title: Chikaskia River
text: # Chikaskia River
  
  The Chikaskia River (usually pronounced chi-KAS-kee-uh but often pronounced chi-KAS-kee in southern Kansas) is a 159-mile-long (256 km) tributary of the Salt Fork of the Arkansas River in southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma in the United States. Via the Salt Fork and Arkansas rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River.
  
  ## Course
  
  The Chikaskia River begins as an intermittent stream in southwestern Pratt County, Kansas and initially flows eastwardly into Kingman County, where it turns southeastward for the remainder of its course through Harper and Sumner counties in Kansas and Grant and Kay counties in Oklahoma. In Kay County the river flows past the town of Blackwell and flows into the Salt Fork 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Tonkawa.
  
  ## Variant names
  
  The United States Board on Geographic Names settled on "Chikaskia River" as the river's official name and spelling in 1897. According to the Geographic Names Information System, the river has also been known as "Chicaskia River", "Sha wa cas kah River", and "Sha-wa-cas-kah River."
  
  ## Fishing
  
  The Chikaskia River and the Salt Fork are known for their large catfish.
  
  