Northwest Region Fishing Reports
Fishing reports provide general angling information from KDWPT staff. The department cannot update the reports on a regular, frequent basis. Many factors determine angling success, and fishing conditions and individual fishing success may vary from the report. Anglers are responsible for deciding what species to fish for, what methods to use, and where and when to fish. You can help fellow anglers by sharing successful fishing notes at http://www.facebook.com/kdwpt.
OTTAWA STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 5/28/2023
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | Fair to Good | 12-18 inches | As the water warms up, bass should start feeding heavily in preparation for the spawn. Nests are usually built in shallow gravel that bass can keep free of silt. Fish can be caught around any aquatic vegetation, off the rocky jetties, and around the overhanging trees in the water. Fish can be caught use wacky worms, Senkos, Ned Rigs, spinnerbaits, roadrunners, and crankbaits. |
| Bluegill/Sunfish | Good | 5 to 7 Inches | Sunfish will be building nests to spawn. Look for bluegill around the rocks on the piers, flat shorelines, 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 to Good | 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 as the catfish will congregate there to feed. The shallow upper end is a great area to find big catfish on warm spring days. |
| Saugeye | Fair | 18-25 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. Anglers will also find some around the brush piles and off the ends of the jetties closest to the dam. |
| Crappie | Good | 8-15 inches | Anglers should target the brush piles and other submerged structure with minnows and jigs. Focus on deeper structure like brushpiles and rocks during summer. Anglers are encouraged to harvest high numbers of crappie to help maintain a desirable level. Our recent sample indicated there are very high numbers of crappie in the lake now and anglers could have great success throughout the year. |
| General Comments | |||
| Water Temperature--70ºF CAUTION: LONGER BOAT TRAILERS MAY FALL OFF EDGE OF BOAT RAMP WHEN WATER IS LOW | |||
CEDAR BLUFF RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 5/25/2023
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
| Black Bass | Good | Up to 6 lbs. | Fish are shallow spawning right now where they can be caught in 2 to 4 feet of water around laydown trees and brush primarily in coves. Soft-plastics can be good baits this time of year and casting large shad imitating swimbaits can also be effective. |
| Bluegill | Fair | Up to 8 inches | Fish are beginning to move shallow in preparation for spawning. Worms under a bobber fished over rock or gravel bottoms, especially in coves. |
| Channel Catfish | Fair | Up to 12 lbs. | Cut bait and prepared baits fished with set lines and rod and reel over shallow flats in coves and over other structures such as submerged parking lots. |
| Crappie | Good | Up to 15 inches | Fish have moved shallow to spawn and have been caught by anglers fishing jigs around standing timber and brush especially in areas with a hard bottom type. The best bite is now in the midsection of the lake. Anglers report catching good numbers of nice fish in the 13 inch range. |
| Walleye | Fair | Up to 28 inches | The bite is still a little slow, but will get better as we work further into May. Drifting or casting jigs tipped with worms or minnows and casting crankbaits over well-defined main lake points and other structure has been good for a few fish. Trolling crankbaits along the edges of mainlake points has been effective too. |
| White Bass/Wipers | Fair/Good | Whites up to 17 inches Wipers up to 13 lbs. | Anglers continue to catch white bass off the dam, but the bite has slowed. Most other reports are of incidental white bass catches while anglers are fishing for other species. Anglers report catching good numbers of wipers in the 5 to 8 lb. range with a few in the 12 to 18 lb. range casting bucktail jigs and other larger, shallow-running shad imitations over shallow, windswept points and flats. |
| WATER TEMPERATURE-66 degrees F SURFACE ELEVATION- 2126.70 ft. above MSL-17.30 ft. below conservation pool 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. | |||
GLEN ELDER RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 5/28/2023
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Good | 9-15 inches | Crappie will move shallow to spawn when water temps get into the 50s and 60s. Spawning fish can be targeted on shallow brushpiles or gravel bottoms. White Crappie are currently spawning on structure in 8-12 feet of water. Use minnows or jigs. As the spawn winds down crappie be chasing shad near deeper brush and structure. Reports of crappie being caught in 8-10 feet of water on the dam. There are good numbers of keeper crappie in the reservoir so success can be had year-round. |
| Trout | Fair | 10-15 inches | The final stocking of trout for this season occurred on March 16th with 625 pounds of quality fish stocked in the GLEN ELDER OUTLET. Only a few weeks before that another 825 pounds of trout were stocked which should equate to a substantial number of fish in the outlet going into the end of the season. The only stocking of the GLEN ELDER STATE PARK POND was in late October of 300 pounds of fish. Many of these fish in the pond expired under the ice this winter due to the low water. Don't forget, ALL anglers fishing in the Glen Elder outlet ARE REQUIRED to have a trout permit through April 15th! |
| Walleye | Fair to Good | 11-25 inches | As the spawn winds down Walleye should move off rocky shorelines to feed. Fish can be found in shallower flats and bays that hold schools of baitfish. Fish can be found patrolling lake flats in Walnut Creek, along the river channel bends in Schoen's Cove, or off of Gibbs Point. The deeper fish are often caught using jigging spoons, minnows. Trolling crankbaits or worms can be effective post-spawn and throughout the summer. I'm hearing reports of fish being caught on river channel bends on nightcrawlers. *KDWP stocked 5 million walleye fry in Glen Elder last April. In addition, there were 245,000 walleye fingerlings stocked in mid-June. |
| Black Bass | Good | 12-20 inches | Smallmouth start to spawn when water temps rise get up to mid- to upper-50s, while Largemouth usually wait till water hits the 60s. These should be feeding heavily now in preparation for the spawn or recovering from spawning. Smallmouth tend to prefer harder, rockier bottoms, while Largemouth might be found on softer bottoms and weed beds. Don't overlook standing timber and brush piles. Look for areas that hold baitfish. Use a quarter ounce or an eighth ounce jig tipped with a baitfish or crayfish imitation. You could also have success with hair jigs and jigging spoons. 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. |
| Catfish | Fair to Good | 15-35 inches | Channel Cats can be found almost anywhere in the lake. Targeting inflows can be successful after rains. Blue Cats tend to prefer deeper structure or windblown flats. Try river channel bends, old road beds, and submerged bridges. Fall sampling indicated good numbers of blues and channel catfish in the reservoir now. Best baits to use include cut bait, stinkbait, shad sides, shrimp, and nightcrawlers. As the ice thaws dead baitfish are blown to the shoreline. Fishing cut or dead bait on windblown shorelines can be very effective in early spring. Remember, there is a 35 inch length limit on blue catfish at Glen Elder. |
| White Bass | Good to Excellent | 11-18 inches | White Bass and Wipers can be found chasing shad near brushpiles, river channels, drop offs, and other structure. Windblown points and shorelines can also attract fish this time of year. Using a variety of jigs, spinners, or minnows can catch fish all year. |
|
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: 68ºF Current Water Level: 4.9 feet low Some boat ramps are unusable due to low water conditions. This currently includes Granite Creek, North Fork River, Carr Creek, and Walnut Creek. Boller Point ramp is shallow but usable by shallow drafted vessels. Repairs to the face of the dam were completed in February. Water levels should start to rise with spring rains. | |||
JEWELL STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 5/28/2023
KANOPOLIS RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 6/1/2023
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel Catfish | Good | 16 - 21" | Fishing cut and prepared baits along the river channel from the south boat ramp all the way to buzzard bay. Try deeper catfish humps and structure near bluffs. |
| Crappie | Good | 10 to 14+ inches | Try deeper structure, brush piles, or the river channel with 1/16 oz. jigs and live minnows. Some fish have been caught recently along the dam. |
| Trout | Good | Last stocking for the seep stream was 3/16/2023. | |
| Saugeye | Good | 14 - 22" | Wind blown points and flats in the middle and lower ends of the reservoir are best. Also try shallow shoreline areas first thing in the morning. Shad imitating swimbaits and jigs tipped with minnows or worms can be productive baits. 2.2 million saugeye fry were stocked in April. |
| White Bass | Fair | All sizes - up to 17 inches | Casting swimbaits, bucktail jigs, and Kastmaster spoons along wind blown points and areas near the river channel. Using slab spoons or live minnows is also producing some fish right now along brush piles and in the river channel. |
| Wiper | Fair | All sizes | Similar locations and baits as those used for white bass. |
| General Comment | |||
| Buzzard Bay boat ramp is currently being repaired and is out of service for the time being. Most ramps are unusable due to low water levels. Use cation when launching from the south shore boat ramp as it is currently 2.5 feet deep in the cove and a large sandbar has formed at the end of the breakwater. 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. | |||
KEITH SEBELIUS RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 5/26/2023
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Fair | 7 to 16 inches | Did have reports of crappies being caught around the artificial brush piles under private boat slips, and the fish attractor structures close to the public fishing dock using jigs and jigs tipped with minnows. Would also be looking for them in the shallows and coves. |
| Saugeye/Walleye | Fair | 13 to 27 inches | Have had a few reports of fish being caught out in front of the Dam and along the south roadbed using worms on the bottom. An 18" minimum length limit is in effect. |
| Wiper | Good | 10 to 28 inches | Have had reports of fish being caught around the mouth of Concrete cove using jigs and casting diving lures. |
| Catfish | Fair | 10 to 30 inches | Have had reports of fish being caught up to the west end as new water has been coming down the river using shad, shrimp, cut bait and stink bait on the bottom. Would also try fishing in the shallow areas using shad, shrimp, stink bait or worms on the bottom. |
| Largemouth/Spotted Bass | Good | 10 to 20 inches | Have had reports of fish being caught in Schoen's Cove, Leota Cove and outlet area using crankbaits and plastics. |
| General Comments | |||
| WATER TEMPERATURE- 70° SURFACE ELEVATION- 2292.79 ---- 11.51 feet below conservation pool Currently, the water level is 2.34 feet lower than it was one year ago, at this time. All boat ramps are open at this time. Remember it is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water. Please discard leftover bait in a trash can. Hope everyone has a joyful and safe Memorial weekend. Now Available: A Webster District newsletter that includes fisheries related information about Webster, Kirwin and Keith Sebelius Reservoirs is available. If you would like to subscribe to this spring and fall newsletter you can go to the following link to get on the mailing list. | |||
KIRWIN RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 5/26/2023
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Fair | 7 to 17 inches | Anglers have been catching fish around the north and south shore fish attractors using jigs and jigs tipped with minnows. Also been catching fish up in the coves and shallow areas as the water warms up. |
| Walleye | Fair | 10 to 29 inches | Did hear of some walleye being caught along the Dam, drop offs and along the river channels. Would also be getting those night crawlers out and fish the river channels and up onto the flats as these fish move into feed. Trolling the Dam with diving lures could also be productive. |
| White Bass/ Wiper | Good | 10 to 28 inches | Have had reports of fish being caught around the fish attractors using jigs and slab spoons. These fish can also be caught lake wide using jigs with a minnow under a bobber or casting small spinners. |
| Catfish | Fair | 10 to 30 inches | Have had reports of fish being caught up in the shallows using shad on the bottom. Would also fish for them up in the rivers using shrimp, cut bait, stink bait and shad on the bottom. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | 12 to 22 inches | Have had reports of fish being caught up in the coves and shallow areas with stick up in them using jigs with minnows, small spinners, and plastics. |
| General Comments | |||
| WATER TEMPERATURE- 70° SURFACE ELEVATION- 1723.99 ---- 5.26' below conservation pool Currently, the water level is 4.07' lower than it was one year ago, at this time. The fish cleaning station is now open. All boat ramps are open at this time and the docks have been put back in at the South Boat Ramp and the North Boat Ramp. If you have any questions regarding Kirwin Reservoir and the surrounding public lands, contact the USFWS at 785-543-6673. Remember it is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water. Please discard leftover bait in a trash can. Hope everyone has a joyful and safe Memorial weekend. Now Available: A Webster District newsletter that includes fisheries related information about Webster, Kirwin and Keith Sebelius Reservoirs is available. If you would like to subscribe to this spring and fall newsletter you can go to the following link to get on the mailing list. | |||
LOVEWELL RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 5/28/2023
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | Fair to Good | 16-25 inches | Fish can be found in shallower flats and bays that hold schools of baitfish. You might find fish patrolling lake flats. Fish can be found along the river channel between Cedar Point and Walleye Point in 20-25 feet of water. Try using jigging spoons, minnows, brightly colored lures, or trolling worms. *KDWP stocked 3 million Walleye fry into Lovewell in April. |
| White Bass/Wipers | Good | 7-14 inches 15-25 inches | Look for windblown points and rocky shorelines in the main lake. Fish can also be caught near brushpiles or along river channels and drop offs looking for shad. A variety of jigs, spoons, spinners, or minnows can catch fish all year. *600,000 wiper fry were stocked into Lovewell in May |
| Crappie | Good | 8-14 inches | Crappie will begin to spawn when water temps are in the 50s and 60s. Expect to find crappie in shallow structure or staging in nearby channels and drop-offs. After the spawn crappie will return to deeper brushpiles and river channels searching for shad. A variety of jigs or minnows are popular with crappie fishing. There are very good numbers of crappie in the reservoir now so success can be had throughout the year. |
| Catfish | Good | 16 to 35 inches | Fall sampling indicated very high numbers of Channel Catfish and good numbers of quality Blue Catfish in the reservoir now. Channels can be targeted throughout the reservoir. Best baits to use include stinkbait, shad gizzards, shad sides, shrimp, and nightcrawlers. Dead or cut bait can be very effective on windblown shorelines. Anglers often report good spring catches of blue catfish near Walleye Point, the marina, and Cedar Point. 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 | |||
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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: 69ºF Current water level: 0.4 feet high 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! | |||
ROOKS STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 5/26/2023
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| CURRENT FISHING | |||
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | 6-21 inches | Have had reports of fish being caught lake wide using crankbaits and artificial baits. |
| Bluegill | Fair | 3-9 inches | Have had reports of fish being caught lake wide using worms under a bobber. |
| Catfish | Fair | 10-25 inches | Have had reports of fish being caught lake wide using shrimp, liver and shad on the bottom. |
| Black Crappie | Fair | 5-12 inches | Have had reports of fish being caught lake wide using spinners and jigs under a bobber with minnow or worm. |
| General Comments | |||
| Water Temp. 72 Degrees Lake is approx. five feet low. Boat ramp is open at this time. Hope everyone has a joyful and safe Memorial weekend. Now Available: A Webster District newsletter that will include Webster, Kirwin and Keith Sebelius Reservoir's will be coming out soon. 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-Webster-Reservoir-Fishing-District | |||
SHERIDAN STATE FISHING LAKE - Last Updated: 5/25/2023
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Poor | Up to 13 inches | No Report. |
| Largemouth Bass | Good | Up to 5 lbs. | Casting soft plastics along rocky shorelines, around laydown trees in shallow water. |
| Saugeye | Fair | Up to 3 lbs. | Drifting or casting jigs tipped with nightcrawlers over creek channel and other drop-offs, and along rocky shorelines. |
| Bluegill | Fair | Up to 8 inches | Worms under a bobber around shallow brush and rock structure. |
| Channel Catfish | Slow | Up to 19 lbs. | Still-fishing shrimp or cut bait off the bottom. |
| Wiper | Fair | Up to 2 lbs. | Still fishing shrimp or liver off the bottom. |
| 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 | |||
WEBSTER RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 5/26/2023
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, and Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | Fair | 7 to 17 inches | Have had reports of fish being caught around the north and south shore breakwaters and fish attractors using jigs, slab spoons and jigs with minnows. Would also be looking for them in the shallows of the coves as the water starts to warm up. |
| Walleye | Fair | 14 to 28 inches | Have heard of walleye being caught along the Dam and around the Little Sahara swim beach using night crawlers. Would also get the night crawlers out and work the Flats and river channels where the walleye will be starting to feed. Fish can also still be caught along the Dam trolling or casting diving lures. |
| White Bass/Wiper | Fair | 8 to 28 inches | Have had reports of fish being caught around the north and south shore fish attractors and breakwaters using jigs and jigs tipped with minnow. Trolling diving lures can also be productive. Fish can probably be caught lake wide and would definitely fish into the wind. |
| Catfish | Fair | 12 to 30 inches | Have had reports of catfish being caught off Goose Flats and point south out the old Methodist Camp. Would try fishing in the shallow areas using shad, shrimp, stink bait and worms off the bottom. Also, would try fishing up to the west end of the Reservoir as new water is expected to be coming in. |
| Largemouth Bass | Fair | 12 to 22 inches | Have had reports of bass being caught in Old Marina Cove, Rock Point Cove and along the bluffs. Would be fishing in the coves and along the rocky areas using plastics and crank baits. |
| General Comments | |||
| WATER TEMPERATURE- 70° SURFACE ELEVATION- 1882.96 ---- 9.49' below conservation pool The water level is 7.75' lower than it was one year ago at this time. All boat ramps are open at this time, except Morel which is high and dry. Fish cleaning station is now open. Remember it is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water. Please discard leftover bait in a trash can. Hope everyone has a joyful and safe Memorial weekend. Now Available: A Webster District newsletter which includes informative fisheries information about Webster, Kirwin and Keith Sebelius Reservoirs is currently available. If you would like to subscribe to this spring and fall newsletter you can go to the following link to get on the mailing list. | |||
WILSON RESERVOIR - Last Updated: 6/1/2023
| Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method, Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Striped Bass | Fair | 7-25 pounds | Larger fish are relating to deeper water near Lucas campground, mouth of Marshall Cove, Hell Creek and towards the dam. Try trolling crankbaits, casting/jigging large bucktail jigs, or drifting live shad or sunfish along channel breaks. 1.45 million Striped Bass fry were stocked in May. |
| Walleye | Good | 18-27 inches | Trolling or casting crankbaits and swimbaits over main lake points early morning or late evening are your best bets. |
| Blue/Channel Catfish | Good | 2-20 pounds | Channel Catfish) Fish can be found from shallow to moderate depths. Try cut bait or dough bait thorough the reservoir. Blue Catfish) scattered throughout the reservoir, try fresh cutbait in 6-30 feet of water on river channel swings or flats near these swings. Some reports of fish caught in the upper end of the reservoir. 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 | Casting shad imitating swimbaits and bucktail jigs over windblown points and using slab spoons along the river channel. |
| Black Bass | Good | 12-20 inches | Reports of soft plastics, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits producing fish around structure. |
| White Perch | Poor | 4 to 12 inches | - 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 = 1.66 feet below conservation pool. BOAT RAMP UPDATE: All boat ramps are currently 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!!!!!! | |||