Big Creek flows 221 miles through north-central Kansas, originating in the High Plains of northwestern Gove County and flowing generally east-southeast through the Smoky Hills to its confluence with the Smoky Hill River in southwestern Russell County. As it winds through Ellis, Gove, Russell, and Trego Counties, this tributary stream passes through the cities of Ellis and Hays in Ellis County. The creek maintains a fishable water level year-round in many sections, supporting diverse warmwater fisheries. In Hays, the creek flows through Fort Hays State University campus, where a small low-water dam at the south end forms a community lake in Frontier Park. While Big Creek Lake in Ellis is maintained by damming the creek, much of the stream itself remains accessible for bank fishing throughout its length across all four counties.