Fishers beware: Some fish from these Kansas lakes and rivers may be dangerous to eat

Natalie Wallington
Brent Frazee/File photo

Spring is on the way, bringing fishers of all ages to rivers and lakes in Kansas. But the state’s department of health and the environment has warned that some fish caught in Kansas may not be suitable for eating — at least not in large quantities.

The agency issued its 2023 fish consumption advisories Thursday, alerting lovers of the outdoors to potentially contaminated lakes, rivers and fish species in the state. Here’s what to know before you reel in your next meal.

Which Kansas fish can I eat?

The KDHE recommends eating the following types of fish no more than once a week if they are longer than 20 inches or twice a week if they are shorter than 20 inches: blue and channel catfish, common carp, crappies, white bass, white perch, wiper, striped bass, walleye, sauger, saugeye, bullhead catfish, drum, and sunfish like bluegill, green, redear and others.

The KDHE recommends eating the following types of fish no more than once a month if they are longer than 20 inches or twice a month if they are shorter than 20 inches: black, bigmouth and smallmouth buffaloes, flathead catfish and largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass.

Which bodies of water may contain contaminated fish?

Some rivers and lakes in Kansas contain PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls. While these oily, toxic substances were banned in the U.S. in 1979, some residual PCBs from industrial manufacturing still remain in the environment.

Limit your consumption of bottom-feeding fishes and catfishes to one serving per week if they come from these bodies of water:

  • Douglas and Leavenworth counties: Kansas River from Lawrence (below Bowersock Dam) downstream to Eudora at the confluence of the Wakarusa River.

  • Sedgwick County: Little Arkansas River from the Main Street Bridge immediately west of Valley Center to the confluence with the Arkansas River in Wichita.

  • Reno County: Cow Creek in Hutchinson and downstream to the confluence with the Arkansas River.

You should also limit your consumption of bottom-feeding fishes and catfishes to one serving per month if they come from the K-96 Lake in Wichita.

Which aquatic life in Kansas should I avoid entirely?

The following species in the specified locations may contain harmful levels of contaminants like lead, cadmium, PCBs, pesticides and substances found in treated wastewater.

  • Johnson County: DO NOT EAT any fish from Antioch Park Lake South in Overland Park.

  • Sedgwick and Sumner counties: DO NOT EAT bottom-feeding fish or catfish from the Arkansas River from the Lincoln Street dam in Wichita downstream to the confluence with Cowskin Creek near Belle Plaine.

Check the department’s press release for information about more potentially dangerous aquatic life in Cherokee and Seward counties, and other tips about fishing safely and sustainably in Kansas.

Do you have more questions about environmental issues in Kansas or Missouri? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.

Advertisement