Plenty of Kansas lakes have history; Council Grove has the most famous town on the Santa Fe Trail sitting right next to it. This 3,200-acre reservoir lies in the rolling tallgrass of the Flint Hills, a mile from a community that’s a National Historic Landmark in its own right – the place where, in 1825, a treaty with the Osage opened the wagon road west. The result is a lake that pairs genuinely good crappie, catfish and saugeye fishing with one of the most interesting day-trip towns in the state, all wrapped in some of the prettiest prairie scenery anywhere.
This guide covers all of Council Grove – the fishing, the eight Corps campgrounds and the marina, the Santa Fe Trail town next door, and the Flint Hills scenery that surrounds it. It’s part of our growing Kansas Lakes Database.
- Council Grove Lake at a glance
- The lake by the Santa Fe Trail’s most historic town
- Fishing Council Grove Lake
- Is Council Grove Lake safe to swim? Blue-green algae
- Boating, the marina and Richey Cove
- Camping at Council Grove Lake
- The Flint Hills and the tallgrass prairie
- Getting there and what’s nearby
- Know before you go
- Frequently asked questions
- How big is Council Grove Lake?
- What fish can you catch at Council Grove Lake?
- Can you camp at Council Grove Lake?
- Is there a marina at Council Grove Lake?
- What is there to do near Council Grove Lake?
- Where is Council Grove Lake?
Council Grove Lake at a glance
- Size: ~3,235 acres with about 40 miles of shoreline, in the Flint Hills of Morris County
- Maximum depth: about 56 feet; normal pool elevation around 1,274 feet
- Location: about a mile northwest of Council Grove; roughly 25 miles north of Emporia
- Built: dam on the Neosho River, completed in 1964 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Top fish: crappie, channel and flathead catfish, saugeye, white bass, wiper, black bass
- Known for: Santa Fe Trail history, Flint Hills scenery, and being the first Kansas lake stocked with saugeye
The lake by the Santa Fe Trail’s most historic town
Council Grove the town came first, by more than a century. In 1825, U.S. commissioners and Osage chiefs met in “the grove” of hardwoods along the Neosho and signed a treaty granting safe passage for the Santa Fe Trail – and the name stuck. For the next half-century this was the last real outfitting stop before the long haul to New Mexico, and the town is dense with landmarks because of it: the Hays House (1857), said to be the oldest continuously operating restaurant west of the Mississippi; the Last Chance Store; the Madonna of the Trail statue; the Kaw Mission; and the old Council Oak and Post Office Oak. Kansas Sampler named Council Grove one of the “8 Wonders of Kansas History,” and it’s an easy, rewarding hour of wandering before or after a day on the water.
Fishing Council Grove Lake
Council Grove is a solid Flint Hills fishery with a claim to fame: it was the first lake in Kansas to be stocked with saugeye, the walleye-sauger hybrid that thrives in stained prairie water and still fishes well here. Day to day, though, it’s crappie and catfish that fill the most coolers – strong channel and flathead populations and good crappie on the brush and timber – rounded out by white bass, wiper and black bass.
- Crappie: work brush piles, timber and the creek arms in spring.
- Catfish: the flats and the river end produce channels and big flatheads, especially after dark.
- Saugeye & white bass: fish the points and dam at low light, and chase white-bass schools in open water in summer.
One quick note for first-timers: don’t confuse the federal reservoir with the smaller Council Grove City Lake just to the west – they’re separate waters. Anglers 16 to 74 need a Kansas fishing license; check the latest KDWP fishing report and limits before you go.
Is Council Grove Lake safe to swim? Blue-green algae
Council Grove has a swim beach at Richey Cove and is a pleasant summer lake, but like other fertile Kansas reservoirs it can develop blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) blooms in warm, calm weather. KDHE posts Watch and Warning advisories; during a Watch, boating and fishing are fine but avoid swimming near visible scum, and during a Warning keep children and dogs out of the water. Check the current KDHE advisory before you swim.
Boating, the marina and Richey Cove
The Council Grove Marina is the hub for getting on the water – it rents pontoons and kayaks, sells gas, bait, tackle and supplies, has boat slips, and the lakeside Parrot Patio serves cold drinks, weekend breakfast and live music. Several boat ramps ring the lake, and Richey Cove has the designated swim beach. It’s an easygoing boating, paddling and fishing lake, well suited to a relaxed family weekend.
Camping at Council Grove Lake
The Corps of Engineers runs eight parks around the reservoir, with roughly 187 campsites from primitive tent spots to electric RV sites – including Canning Creek, Neosho Park, Richey Cove and Kanza View. One of the lakeside coves has even been named among the “top 100 family campsites in America.” Reserve sites on Recreation.gov and book early for summer weekends, when the Flint Hills are at their greenest.
The Flint Hills and the tallgrass prairie
Council Grove is the northern gateway to the Flint Hills National Scenic Byway, which rolls south through the largest remaining stand of tallgrass prairie in North America. Make the drive and you can tie the lake to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve near Strong City and Cottonwood Falls – a rare chance to see the prairie ecosystem that once covered much of the continent. In spring and early summer the hills green up and the wildflowers come on; it’s some of the best scenery in Kansas.
Getting there and what’s nearby
Council Grove sits in the central Flint Hills, about 25 minutes north of Emporia (and I-35) and roughly an hour from Manhattan or Topeka. The lake and the historic town are right next to each other, so it’s easy to spend a morning fishing and an afternoon walking the Santa Fe Trail sites – or to pair the trip with the tallgrass-prairie drive south.
Know before you go
- Fishing license: anglers 16-74 need a Kansas fishing license.
- Two lakes: the federal reservoir (this guide) is separate from the smaller Council Grove City Lake – check which one you mean.
- Algae: check the current KDHE blue-green algae advisory before swimming, and avoid visible scum.
- Water level: as a flood-control reservoir Council Grove rises and falls – check current conditions before launching.
- Fees: Corps day-use and camping fees apply; reserve campsites on Recreation.gov.
Frequently asked questions
How big is Council Grove Lake?
About 3,235 acres with roughly 40 miles of shoreline, in the Flint Hills of Morris County, just northwest of the town of Council Grove.
What fish can you catch at Council Grove Lake?
Crappie and catfish are the most abundant, along with saugeye (Council Grove was the first Kansas lake stocked with saugeye), white bass, wiper and black bass.
Can you camp at Council Grove Lake?
Yes – the Corps of Engineers runs eight parks with about 187 campsites, including Canning Creek, Neosho Park, Richey Cove and Kanza View, bookable on Recreation.gov.
Is there a marina at Council Grove Lake?
Yes – the Council Grove Marina rents pontoons and kayaks, sells gas, bait and supplies, and has boat slips and a lakeside patio with food and live music.
What is there to do near Council Grove Lake?
Explore the historic Santa Fe Trail town of Council Grove – the Hays House, Last Chance Store, Madonna of the Trail and Kaw Mission – and drive the Flint Hills National Scenic Byway to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.
Where is Council Grove Lake?
In Morris County in the Flint Hills of east-central Kansas, about a mile from Council Grove and roughly 25 minutes north of Emporia.
Related: explore more of the largest lakes in Kansas – including Milford Lake, El Dorado Lake and nearby Melvern Lake – or head back to the Kansas Lakes Database.
