Lake Garnett Fishing near Garnett, Kansas

• Overview

  In Kansas, Lake Garnett falls inside Anderson County. It sits in rolling hill country. It runs to roughly 38 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Roughly 1.4 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. Garnett sits 1.2 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Olathe sits 46 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Lake Garnett

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Reported across Anderson County: black bullhead, green sunfish, slender madtom, orangethroat darter and bluegill. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The near bank of Lake Garnett is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 79°F on average, January about 29°F. Conditions shift steadily rather than sharply. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. Time your trip to Lake Garnett by conditions rather than dates. Warm spells bring fish up, cold snaps push them down.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. A slipway is marked about half a mile from here. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. Fishing from a pier is possible half a mile away. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. Toilets show in mapping about 150 yards away. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Signs at Lake Garnett carry more weight than any list.