Reservoir · Geary, Kansas
Milford Reservoir
Current Lake Rating
Point-in-time lake rating — separate from the trip recommendation below.
Good71
Conditions look good for a Warmwater lake trip. Wind is in a helpful range for lake fishing and boat control.
Scores are model-specific and are not directly comparable across water types.
Rating confidence: High
Should I Go?
Go
Fishing guidance for this destination based on available lake conditions, weather, and seasonal context. It is not a boating, swimming, ice, or access-safety rating.
Recommendation confidence: Medium (73)
Guidance is limited because some water or weather evidence is missing or degraded.
Best window
Sun, 7:00 AM–10:00 AM
Why
- Wind is in a helpful range for lake fishing and boat control
- Air temperature is comfortable for a warmwater lake trip.
- Cloud cover is favorable for warmwater lake fishing.
Some lake inputs are incomplete or degraded.
Current Readings
- Water temperature
- 28.8 °C
- Last updated
- 1 hr ago
≈ 83.8 °F
Source: USGS · MILFORD LAKE NEAR WAKEFIELD, KS · 391259097001800
Better Nearby Options
Checking nearby StrikeTracks waters…
Weather Near Lake
Current Weather
Overcast
Temperature
78°F
Feels like
83°F
Wind
6 mph SE
Wind gust
13 mph
Current precipitation
0.00 in
Updated
Sep 5, 2026, 12:30 AM
Recent Rainfall
Estimated precipitation near this lake
Last 6 hours
0.00 in
Last 24 hours
0.00 in
Last 48 hours
0.00 in
Little recent rainfall near this lake.
Next 24 Hours
Sat 3 AM
Overcast
Temp 77°F
Chance 0%
Precip 0.00 in
Wind 6 mph
Sat 7 AM
Overcast
Temp 75°F
Chance 1%
Precip 0.00 in
Wind 7 mph
Sat 11 AM
Overcast
Temp 90°F
Chance 0%
Precip 0.00 in
Wind 8 mph
Sat 3 PM
Overcast
Temp 99°F
Chance 0%
Precip 0.00 in
Wind 11 mph
Sat 7 PM
Clear
Temp 94°F
Chance 1%
Precip 0.00 in
Wind 8 mph
Sat 11 PM
Clear
Temp 82°F
Chance 1%
Precip 0.00 in
Wind 5 mph
Four-Day Forecast
Sat, Sep 5
Overcast
High 100°F / Low 75°F
Chance 2%
Precip 0.00 in
Max gust 15 mph
Sun, Sep 6
Overcast
High 100°F / Low 74°F
Chance 7%
Precip 0.00 in
Max gust 30 mph
Mon, Sep 7
Drizzle
High 105°F / Low 72°F
Chance 2%
Precip 0.03 in
Max gust 38 mph
Tue, Sep 8
Overcast
High 108°F / Low 82°F
Chance 15%
Precip 0.00 in
Max gust 38 mph
Weather and rainfall are estimated for this lake's coordinates. Local conditions can vary, especially in mountainous terrain and during isolated storms.
Recent rainfall can influence lake level and access, but the timing and magnitude depend on watershed size, soil conditions, and reservoir operations where applicable.
Weather data: Open-Meteo
Reservoir Elevation History
Elevation is reported relative to the datum used by this USGS monitoring site. Elevations from different lakes or datums should not be directly compared.
Loading historical elevation…
Fishery Profile
Documented species you may encounter at Milford 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
Milford Reservoir is Kansas's largest federal reservoir and a statewide destination for catfish, crappie, walleye, white bass/wiper, and black bass. StrikeTracks publishes Monitoring-Backed water temperature from USGS 391259097001800, an in-lake station near Wakefield. Junction City 06857050 is lake elevation, not temperature. This is not Clinton Reservoir, not Tuttle Creek, and not the Kansas River at Topeka.
Target species
Channel Catfish
Ictalurus punctatus
- Expectation
- Primary
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
KDWP Milford 2026 fishing report: catfish Good. Channel cats on cut bait, worms, and stink bait on wind-blown flats and river-channel ledges. Not Clinton Reservoir.
Blue Catfish
Ictalurus furcatus
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
KDWP Milford: blue catfish on fresh cut bait. Special 28–40 inch protected slot and 10/day creel with one fish 40 inches or longer. Distinct from Clinton's 10/day one-over-30 rule.
Walleye
Sander vitreus
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Stocked
- Native status
- introduced
- Confidence
- High confidence
KDWP Milford: walleye Fair/Good with 21-inch / 2-fish special. 2026 forecast lists Milford among rated Kansas reservoir walleye waters. Not Wilson and not Cheney.
White Bass
Morone chrysops
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
KDWP Milford: white bass/wipers Fair. Historic Republican River spring run. Not Glen Elder white bass.
White Crappie
Pomoxis annularis
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
KDWP Milford report: crappie Fair/Good, 10–20 feet near points, flooded brush, and ledges. Not Hillsdale and not Perry.
Wiper
Morone saxatilis × Morone chrysops
Canonical species: Hybrid Striped Bass
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Stocked
- Native status
- introduced
- Confidence
- High confidence
KDWP Milford wiper creel 5/day. Report groups white bass/wipers. Not Wilson striped bass.
Largemouth Bass
Micropterus nigricans
- Expectation
- Present
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
KDWP Milford: largemouth Fair in wooded coves. Not Clinton Reservoir black bass.
Smallmouth Bass
Micropterus dolomieu
- Expectation
- Present
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
KDWP Milford: smallmouth Fair, especially rocky banks and the dam face. Not Glen Elder's 21-inch smallmouth special.
Fishery characteristics
- Composition
- Mixed wild and stocked
Large Republican River USACE flood-control reservoir with 163 miles of shoreline, flooded timber, rocky points, and a long upper-end river channel above the Wakefield causeway. Catalog coordinates are the USGS in-lake water-temperature site near Wakefield, not the Junction City elevation gauge.
Best seasons
- Spring
- Summer
- Fall
Common techniques
- Boat fishing
- Shore fishing
- Spinning
- Trolling
Access and Public Fishing Rights
KDWP Milford State Park and Milford Wildlife Area document public ramps, marina, ADA fishing dock, and shoreline access. Catalog coordinates are USGS 391259097001800, not a verified launch pin. Confirm current USACE and KDWP ramp status.
Stocking information
KDWP 2026 fishing reports and forecasts treat Milford as a managed walleye, wiper, crappie, and catfish reservoir. Confirm current official KDWP stocking notices.
- Stocked
Walleye
Stocked · Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
- Stocked
Wiper
Stocked · Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
Official sources
KDWP Milford specials include a 21-inch / 2-fish walleye limit, 5-fish wiper creel, and blue catfish 10/day with the 28–40 inch protected slot (only one 40 inches or longer). Distinct from Clinton and El Dorado blue-cat rules. Confirm current official KDWP regulations.
Monitoring-Backed same-lake USGS 00010 at 391259097001800.
Location and Access
Cataloged lake location
Geary, 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
Geary
Management Category
USACE Republican River reservoir
Regulation Scope
Milford Reservoir
Regulation Summary
Milford Reservoir: KDWP special length and creel limits on the USACE Milford project. Confirm current official regulations.
Target Species
Channel Catfish, Blue Catfish, White Crappie, Walleye, White Bass, Hybrid Striped Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass
Public Access
Public
Boat Launch
Available
Shore Fishing
Available
Description
Milford Reservoir, Geary / Clay counties, Kansas. About 15,700-acre USACE Kansas City District Republican River reservoir and the state's largest lake. Monitoring-Backed from live USGS 00010 at 391259097001800 Milford Lake near Wakefield (in-lake shallow water temperature, siteType LK). USGS 06857050 Milford Lake near Junction City is elevation/storage only and is not substituted as thermal. Not Clinton Reservoir and not Tuttle Creek.
