Waters · Lakes · KS · Tue, Sep 15
Milford Lake water level today 1146.02 ft, rising
Bite index 6/10 — Biting — get there by six.
Worth a cast.
Today's bite windows
Sunrise 7:09 AM · sunset 7:35 PM · tomorrow's first major 4:18 AM–6:18 AM · windows on every water
Conditions right now
What this means
Milford Lake level over the last 8 days
1146.02 ft up 0.03 ft in 24 hours
That sits 55% of the way up the band it has held over the last 8 days, between 1145.86 and 1146.15 ft. Over the week it is down0.03ft.
The week ahead
| Wed | 7 | Biting | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu | 7 | Biting | |
| Fri | 8 | On fire | |
| Sat | 8 | On fire | |
| Sun | 7 | Biting | |
| Mon | 7 | Biting | |
| Tue | 6 | Biting |
Forecast days carry solunar and the wind outlook. Pressure and gauge movement land the morning of.
Before you go
A Kansas fishing license covers this water — $25 a year for residents. KDWP sets the rules and is the one that counts.
What it costs, and who is exempt →Nearby waters today
- 5 Picky El Dorado Lake KS · 137 km
- 6 Biting Cheney Reservoir KS · 169 km
- 4 Picky Kaw Lake OK · 264 km
- 4 Picky Ocean City MD · 1890 km
- 6 Biting New Bullards Bar Reservoir CA · 2082 km
Questions people ask about Milford Lake
Answered from the same readings as the rest of this page. Where we have no basis for an answer, there is no entry — spot-by-spot local knowledge is not something we can claim for Milford Lake.
- Is it worth fishing Milford Lake today?
- 6 out of 10 — biting. Worth a cast. The strongest stretch is 3:30 AM–5:30 AM. That number is worked out fresh each morning from the solunar windows, the pressure trend, the water level and the water temperature.
- What time should you fish Milford Lake?
- Today's major windows run 3:30 AM–5:30 AM and 3:54 PM–5:54 PM, with minor windows at 11:32 AM–12:32 PM and 9:09 PM–10:09 PM. Sunrise is 7:09 AM and sunset 7:35 PM. A major landing on first or last light is the stretch worth setting an alarm for.
- What is the water temperature at Milford Lake?
- 77.2°F, read at 6:45 AM from USGS station 391259097001800. That is 0.7 degrees warmer than 24 hours ago.
- What is the water level at Milford Lake right now?
- 1146.02 ft, read at 7:30 AM from USGS station 06857050. Over 24 hours it is up 0.03 ft.
- Are water levels rising or falling at Milford Lake?
- Holding steady. The lake is up 0.03 ft in 24 hours and down 0.03 ft over the week. Over the last 8 days it has held between 1145.86 and 1146.15 ft. Every figure here is a difference between two gauge readings, not a forecast — what the level does next depends on rain and on what the dam releases.
- Can you eat the fish you catch in Milford Lake?
- That is a health question, and it is answered officially rather than by us. Kansas Department of Health and Environment publishes the fish consumption advisory covering these waters, where advisories are named per waterbody, alongside a general mercury caution. Read it before you keep a meal — we give no eating advice.
- Do you need a licence to fish Milford Lake?
- Yes. A Kansas fishing license covers this water, required from age 16. KDWP sets the rules and is the one that counts.
- What size fish can you keep in Kansas?
- It depends on the species, and several have slot limits rather than a simple minimum. Open to harvest today: channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish, walleye, sauger and saugeye. Seasons here change mid-year by agency order, so the status is re-checked every morning.
Channel catfish limits · Blue catfish limits · Flathead catfish limits · Walleye, sauger and saugeye limits · Check a length against the rules
Where these numbers come from
- Solunar computed 7:59 AM
- NOAA KMHK Manhattan, Manhattan Municipal Airport 7:40 AM
- NOAA TOP gridded forecast 5:41 AM
- USGS 06857050 MILFORD LAKE NR JUNCTION CITY, KS 7:30 AM
- USGS 391259097001800 MILFORD LAKE NEAR WAKEFIELD, KS 6:45 AM
No one types these in by hand. If a source goes quiet, the page says so instead of showing you yesterday.