Atwood Lake near Atwood: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Atwood Lake is one of the Rawlins County listings for Kansas. The country round it is farm and woodlot from end to end. Surface area is around 30 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The full circuit measures close to 1.5 miles on foot. Compared with other Kansas water on our list, it sits high. Atwood lies 0.6 miles from the water. Further out sit Oberlin (27 miles) and Colby (29 miles). It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Atwood Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Open biodiversity records for Rawlins County list bluegill, channel catfish, orangespotted sunfish, black bullhead and black crappie. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Atwood Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 76°F and January near 27°F. Most months fish reasonably, given the right weather. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Atwood Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. The nearest car park is half a mile from the water. There is a jetty 140 yards off, worth knowing on a busy day. Facilities include toilets around half a mile from here. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. For a change of water, Swanson Lake is 24 miles distant. What applies at Atwood Lake may have changed since it was mapped.