Kansas Fishing Report for Northwest Kansas

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REGION 1
Update dates are shown at the top of the report of the individual lake.
State reports last checked April 19, 2018 at 7:30 p.m.

Last Updated: 4/5/2018

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, Location
Crappie	Slow	Up to 15 inches	A few fish can still be caught fishing jigs and small slab spoons around the fish attractors. Generally, fish have scattered from their winter haunts and have become difficult to find. Look for fish to start staging in deeper water out from spawning areas. Spawning activity should begin in late April.
Walleye	Fair	Up to 28 inches	Walleye are spawning and will frequent the dam and adjacent shoreline each night where they can be caught by anglers casting brightly colored stick-baits and jigs. Spawning activity is beginning to slow down, but there are still good numbers of fish participating. Most males range from 14 to 17 inches and most females from 18 to 21 inches, but we have seen females up to 25 inches here and there. Remember a 21 inch minimum length limit went into effect January 1, 2018 and the creel limit remains 5 fish/day.
White Bass/Wipers	Good	Whites up to 17 inches Wipers up to 13 lbs.	Vertically fishing slab spoons and jigs around the fish attractors or other deeper structure has produced fish. Whites and wipers are also taking advantage of the warmer weather where they can be caught casting jigs over sun-warmed, shallow points and flats
WATER TEMPERATURE-50 SURFACE ELEVATION- 2117.30-26.70' below conservation pool NEW FOR 2018: Effective January 1, 2018 changes to fish harvest regulations are as follows; Walleye-21" minimum length limit, 5 fish/day creel limit Crappie-10" minimum length limit, 50 fish/day creel limit ICE REPORT: The reservoir is, for all intents and purposes, ice free and all boat ramps are open. ATTENTION: An established zebra mussel population has been documented at this water making Cedar Bluff an ANS designated water. With this designation, regulations are in effect primarily aimed at discouraging water containing microscopic zebra mussel larvae from leaving the property and establishing in new waters. Any time one leaves the reservoir it is best to clean mud, vegetation, or attached zebra mussel adults off of boats and other equipment, drain any thing on a boat or other equipment that holds water, and allow boats and other equipment to dry completely before using them at another body of water. It is now illegal to use wild-caught bait from Cedar Bluff at any other water. Live fish are not to be taken off the property. And all livewells and bilges must be drained prior to leaving the property. It is illegal to release fish into public water unless it was taken from that water. So please discard any leftover bait in a trash can. Cedar Bluff District Newsletter: A biannual newsletter detailing fishing related prospects and activities in the Cedar Bluff District, which includes such waters as Cedar Bluff Reservoir, Sheridan and Scott State Fishing Lakes, Antelope Lake, and other public fishing waters in northwest Kansas are available. If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter you can go to the following link to get on the mailing list. The link is: http://kdwp.state.ks.us/news/KDWP-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Cedar-Bluff-Fishing-District

GLEN ELDER FISHING REPORT - Need a Map? -

- Last Updated: 4/12/2018

Species Rating Size Baits, Method, Location

Crappie Fair 8-13 inches Crappie have been difficult to catch lately as they break up in preparation for the annual spawn. As the water temperatures warm into the mid-50's fish will begin to move in shallow. Prior to that, anglers should look for fish in offshore staging areas in 10-25 feet of water near any brush close to traditional spawning areas.

Trout Good 10-17 inches
Anglers can now catch fish in either the outlet area or in the pond. Anglers have been having excellent success using a variety of small jigs and inline spinner baits as well as salmon eggs, Powerbait, and cheese.

The last batch of trout was stocked in the Glen Elder Outlet on April 12th. A trout permit is required of all anglers to fish the outlet area between November 1st and April 15th. Powerbait and a variety of small lures are both working well.

Anglers fishing the park pond and the Glen Elder outlet between now and April 15 are required to purchase a trout stamp ($14.50) if age 16-74 and must adhere to a daily creel limit of 5 fish per day. Anglers 15 and younger may fish the park pond without a trout stamp, but the daily creel limit is 2 trout per day.

Walleye Fair 14-24 inches The walleye spawn is winding down now, but anglers are still catching a limited number of fish along the dam. As these fish leave the dam they typically head to the west end of the reservoir near Schoen's Cove, Gibbs Point, and the Cawker Causeway. Jig and worm or jig and minnow often work good this time of year as the fish begin to feed again to help recover from the spawn.

White Bass

Wipers
Fair
11-18 inches

19-27 inches
The white bass spawn is just about to begin with fish starting to move up the rivers already. Anglers should be able to start catching some near the log jams and any shallow riffle areas using white and chartreuse twistertails. Fish will also move into rocky banks like the Cawker City causeway, dam, and south bluffs as the males will show up first followed by the females. They typically bite well during this time of year on roadrunners, slab spoons, Rattletraps, and Kastmasters.

Black Bass Good 12 to 18 inches This should be a good time of the year to catch smallmouth and largemouth bass as the water warms throughout the spring. Over the next couple of weeks, the smallmouth bass will move into rocky and sandy coves for their annual spawn. Largemouth bass will be hanging out in similar areas, but can also be found in areas with standing timber and flooded vegetation and are often caught on white and chartreuse spinnerbaits and a variety of plastic baits.

Anglers can now find GPS locations for each of the brush piles located in the reservoir. Simply click on this link Good Fishing Spots and select the individual brush pile. As we enhance these brush piles throughout the year, we'll make a note under each individual location.

Current water temperature: 49°F Current Water Level: 1 foot below conservation

Please discard of leftover bait in a trash can, even baitfish. Remember it is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water!

KANOPOLIS RESERVOIR FISHING REPORT - Need a Map? -

- Last Updated: 4/18/2018

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, and Location
Channel Catfish	Good	16 - 21"	Slow. No early spring reports on this species.
Crappie	Fair	10 to 13 inches	Fair. Some folks are catching early-spring crappies in marina and yankee run coves. Try jigging small spoons and road runners.
Trout			NOTICE: The 6th and final trout stocking occurred on Thursday, April 12th. Many are being caught but pressure seems to be low. Good luck!
Walleye/Saugeye	Fair/Poor	14 - 22"	Slow. There are reports of only a few Saugeye being caught, some of which have been 18" or longer. Try breaks off the river channel and deeper structure towards the lower end of the reservoir. Deep jerkbaits and swimbaits are decent this time of year. The shallow bite isn't far away as walleye and saugeye have moved into their "postspawn" mode.
White Bass	Good	All sizes - up to 17 inches	Fair. Try jigging small spoons and road runners near the river channel in the middle and lower portions of the reservoir. River fishing might be tricky with the low water levels but some might be moving up to spawn.
Wiper	Fair	All sizes	Slow. No reports for this species.
General Comment
Elevation: Water level is 3 inches below conservation pool. Water Temperature: 52 degrees. Current lake elevation and water temperature is available on the location page linked to this fishing report. It is updated daily by the Corps of Engineers.

Last Updated: 4/11/2018

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, Location
Walleye	Fair	15-28 inches	The walleye spawn is just beginning and anglers should be able to start catching a few fish along the dam and the south shore near the outlet at night as the fish move in to spawn. During the day fish can often be caught off Walleye Point and the dam in 15-20 feet of water using jig and crawlers or swim baits. Slab spoons along the creek channels will also work this time of year.
White Bass/Wipers	Slow	7-13 inches 14-23 inches	There have not been any recent reports of white bass or wiper catches. Anglers should try looking for these guys along the creek channels and off the main lake points, specifically Cedar Point and Cabin Point. Slab spoons and Kastmaster fished vertically may be the best baits to catch some fish this time of year.
Crappie	Fair	7-13 inches	There are a lot of crappie in the reservoir now, but most of them are one or two year old fish less than 10 inches. There are, however, a fair number of fish between 10 and 13 inches for anglers to target. Fishing around the deep brush piles off Cabin Point, Cedar Point, and the Marina will be good places to look for crappie.
Comments
Anglers can now find GPS coordinates, descriptions, and histories of some of the major brush piles in Lovewell. Simply follow this link Good Fishing Spots and select the individual brush pile to find out more information. Current water temperature: 42°F Current water level: 1.1 feet below conservation Please discard of leftover bait in a trash can, even baitfish. Remember it is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water!

Last Updated: 4/18/2018

Species Rating Size Baits, Method, Location

Crappie Fair/Poor 10-14 inches Slow. We haven't received any winter reports for crappie.

Striped Bass Fair/Good 2-15 pounds Fair/Good. A few reports of stripers being caught on the West end of the reservoir near Horseshoe Bend. A 15-20 lb. striper was caught recently in shallow water near reed grass. Some are still in deeper water near the river channel around Lucas Point. Try jigging spoons and swim baits.

Walleye Fair 14-25 inches Fair. There has been reports of a few fish being caught off the dam towards evening but, for the most part, walleye fishing has been slow. The spawn is coming to a close and fish will soon be looking for a meal. Try wading near the dam and shallow, wind-blown, points with a rocky bottom. Try slow-rolling soft jerkbaits and dragging jigs with earthworms towards evening and at night.

Blue/Channel Catfish Good 2-20 pounds
Channel Catfish) A few 2-5 lb. fish have been caught on the West end (Elm Creek, Horseshoe Bend, etc.). Try using cut bait this time of year (shad, carp, bluegill, etc.)

Blue Catfish) Blue catfish bite well this time of year and well into the summer. Fishing seems to be best of the wind-beaten side of the reservoir. Few reports but try 5-12 feet on the West end with fresh cut bait (shad, carp, bluegill, etc.).

Be on the lookout for blue catfish which are also in the reservoir. They are not legal size yet so make sure and take care to return them to the water. There is a 35 inch minimum length limit on blue catfish at Wilson Reservoir!

White Bass Fair 12-18 inches, up to 3 pounds Good. There are still a few fish being caught in the river but the recent cold front(s) have disrupted the fishing, at least temporarily. Try steady slow retrieves with small spinners and grubs on light jigs (1/16 oz.).

Black Bass Fair/Poor 12-19 inches Slow. Recent bass tournaments have yielded quality smallmouth and largemouth bass up to 4 lbs. Try chatterbaits, small spinnerbaits, and jerkbaits near reed grass edges. Also, for smallmouth, try shaky head presentations near rocky points and shorelines.

White Perch Good 9 to 13 inches
Good. White perch can be caught throughout the lake but conditions are best in the upper reservoir as the shallow part of the lake warms up quicker.

- IT IS ILLEGAL TO HAVE A WHITE PERCH ALIVE IN YOUR POSSESSION - IF YOU CATCH IT AND WANT TO KEEP IT - IT HAS TO BE DEAD IN A COOLER OR LIVEWELL. THEY ARE NO LONGER LEGAL AS LIVE BAIT FOR STRIPERS OR OTHER FISH!!!!!

The white perch numbers are down in Wilson right now which is the goal of managing aquatic nuisance species. While this species will continue to thrive and reproduce in Wilson, they are still an ANS species and KDWPT has managed the predator base in such a way to limit their numbers. The hope is that the white bass will be able to make a comeback at the expense of the white perch numbers declining.

General Comments

Lake Elevation = 2 inches ABOVE conservation pool.

Surface Temperature = 53 degrees.

BOAT RAMP UPDATE: All boat ramps are useable. WEAR YOUR LIFE JACKETS and be courteous at boat ramps!

We have two Aquatic Nuisance Species - white perch and zebra mussels and have joined Cheney and El Dorado as lakes with both species. The law now says that if anyone leaves the lake with water in your livewell or boat, you are subject to a ticket for transporting Zebra Mussels since they will spawn and the microscopic little mussels will probably be in every drop of water in the lake. Make sure you drain all water from the boat before you leave the boat ramp area!!! We have been taking veliger samples and the samples were high so be sure to drain and dry everything!!!!!!

Last Updated: 4/11/2018

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, Location
Crappie	Fair	8-11 inches	The crappie population is dominated by three and four year old fish in the 8-10 inch range as we collected many of these during our 2017 fall sample. There are also a few 11-13 inch fish as well, but they are not as common. This 2013 year class should provide a boost to the crappie numbers as they continue to grow. Anglers will have success fishing crappie nearly lake wide. As the water temperatures continue to warm the crappie will move in to spawn over the next several weeks. Look for them in 3-6 feet of water around flooded brush and the rock jetties.
Largemouth Bass	Fair to Good	10-21 inches	Largemouth bass fishing should begin to improve as the water continues to warm this spring. Fishing white and chartreuse spinnerbaits, Ned rigs, Senkos, and small crankbaits are all good options to catch some bass in March and April before they move in shallow to spawn. There is now an 18 inch Minimum length limit on all bass in Jewell!!!
Channel Catfish	Fair	11-25 inches	The catfish numbers look very good right now based on fall netting and anglers should be pleased with the numbers of cats in the lake right now. Many of these fish are in the 3-5 pound range, but there are also a handful of larger fish between 7 and 10 pounds. Traditional baits like stink bait, shad sides, and chicken liver should all work for catching some catfish now. Anglers have been catching them off the jetties and the boat dock. Remember there is a 15 inch minimum length limit on channel catfish!
Bluegill Green Sunfish Redear Sunfish	Fair	6-9 inches	Bluegill numbers appear to be stable right now with fish between 4 and 7 inches dominating the catch, but fish up to 8 inches were collected this past fall. Redear sunfish are thriving very well right now with fish up to 10 inches collected this fall. There are two size groups with good numbers of 6-8 inch fish and fair numbers of 9 to 10 inch fish. Anglers may be able to catch a few bluegill and redear sunfish now, but the action should really pick up later this month as the water temperatures continue to warm. For now, traditional fishing with a worm and bobber around the jetties and other cover may be the best way to catch some of these guys.
General Comments
ATTENTION ANGLERS! Beginning January 1, 2018, the new minimum length limit on largemouth bass will be 18 inches at Jewell. ALL largemouth bass less than 18 inches will need to be released immediately. Water temperature: 52°F Water level: 1.5 feet low

Last Updated: 4/11/2018

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, Location
Largemouth Bass	Fair to Good	1-4 pounds	I have not heard any recent fishing reports for largemouth, but as the weather continues to warm they will become more active and anglers should have some success using white and chartreuse spinnerbaits, Ned Rigs, and Senkos.
Bluegill	Fair	4 to 6 Inches	Look for bluegill around the rocks on the piers and around any brush in the water. Worms and small jigs are a good bet. These guys can be caught throughout the year using a variety of techniques. Some anglers prefer to fly fish with small nymphys or dry flies fished on the surface.
Channel Catfish	Fair to Good	12-25 inches	The best channel catfish action may be in the shallow water and the upper ends of coves where the water is warmest. Also, if there is any inflow, the catfish will normally congregate there to feed. Shad sides, shad gizzards, shrimp, and chicken livers are all good baits to try for catfish. Anglers have been catching some catfish this spring along the west shore near the north end using shad sides, minnows, and chicken liver.
Saugeye	Fair	12-24 inches	Anglers generally find saugeye lakewide this time of year, but there may be better concentrations along the dam and the creek channel in deeper water during the day. Fishing off the jetties could also be productive using jig and crawler or jig and minnow combinations. Casting a variety of crankbaits and swim baits can also yield some saugeye.
Crappie	Fair	Most 8-12 inches	Crappie numbers are stable, so angling will be fair to good on jigs and minnows along the dam and near brush and rocks. There are a lot of 8-10 inch crappie right now, but fish between 12 and 14 inches can also be caught. The crappie spawn is just about to begin and anglers may start catching some shallow fish during warm days. Try looking for them around any rocky banks or submerged brush with jigs under a bobber a great technique to try and catch them.
General Comments
Water temperature: 51ºF We will be running a creel survey at Ottawa State Fishing Lake this year. If you are stopped by the creel clerk, he will simply ask you a few questions about your trip. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated and will help us to better manage the fishery in the future. CAUTION: LONGER BOAT TRAILERS MAY FALL OFF EDGE OF BOAT RAMP WHEN WATER IS LOW The cabin can now be rented - call the Hays Regional Office - 785-628-8614 - for reservations or more information.

Last Updated: 11/6/2014

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, & Location
PUBLIC SALVAGE			DUE TO THE LOW LAKE CONDITIONS WE ARE ALLOWING ANGLERS TO TAKE FISH BY THE MEANS LISTED BELOW AND YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO KEEP ALL THE FISH YOU TAKE.
General Comments

The area is open for walk-in traffic but the gate will remain locked and the vault toilet locked. THE LAKE IS NOW OPEN TO PUBLIC SALVAGE - ALL LENGTH AND CREEL LIMITS ARE OFF. YOU CAN NOW TAKE FISH WITH ROD AND REEL OR BY SNAGGING, SEINE, GIG, OR BY HAND. Please comply with posted signs!!!!!

Last Updated: 4/5/2018

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, and Location
Crappie	Fair	Up to 13 inches	Fish should be spawning sometime around mid-April. Look for fish to move into shallow water, especially in areas with flooded structure, where they can be caught on jigs.
Largemouth Bass	Fair/Good	Up to 5 lbs.	Soft plastics and swim baits around shoreline brush piles and along rip-rapped shorelines.
Saugeye	Good	Up to 3 lbs.	Drifting or casting jigs tipped with worms or minnows near the creek channel breaks.
Bluegill	Fair	Up to 8 inches	Worms under a bobber around the brushpiles.
Channel Catfish	Fair	Up to 19 lbs.	Various baits fished in the shallows on warmer days.
Comments
It is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water, so please discard any unused bait in a trash can. Cedar Bluff District Newsletter: A biannual newsletter detailing fishing related projects and activities in the Cedar Bluff District, which includes such waters as Cedar Bluff Reservoir, Sheridan and Scott State Fishing Lakes, Antelope Lake, and other public fishing waters in northwest Kansas are available. If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter you can go to the following link to get on the mailing list. The link is: http://kdwp.state.ks.us/news/KDWP-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Cedar-Bluff-Fishing-District