Kill Creek Park Fishing

I’ve written for the Kansas City Star the last couple of years generating the weekly fishing report. It’s always funny to me when folks actually think I’m personally the one out fishing all the lakes I cover. I wish! Luckily, I have great resources that report information to me each week, but I do try to fish as much as I possibly can.

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Kill Creek Park, one of the Johnson County Parks on the Kansas side. I didn’t know what to expect, but was blown away by this hidden gem so close to the Kansas City area.

Kill Creek Park is about a 30 minute drive west of Overland Park, KS. I was truly blown away by how well managed the public park appeared. Paved roads with large parking lots led right to the lake, making for a short walk to the water’s edge. Neatly mowed grass was much appreciated as well.

The facilities look spectacular, although I didn’t use them. There are a couple of nice docks available and a boat launch. The beach looks like a nice place for kids, along with nice playgrounds.

As far as the fishing, I was pleasantly surprised. While my friends and I didn’t catch huge numbers of fish, we still caught about 10 bass. Several were in the 1.5-2 pound range. Our best productivity was near the standing timber using jigs.

The evening progressed and the larger bass began moving up closer to the weedy edges. Several were caught on a spinnerbait.

Some park rules to be mindful of:

• You will need to have a Johnson County fishing license, in addition to the Kansas state fishing license.
• If you do put a boat in, you are only allowed to use electric motors.

Final thoughts:

Kill Creek Park is a very beautiful, family friendly setting. The other visitors were very nice people and the park is well-managed. Whether you’re looking for some decent bank fishing, or just a nice relaxing night out with some scenery, Kill Creek Park has what you’re seeking. Be mindful of the park rules, and also watch out for snakes as well. Although we didn’t see any during our visit, but there have been rattlesnake and copperhead studies in and around the park.