Reservoir · Douglas, Kansas
Clinton Reservoir
Clinton Reservoir
Reservoir · Kansas
Information Only
StrikeTracks does not currently provide a live condition rating for this destination. Destination and fishery information is still available.
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Fishery Profile
Documented species you may encounter at Clinton Reservoir.
Species images are AI-generated illustrations for visual reference and may simplify natural variation. Fishery records are based on the cited agency sources. About fish illustrations
Fishery overview
Clinton Reservoir is northeast Kansas's Lawrence-metro destination for catfish, saugeye, crappie, white bass/wiper, and black bass. StrikeTracks publishes complete static Fishery with catalog-visible Unavailable conditions because no same-lake live USGS 00010 exists. This is not Illinois Clinton Lake, not Milford Reservoir, and not the Kansas River at Topeka.
Target species
Channel Catfish
Ictalurus punctatus
- Expectation
- Primary
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
KDWP Clinton 2026 report: catfish Good, up to 40 pounds. Nightcrawlers or cut bait. Not Milford and not Cheney.
Blue Catfish
Ictalurus furcatus
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
KDWP Clinton: blue catfish tagging estimated more than 6,000 fish. 10/day, only one 30 inches or longer. Distinct from Milford's 28–40 inch slot.
Largemouth Bass
Micropterus nigricans
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
KDWP Clinton: largemouth/smallmouth Good, 1–5 pounds, pre-spawn to spawn by early May. Not Illinois Clinton Lake.
Walleye
Sander vitreus
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Stocked
- Native status
- introduced
- Confidence
- High confidence
KDWP Clinton report lists Walleye/Saugeye/Sauger Good at 15–18 inches. Saugeye introduced 2021 outperformed walleye nearly 10 to 1; saugeye is stocking/report context only because fish-species.json has no saugeye identity. Catalog records walleye. Not Tuttle Creek and not El Dorado's 21-inch / 2-fish walleye special unless current Clinton tables match.
White Bass
Morone chrysops
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
KDWP Clinton: white bass/wiper Good. River and dam spawning runs. Not Cheney white bass.
White Crappie
Pomoxis annularis
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
KDWP Clinton: crappie Good, up to 15 inches, spawning as water reaches 60°F. Not Hillsdale crappie.
Smallmouth Bass
Micropterus dolomieu
- Expectation
- Present
- Population
- Stocked
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
KDWP Clinton 2025 stockings included smallmouth bass. Companion black-bass target with largemouth.
Wiper
Morone saxatilis × Morone chrysops
Canonical species: Hybrid Striped Bass
- Expectation
- Present
- Population
- Stocked
- Native status
- introduced
- Confidence
- High confidence
KDWP Clinton 2025 stockings included wiper. Grouped with white bass in the current report.
Fishery characteristics
- Composition
- Mixed wild and stocked
Wakarusa River USACE flood-control reservoir west of Lawrence with main-lake mudflats, brush, and dam/rock spawning habitat. Catalog coordinates are a public mid-lake / dam reference, not a river gauge.
Best seasons
- Spring
- Summer
- Fall
Common techniques
- Boat fishing
- Shore fishing
- Spinning
- Trolling
Access and Public Fishing Rights
KDWP Clinton State Park documents public ramps, including Boat Ramp 3 brush-pile access. Confirm current USACE and KDWP ramp status. Catalog coordinates are not a verified launch pin.
Stocking information
KDWP Clinton 2025 stockings included saugeye, walleye, wiper, and smallmouth bass. Saugeye outperformed walleye in the four-year comparison. Confirm current official KDWP stocking notices.
- Stocked
Walleye
Stocked · Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
- Stocked
Smallmouth Bass
Stocked · Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
- Stocked
Wiper
Stocked · Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
Official sources
KDWP Clinton blue catfish 10/day with only one fish 30 inches or longer. Saugeye/walleye length limits apply; confirm current KDWP tables. Distinct from Milford's blue-cat slot and from Illinois Clinton Lake cooling-reservoir rules.
conditionPublicationPolicy=static-value-structural-unavailable. Clinton Reservoir is northeast Kansas's Lawrence-metro federal reservoir, with destination-specific KDWP 2026 fishing reports for catfish, saugeye/walleye, crappie, white bass/wiper, and black bass plus documented 2025 stockings and blue-cat specials. inlandHasCompleteStaticFisheryValue passes on official KDWP fishery, access, and regulations. No same-lake live USGS 00010 exists; KDWP report water temperature is fishing-report context, not accepted live lake Monitoring under LAKE-STATIC-VALUE-POLICY-1. USGS 06888990 is the Kansas River at Topeka, not pool thermal. Illinois clinton-lake is a different physical waterbody. HIGH plus PATH B does not auto-approve; public catalog-visible Unavailable is approved because this is the destination-specific Kansas Clinton pin whose honest Unavailable plus complete static Fishery is useful independently of Milford, Perry, and Hillsdale. This justification is Clinton-specific and does not copy Milford or El Dorado prose.
Location and Access
Cataloged lake location
Douglas, Kansas
The map marker represents the cataloged waterbody or monitoring location and may not indicate legal parking or public access. Confirm access through the official information before visiting.
Lake Details
County
Douglas
Management Category
USACE Wakarusa River reservoir
Regulation Scope
Clinton Reservoir
Regulation Summary
Clinton Reservoir: KDWP special length and creel limits on the USACE Clinton project. Confirm current official regulations.
Target Species
Channel Catfish, Blue Catfish, Walleye, White Crappie, White Bass, Hybrid Striped Bass, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass
Public Access
Public
Boat Launch
Available
Shore Fishing
Available
Description
Clinton Reservoir, Douglas County, Kansas. About 7,000-acre USACE Kansas City District Wakarusa River reservoir serving Lawrence. Catalog-visible Unavailable: no same-lake live USGS water temperature (00010). KDWP fishing-report water temperature is useful angler context, not accepted live lake Monitoring. USGS 06888990 Kansas River at Topeka is a separate river pin. Distinct from Illinois clinton-lake.
