomie. A channel-cat and flathead stream with largemouth and white bass in the deeper reaches; a bank fishery, framed as stage and bank safety, flashy after rain.
Region: Flint Hills & Southeast · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish · USGS gauges: Pottawatomie C Nr Garnett, Ks, Pottawatomie C At Lane, Ks
Live Pottawatomie Creek conditions →