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 March 19, 2021 at 9:14 p.m.

Your safety is our priority. In KDWPT facilities where foot traffic is allowed, please practice social distancing and observe all safety precautions put in place by staff. Thank you.

Last Updated: 3/5/2021

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, Location
Crappie	No Report	Up to 15 inches	Vertically fishing minnows, jigs, and slab spoons over the tops of the fish attractors and other deeper structures. A 10 inch minimum length limit and 50 fish/day/angler creel limit is in effect to regulate crappie harvest.
Walleye	No Report	Up to 28 inches	A 21 inch minimum length limit and 5 fish/day/angler creel limit is in effect to regulate walleye harvest.
White Bass/Wipers	No Report	Whites up to 17 inches Wipers up to 13 lbs.	Vertically fishing slab spoons over the tops of fish attractors or prominent main lake points and shelves may be a good place to start.
WATER TEMPERATURE-34 degrees F SURFACE ELEVATION- 2132.55 ft. above MSL-11.45 ft. below conservation pool ICE REPORT-The reservoir is approximately 50% ice covered and no existing ice is strong enough to safely support ice fishing activities. The Muley boat ramp is iced in. The north Cove 1 and Overland boat ramps are open and would allow boating access to the main body of the reservoir. The lower end of the reservoir from the dam west to approximately the north shore cabin area is relatively ice free. From the north shore cabins west ice coverage is prevalent. 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: 3/10/2021

Species Rating Size Baits, Method, Location

Crappie Good 9-15 inches Anglers should target these fish in 20-30 feet of water around the reservoir with efforts concentrated on submerged brush piles and other structure. Several anglers have been catching good numbers of nice crappie along the river channel in 25 to 30 feet of water using swim baits.

Trout Excellent 10-16 inches
Rainbow trout, including many golden rainbows, have been stocked four times in the park pond this winter. The latest stocking occurred on March 2nd and included 1,500 trout. Over 1,800 pounds of quality fish have been stocked this winter with one other stocking planned this month.

The best baits to use include Velveeta cheese, Powerbait, corn, and salmon eggs. Anglers often fish these baits using one or two small split shots and a small size 12 or size 14 hook fish on the bottom. Casting inline spinners such as Panther Martins and roostertails also works well along with fly fishing using nymphs, streamers, and dry flies.

Special trout permits are required for ALL anglers. A complete summary of rules and regulations can be found HERE.

Walleye Fair to Good 11-25 inches
The best walleye fishing can now be found along the river channel south of the marina and east toward the dam. Fish can be found in 25 to 35 feet of water off the main lake points just west of the south end of the dam and around Osage Cove and Swim Beach Point. Anglers may also find fish off the Walnut Creek points and off the middle of the dam in 30 feet of water.

Tagged Glen Elder Walleye

Tagged Glen Elder Walleye

Anglers need to be on the lookout for adult walleye with a Pink Tag attached to the dorsal fin in Glen Elder. A multi-year telemetry study is underway examining walleye mortality patterns, habitat use, and movement. Anglers catching a tagged fish will receive a $100 reward for return of the transmitter which has been placed in the internal cavity of these fish. You may keep the pink tag but we need the transmitter returned. Angler reporting is very critical to this study and you can all do your part by calling the park office, 785-545-3345, if you catch one of these fish or simply drop the transmitter off at the office. You will receive $100 shortly thereafter. Thank you for doing your part in helping us learn all we can about the Glen Elder walleye population!

Black Bass Fair 12-20 inches

Smallmouth bass fishing is picking up with anglers catching some fish around the state park along the north shore. With a 21 inch length limit these fish are almost all sublegal so please handle them with extreme care and release them immediately after catching them. They can also be found along the dam, Granite Creek, and the south bluffs. Anglers typically catch them using a variety of crankbaits, soft plastics, and Ned Rigs.

Largemouth bass can also be caught in most of the main lake coves as well as in the state park using spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and Senkos.

The spring electrofishing sample illustrates the quality smallmouth bass and largemouth bass that can be found at Glen Elder Reservoir across much of the reservoir.

Channel Catfish Fair 15-30 inches
Catfish can be caught just about anywhere lakewide. The best numbers in the spring can be found around the mouth of Walnut Creek, along Sandy Beach, near Takota Point, and on the flats south of the golf course. Anglers can try drift fishing for them using shad sides, shad gizzards, and stinkbait. Blue catfish are schooled up now just west of the Cawker City causeway and near the outlet.

Remember, there is a 35 inch length limit on blue catfish at Glen Elder.

White Bass Good 11-18 inches Slab spoons, white and chartreuse twistertails, roadrunners, and Rattletraps are all good bets to catch some white bass now. There are plenty of Master Angler size fish between 16 and 18 inches available in the reservoir. Fishing with jigs and minnows or jigs and nightcrawlers along river channel drops has yielded high numbers of fish as well.

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: 39°F Current Water Level: 0.8 feet low

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: 3/5/2021

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, and Location
Channel Catfish	Good	16 - 21"	No report
Crappie	Good	10 to 14 inches	Good reports of 11 inch crappie on brush and deeper channel breaks.
Trout			The fifth stocking of trout occurred on Tuesday (03/02/2021). Make sure to purchase your trout stamp for this trout season! If you are a flyfishing angler, the seep stream provides a great opportunity for you, as well as for regular anglers using bait.
Saugeye	Fair	14 - 22"	No report
White Bass	Good	All sizes - up to 17 inches	Try 1/16 oz. jigs near the marina point and off the bluffs at Yankee Run.
Wiper	Fair.	All sizes	No report
General Comment
Elevation: 2 inches below conservation pool. ICE IS COMPLETELY GONE FROM THE LAKE. Water Temperature: 39-41 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: 3/10/2021

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, Location
Walleye	Fair	16-25 inches	Best numbers are often found along the north shore points from Cabin Point east to Walleye Point. Good numbers can also be found along the mid-lake river channel. Fishing with jigs and crawlers or jigs and minnows often works best but trolling spoons and cranks through these areas can also produce good results. Be sure to handle all sublegal fish with care so they can be released and allowed to be caught again. Walleye will be moving to the dam soon to begin the annual spawn.
White Bass/Wipers	Fair	7-14 inches 15-25 inches	Anglers often find the best numbers around the Oak Hill area and off the north shore points. Wiper numbers are often best off Walleye Point in 20-25 feet of water and off Cedar Point. Trolling cranks or casting slab spoons, roadrunners, and Rattletraps are all good lures to try for some spring whites and wipers.
Crappie	Fair to Good	8-14 inches	Crappie can be found around the brush piles and Georgia Cube structures throughout the spring and will get easier to catch as the water temperatures warm. Typically minnows fished on a Texas rig work best in 15 to 20 feet of water. Anglers will often find schools of crappie hanging near river channel drops on the lower end of the reservoir in 20 feet of water. The fish move in shallow in the evenings and good numbers can be found around Cedar Point, the marina, and Cabin Point throughout the spring.
Catfish	Fair	16 to 35 inches	Anglers can find catfish lakewide and they should be fairly easy to catch throughout the spring. Best baits to use in the spring include stinkbait, shad gizzards, shad sides, shrimp, and nightcrawlers. Remember there is a 35 inch minimum length limit on blue catfish in Lovewell. All blue catfish less than 35 inches must be released immediately.
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. More Georgia Cubes were added in April 2020! Current water temperature: 39ºF Current water level: 0.6 foot below conservation pool 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: 3/5/2021

Species Rating Size Baits, Method, Location

Striped Bass Fair 2-25 pounds Fair. Stripers were located throughout the upper end of the reservoir in Horseshoe Bend and the flats around Spring Creek in 4-6 feet of water. Ice fishing was good but the ice is now gone from most of the reservoir.

Walleye Fair 18-25 inches Fair. The walleye bite is hit and miss as Walleye are scattered throughout the reservoir feeding on shad. Walleye greater than 21 inches have been reported off windblown points at depths of 4-8 feet of water. Try swimbaits and jerkbaits.

Blue/Channel Catfish Good 2-20 pounds
Channel Catfish) Channel cats are biting well. Try cut bait or live minnows along shallow, wind-blown shorelines. Otoe, Hell Creek, and State Park Cove have been good.

Blue Catfish) Blue cats are spreading out throughout the reservoir and heading for deeper water. Try deeper points around the state park (Hell Creek, Otoe, Pelican Point). Try cut shad or bluegill.

NEW REGULATION FOR 2020: Release all Blue Catfish between 32 - 40 inches. Two can be kept outside this range but only one can be kept over 40 inches.

White Bass Fair 12-18 inches, up to 3 pounds Fair. Try 1/16 oz. jigs on windblown points and breaks with structure. Try areas towards the middle of the reservoir. If you can find shad, you'll likely find a few white bass.

Black Bass Fair 12-20 inches Fair. Largemouth are becoming lethargic in a hurry due to several cold fronts. However, slow presentations with jerkbaits and drop shots of rocky points is popular this time of year. Try transitional areas of moderate depths toward the mouths of the coves.

White Perch Poor 4 to 12 inches
No report.

- 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!!!!!

General Comments

Lake Elevation = 6 inches below conservation pool. ICE IS NOW GONE FROM MOST OF THE RESERVOIR. THE LAKE IS OPEN.

Surface Temperature = 38 - 40 degrees F

BOAT RAMP UPDATE: All boat ramps except Lucas Park are open. 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: 3/10/2021

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, Location
Crappie	Good	9-11 inches	Anglers should target the brush piles and other submerged structure with minnows and jigs throughout the spring. The crappie bite really picks up as the water temperature warms and anglers are encouraged to harvest high numbers of crappie to help maintain a desirable level.
Largemouth Bass	Fair	12-22 inches	Largemouth can be found near the flooded cattails and also hang out around flooded trees, stumps, and logs. Fish may also be found near the flooded aquatic vegetation around the lake. Try spinnerbaits, Ned rigs, Senkos, and plastics for best results. There is an 18 inch minimum length limit on all bass in Jewell
Channel Catfish	Fair to Good	11-25 inches	Fish can be caught just about anywhere on the lake. Anglers should try using shad sides, shad gizzards, shrimp, nightcrawlers, and chicken liver. Targeting inflow is a popular method in the spring as the catfish will congregate there to feed. Also, anglers have had great success fishing off the jetty next to the boat ramp. Remember there is a 15 inch minimum length limit on channel catfish
Bluegill Redear Sunfish	Fair	6-9 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 nymphs or dry flies fished on the surface.
General Comments
ATTENTION ANGLERS! There is a new regulation for all sunfish species which began in January 2019. Fish between 6 and 9 inches must be immediately released. There is no limit on the number of fish less than 6 inches, but anglers are limited to only 5 fish greater than 9 inches per day. This applies to bluegill, redear sunfish, green sunfish, and their hybrids. Water temperature: 42ºF Water level: 1 foot low

Last Updated: 3/17/2021

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, Location
Largemouth Bass	Fair	12-18 inches	Spring is a great time to catch bass as they feed heavily throughout the day. They can be found near the flooded cattails and also hang out under the overhanging branches along the east shoreline. Fish may also be found near the flooded aquatic vegetation around the lake. Try spinnerbaits, Ned rigs, Senkos, and plastics for best results.
Bluegill/Sunfish	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 nymphs or dry flies fished on the surface.
Channel Catfish	Fair	12-25 inches	Fish can be caught just about anywhere on the lake. Anglers should try using shad sides, shad gizzards, shrimp, nightcrawlers, and chicken liver. Targeting inflow is a popular method in the summer as the catfish will congregate there to feed.
Saugeye	Fair to Good	15-24 inches	The best number of saugeye can be found on the upper end around the jetties and other rocky areas. Jig and crawler, large shiners, crankbaits, and swim baits are all good options to use for catching saugeye now.
Crappie	Good	8-14 inches	Anglers should target the brush piles and other submerged structure with minnows and jigs throughout the spring. The crappie bite really picks up as the water temperature warms and anglers are encouraged to harvest high numbers of crappie to help maintain a desirable level.
General Comments
Water Temperature--42ºF CAUTION: LONGER BOAT TRAILERS MAY FALL OFF EDGE OF BOAT RAMP WHEN WATER IS LOW

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: 11/6/2020

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, and Location
Crappie	Slow	Up to 13 inches	No report.
Largemouth Bass	Fair/Good	Up to 5 lbs.	Casting swimbaits and soft plastics around shoreline brushpiles, along the dam, around the fishing piers, and around laydown trees.
Saugeye	Fair	Up to 3 lbs.	Fishing live minnows or sunfish off the bottom or casting crankbaits and swimbaits near edges of the creek channel.
Bluegill	Fair	Up to 8 inches	Worms under a bobber around deeper brush or rocky shorelines.
Channel Catfish	Fair/Good	Up to 19 lbs.	Fishing cut or live sunfish, minnows, or shrimp over shallow flats along the east side or upper end of the lake.
Wiper	Fair	Up to 2 lbs.	Trolling shad imitating crankbaits has produced a few fish.
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