Hays Big Creek Fishing Information
City of Hays 785-628-7377
This community lake is formed by the damming of Big Creek as it flows around the south end of Hays. A small, low-water dam located in Frontier Park backs up the creek through City and FHSU owned property. It is very shallow and slightly turbid but does contain several sportfish species. KDWP annually supplements the existing fishery with catchable largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, and channel catfish around the time of the Wild West Festival. Other than these occurrences, it is not intensively managed.
| Fishing Population | Creel Limit | Min Length Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 5 | 15 |
| Bluegill | ||
| Black Bullhead | ||
| Channel Catfish | 5 | |
| Crappie | 50 | |
| Green Sunfish |
* Largemouth, Smallmouth, Spotted Bass in Combination
** Striped Bass or Wiper in Combination
*** Walleye, Sauger or Saugeye in Combination
View Fishing Forecast definitions
| Waterbody | Density | Preferred | Lunker | Big fish | Size | Bio rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salina-Lakewood Lake | 96.79 | 52.52 | 4.50 | 6.07 | Pond | Good |
| Emporia-Jones Park North | 86.14 | 61.45 | 3.33 | 3.85 | Pond | Good |
| New Strawn City Lake | 72.73 | 12.73 | 0.00 | 4.56 | Pond | Good |
| Emporia-Jones Park East Pond | 62.30 | 20.91 | 0.00 | 3.61 | Pond | Good |
| Fall River State Park Kids Pond | 46.91 | 12.68 | 0.00 | 3.13 | Pond | Good |
| Black Kettle State Fishing Lake | 44.25 | 32.75 | 2.25 | 6.26 | Pond | Fair |
| Olpe -Jones Park Pond | 44.18 | 4.02 | 0.00 | 1.30 | Pond | Good |
| Moundridge-Pack Park Pond | 40.84 | 15.24 | 0.00 | 4.52 | Pond | Good |
| McPherson-Bulldog Park Pond | 40.00 | 33.33 | 6.67 | 4.98 | Pond | Fair |
| Grand Osage #05 | 38.57 | 27.71 | 0.00 | 2.91 | Pond | Good |
| McPherson-Hess Park Pond | 36.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.85 | Pond | Fair |
| Emporia-Jones Park West Pond | 30.79 | 2.85 | 0.00 | 1.89 | Pond | Good |
| Emporia-Peter Pan Park | 25.13 | 11.64 | 0.00 | 4.37 | Pond | Poor |
| Overbrook City Lake | 24.44 | 8.89 | 0.00 | 4.31 | Pond | Good |
| Wichita-Watson Park North | 16.18 | 1.47 | 0.00 | 1.70 | Pond | Poor |
| Kanopolis State Park Pond | 12.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.61 | Pond | Poor |
| Mined Land Pit 01D | 7.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 5.73 | Pond | Fair |
| Hays-Vineyard Park Pond | 7.27 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.59 | Pond | Fair |
| Edgerton City Lake | 7.06 | 4.71 | 0.00 | 4.89 | Pond | Poor |
| Walnut Creek-Toronto Reservoir | 5.99 | 2.00 | 0.00 | 3.17 | Pond | Poor |
| Colby-Villa High Lake | 2.24 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.11 | Pond | Poor |
| Fall River | 2.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.87 | Pond | Poor |
| Mined Land Pit 12F | 1.50 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.67 | Pond | Fair |
| Waterbody | Density | Preferred | Lunker | Big fish | Size | Bio rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overbrook City Lake | 27.00 | 0.75 | 0.25 | 1.81 | Pond | Good |
| Fall River State Park Kids Pond | 15.00 | 6.00 | 0.33 | 0.73 | Pond | Good |
| Hays-Vineyard Park Pond | 8.67 | 0.67 | 0.00 | 0.50 | Pond | Fair |
| Olpe -Jones Park Pond | 7.33 | 6.00 | 0.67 | 0.87 | Pond | Fair |
| Emporia-Jones Park East Pond | 6.00 | 1.00 | 0.33 | 0.72 | Pond | Poor |
| Emporia-Jones Park West Pond | 4.33 | 2.33 | 0.67 | 1.32 | Pond | Fair |
| Emporia-Peter Pan Park | 3.00 | 0.67 | 0.00 | 0.56 | Pond | Poor |
| Emporia-Jones Park North | 1.33 | 0.33 | 0.00 | 0.59 | Pond | Poor |
| Colby-Villa High Lake | 0.17 | 0.17 | 0.00 | 0.96 | Pond | Poor |
| LARGEMOUTH BASS | (>12") | (>15") | (>20") | (lbs.) | Fishing Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POND | |||||
| SALINA - LAKEWOOD LAKE | 96.79 | 52.52 | 4.50 | 6.07 | G |
| EMPORIA - JONES PARK N POND | 86.14 | 61.45 | 3.33 | 3.85 | G |
| NEW STRAWN CITY LAKE | 72.73 | 12.73 | 0.00 | 4.56 | G |
| EMPORIA - JONES PARK E POND | 62.30 | 20.91 | 0.00 | 3.61 | G |
| FALL RIVER SP KIDS POND | 46.91 | 12.68 | 0.00 | 3.13 | G |
| BLACK KETTLE SFL | 44.25 | 32.75 | 2.25 | 6.26 | F |
| OLPE - JONES PARK POND | 44.18 | 4.02 | 0.00 | 1.30 | G |
| MOUNDRIDGE - PACK PARK POND | 40.84 | 15.24 | 0.00 | 4.52 | G |
| MCPHERSON - BULLDOG PARK POND | 40.00 | 33.33 | 6.67 | 4.98 | F |
| GRAND OSAGE #05 | 38.57 | 27.71 | 0.00 | 2.91 | G |
| MCPHERSON - HESS PARK POND | 36.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.85 | F |
| EMPORIA - JONES PARK W POND | 30.79 | 2.85 | 0.00 | 1.89 | G |
| EMPORIA - PETER PAN PARK | 25.13 | 11.64 | 0.00 | 4.37 | P |
| OVERBROOK CITY LAKE | 24.44 | 8.89 | 0.00 | 4.31 | G |
| WICHITA - WATSON PARK N | 16.18 | 1.47 | 0.00 | 1.70 | P |
| KANOPOLIS SP POND | 12.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.61 | P |
| MINED LAND PIT #01D | 7.50 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 5.73 | F |
| HAYS - VINEYARD PARK POND | 7.27 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.59 | F |
| EDGERTON CITY LAKE | 7.06 | 4.71 | 0.00 | 4.89 | P |
| WALNUT CREEK - TORONTO | 5.99 | 2.00 | 0.00 | 3.17 | P |
| FALL RIVER | 2.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.87 | P |
| MINED LAND PIT #12F | 1.50 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.67 | F |