Lake Herington in Dickinson County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Lake Herington in the Dickinson County part of Kansas. Height above sea level is 1,316 feet. With some 171 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Shoreline comes to about 3.1 miles, small enough to learn in a day. Nearest place of any size is Herington, 2.9 miles away. It is 70 miles to Wichita, the nearest city. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Lake Herington

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Reported across Dickinson County: orangethroat darter, green sunfish and orangespotted sunfish. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Lake Herington fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 28°F and July at about 79°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Some winters cap it and some do not. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. Time your trip to Lake Herington by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Herington Reservoir, 1.3 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. What applies at Lake Herington may have changed since it was mapped.