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Bourbon State Fishing Lake
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The upper end of the lake is a good place to look for
fishing birds such as kingfishers and green herons.
- All photos by Jim Mason |
Aged to perfection! Located in the forest-prairie mosaic of the Osage
Cuestas, Bourbon State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area offers great wildlife viewing.
Wolfpen Creek's woodland and shrubs along the hillsides provide cover and food for a
variety of mammals and birds. |
The chatter of squirrels and the clear, crisp call of the northern
bobwhite quail are commonly heard. Muskrats and mink are found in and near the water.
Eastern cottontails and white-tailed deer can be seen throughout the area.
The secretive
American woodcock nests in the thickets; its presence is betrayed only by the springtime
sound of a nasal "peent" at dawn or dusk. In May and September many species
migrate through including
wood warblers, ducks, wading birds, and shorebirds. Watch
the lush shoreline vegetation for feeding great blue herons. Prairie
wildflowers and butterflies are abundant from spring through fall. Painted turtles,
sliders, bullfrogs, leopard frogs, and several species of water snakes are seen around the
lake. Ground skinks are found in the rocky areas, with prairie king snakes and six-lined
racerunners in the surrounding grasslands.
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This chasm created by the overflow at
the north end of the lake provides a cross-sectional view of the
characteristic limestone and shale geology of the Osage Cuestas. |
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 | Boat ramp, Picnic shelters and tables.
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 Primitive
camping only.
Discover what to see, eat and do in Kansas.
Plan your trip today, at TravelKS.com!
 No
developed trails.
Click the icon to find a birding list for Bourbon county.
Click the icon to locate nearby Geocaches
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Directions: From
Moran (26 miles west of Ft. Scott) go 9 miles south on U.S. 59 to the Elsmore turnoff.
Drive 5 miles straight east to the lake and wildlife area.
For a Google Map of this area,
click here. |
Ownership:
The entity responsible for management of Bourbon State
Lake is the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks
& Tourism.
Contact them at (620) 431-0380 if you have
specific questions about use or management of the site. 277 acres
You may download the KDWPT brochure on Bourbon State Fishing
Lake from
their web site.
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Funded by the
Chickadee Checkoff Program
Click here for a brochure! |
The Natural
Kansas web site
© 2011
by
the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks
& Tourism.
Re-publication of site content in any form other than for personal use
requires written permission. If you are a Kansas resident, please
assist with this and other wildlife viewing and conservation programs
by contributing to the Chickadee Checkoff on your state tax form. |
Questions or comments about Natural Kansas may be directed to
Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism
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