List of fishes of Kansas

There are roughly 135 recorded species of fish in the U.S. State of Kansas.

The following tags note species in each of those categories: Kansas is located in the Great Plains region which is characterized by mostly slow-running rivers and a near total absence of large naturally occurring lakes excluding oxbows and a few shallow salt marshes and sloughs.

Since the European settlement of the area, many rivers and creeks have been dammed creating large reservoirs, largely by the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation.

The biggest of these reservoirs is Milford Lake at 15,709 acres (6,357 ha).

Kansas is home to 12 rivers basins, all of which drain into the Gulf of Mexico approximately 507 miles (816 km) south.

A map showing the location of the U.S. State of Kansas.
The location of the State of Kansas in the United States of America .
A labelled map of the major rivers in Kansas
The Shovelnose sturgeon is the only sturgeon that has been recorded in Kansas since 1998
Longnose gar is the largest and most widespread predatory fish in Kansas [ 1 ]
Formerly ranging statewide, the last recorded capture of an American eel was in 1987 from the Kansas River [ 2 ]
The Northern hogsucker and the Black redhorse are restricted to Shoal Creek in Cherokee County due to a decline in ideal habitat [ 1 ] [ 2 ]
Golden Redhorse is found throughout Southeast Kansas
Silver carp have been found in the Kansas, Missouri , and Nemaha River systems [ 3 ]
Central stoneroller can be found in small streams and the channelized portions of rivers. [ 1 ]
the Topeka shiner is named after Topeka, Kansas
the Red shiner can be found in most waterways in Kansas
Bigeye shiner is found in the Verdigris , Caney , and Spring Rivers in Southeast Kansas [ 1 ]
Channel catfish is the state fish of Kansas
Northern pike is present in most large reservoirs in Kansas
The Plains killifish is among the most dominant fish in western Kansas, being able to handle more salinity than most other fish [ 1 ]
Green sunfish is the most abundant sunfish in Kansas
Largemouth bass is a highly prized gamefish through Kansas
The Arkansas Darter is endemic to the Arkansas River System, and was first discovered near Garden City in 1885 [ 1 ]
Logperch is found throughout tributaries in eastern Kansas