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 Kansas Fishing Report - Region 1 Northwest Kansas

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Source: Kansas Wildlife and Parks, Local marinas and bait shops, Kansas Anglers like you. Send us a report.

Kansas Reports Region 1 NW KS | Region 2 NE KS
Region 3 SW KS | Region 4 SCen KS | Region 5 SE KS
Kansas Reports from Anglers | KS and OK Lake Levels

REGION 1
Update dates are shown at the top of the report of the individual lake.
State reports last checked Feb. 3, 2010 at 2:21 p.m.

Here is a list of Kansas Counties

RESERVOIRS

CEDAR BLUFF FISHING REPORT - Need a Map? -

Last Updated: 1/29/2010

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, & Location
Crappie	No Report	up to 1.5 lbs.	While the ice was still safe enough to support ice fishing anglers reported catching a few crappies over the fish attractors using jigs or small slab spoons.
Walleye	No Report	up to 7.5 lbs.	Vertically fishing slab spoons over submerged roads and steep breaks in 25 to 30 feet of water.
White Bass	No Report	white bass up to 2.5 lbs.	Vertically fishing slab spoons over points, roadbeds, and steep breaks in 20 to 30 feet of water has been good for a few fish.
Wipers	No Report	up to 10 lbs.	No reports of any being caught, but the method should be similar to that with the white bass.
Rainbow Trout	No Report	.5 lb. average	Still fishing powerbait, corn, and salmon eggs or vertically jigging small spoons through the ice. The stilling basin is still about 100% ice covered, but the warm weather and wind we had last week rotted the ice to the point that it is no longer safe to support ice fishing at this time. Any attempt to get out on the ice is strongly discouraged. We stocked 1,250 rainbow trout on Dec. 15. The fish averaged about .5 lbs. each, and there were fish up to 2 lbs.
ATTENTION: The reservoir is 50 to 60% ice covered as all the coves and the main body of the lake west of a line running from Church Camp Cove to the mouth of Page Creek Cove are ice covered. All boat ramps are currently iced in. The warm, windy weather we experienced last week rotted existing ice to the point that it will no longer safely support ice fishing. During the near term, any attempt to get out on the ice is strongly discouraged. WATER TEMPERATURE- 32 SURFACE ELEVATION- 2127.67' ----16.33' below conservation. 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 FISHING REPORT - Need a Map? -

Last Updated: 2/3/2010

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, & Location
Walleye	Good	Most 14-21 inches	The walleye angling should be improved from 2009 with many of those 16-17" fish now over the 18" length limit. There are also going to be high numbers of sublegal fish from a strong 2008 year class, but numbers of legal fish should be sufficient to satisfy most anglers.
White Bass	Good	Most 10-12 inches	We saw extremely high numbers of age-1 white bass this fall with most of these fish 10-12". A few larger fish up to 18" were collected as well, but the numbers of large fish are down from previous years. Still, very high numbers of harvestable fish will be found in 2010 and should offer some fine angling.
Wipers	Good	15-25 inches	The 2 wiper stockings have produced fair to good numbers of fish in the reservoir. The 2006 fish are now averaging 5-6 pounds while the 2008 fish will be around 14-16 inches.
Crappie	Good	Up to 17 inches	We did not collect as many adult crappie during our fall sampling as expected, but numbers appear to be very strong based on the angler catch over the last year and during the winter. We did catch very high numbers from the 2008 and 2009 year classes which will allow this fishery to continue to develop over the next several years.
Channel Catfish	Good	All Sizes	Catfish numbers appear to be down slightly from 2009 with size structure similar. Anglers should expect to have similar success in 2010 for a wide variety of sizes of catfish.
Smallmouth Bass	Good	Up to 20 inches	Another good sample of smallmouth bass was collected in 2009 and the population continues to flourish. Fish up to 5 pounds will be available with the highest numbers between 10 and 14 inches.
Winter Fishing Opportunity			Listed Below
Crappie	Fair to Good	6-16 inches	The vast majority of fishing is still taking place on the west end along the river channels in 8-12 feet of water. Anglers are still catching some fish, but most are reporting only 8-10 fish apiece. Small jigs or ice flies tipped with meal worms or wax worms seem to be doing the trick lately. The fish have been very picky and are not as aggressive as they were earlier in the year. There are also still a few crappie being harvested around the Marina boat slips. Best lures here include panfish assassins, tube jigs, and meal worms. The best fishing of late has been during the first 1-2 hours of daylight and the 2-3 hour period prior to sunset. The bite really turns off and on at these times and can be a little slow during the middle of the day.
White Bass	Fair to Good	12-18 inches	The white bass angling on the west end remains fair to good with more reports of bigger fish. There are still high numbers of 11-13" fish out there, but there are also some larger fish up to 3 pounds being caught as well. They have been mixed in with the crappie and can be caught using similar lures.
Trout	Good	10-14 inches	The second trout stocking occurred on 12/22 bringing the total stocked to 2,200 for the year. There is about 5-6 inches of ice on the pond right now in most areas and ice fishing has been fair to good for those who have tried it. There are also spots with only 2-3 inches so be very careful where you walk on the trout pond. Kimberlyn with a golden trout caught at the Glen Elder park pond, January 2010. Fishing anywhere on the pond has been fairly good with minnows producing the best results, but small crappie jigs, Powerbait, salmon eggs, and Kastmasters are all working now.
This is a generic winter fishing report covering the fishing forecast for the upcoming 2010 fishing season. The Winter Fishing Opportunity section will be updated should good information become available. Regular weekly fishing reports will resume in March 2010. The ice conditions have deteriorated around the reservoir and several open patches can be seen along the shoreline. There are still anglers venturing out on the west end with reports of 8 inches of ice in most places, though. There are some thin spots that could cause anglers trouble so use EXTREME CAUTION if you do plan on fishing the reservoir. Just remember to be smart and stay away from any areas that look questionable! We will be holding our annual Fishing Information Nights again this year at both Hays and Salina. The Hays FIN will take place February 22nd from 7:00-9:30 p.m. in the Black and Gold room of the FHSU student union. Fisheries biologists from Glen Elder, Lovewell, Cedar Bluff, Wilson, Kanopolis, Kirwin, Webster, and Norton Reservoirs will give the forecast for the upcoming fishing season. In addition, there will be a special presentation on Crappie Fishing Tips and Tactics. The Salina FIN will be February 25th at the KS Highway Patrol Training Center on East Iron Avenue starting at 7:00 p.m. Anglers will hear fishing forecasts for Glen Elder, Lovewell, Wilson, Kanopolis, and Milford Reservoirs. There will also be a special crappie fishing presentation that night. So make sure and come out to learn more about what we think should be an excellent year of fishing! In addition, I will be presenting the fishing forecast for both Glen Elder and Lovewell Reservoirs at the Waconda Boats open house on the weekend of February 27th-28th at their store in Glen Elder. Times are TBA so stay tuned for more details. Anglers can now find GPS locations for each of the brushpiles located in the reservoir. Simply click on this link Good Fishing Spots and select the individual brushpile. As we enhance these brush piles throughout the year, we'll make a note under each individual location. Check for the recent updates! For current water temperature and reservoir elevation, simply click on the "Glen Elder Reservoir" link above this report. 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: 1/29/2010

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, & Location
Channel Catfish	Slow	Variety	The catfishing is probably over till spring except for the odd catfish caught fishing for other species. Shad sides and gizzards will work when the water thaws back out or try the outlet area that is open.
Crappie	Fair	Variety of Sizes - mostly 9 to 12 inches	The crappie have headed towards the deeper brushpiles for the winter. Look there either thru the ice or after things thaw out!! Our netting shows good numbers of 1/2 to 1 pound crappie and a variety of sizes.
Rainbow and Brown Trout	Good	Mostly 10 to 12 inches	The January stocking took place on Thursday, Jan 14 when we stocked 1400 brown trout. Most were 10 to 12 inches but there were some really nice trout up to 3 pounds. Get your Power Bait, corn, cheese, marshmellows, lures and flies ready. On Jan 1 2010, the center portion changed to lure fishing only between highline poles 9 and 16 - signs have been posted both on the poles and at the upper and lower ends near the stream. Bait fishing anglers can still fish the upper end and the lower end but can not use anything but artificial lures between poles 9 and 16. Fly and lure fishing anglers can fish anywhere along the stream. The next stocking is scheduled for mid-February and this stocking is expected be a load of all brown trout again. Go ahead and take these browns, as they did not oversummer well but our supplier has some extra browns he offered us.
Walleye/Saugeye	Slow	Variety	You guys hauled a lot of saugeye/walleye out of this lake this past year!!!! Slab spoons are the bait of choice in the winter - might try some of the Gulp baits too. For the winter they will be along the deeper river channel and around the brushpiles. Our nets caught fair numbers larger fish and good numbers of smaller fish. They will move towards tha dam rocks as soon as the ice goes off and the water starts to warm up.
White Bass	Fair to Good	All sizes	Try them on any deep structure now - underwater humps, rockpiles, brushpiles, and along the deeper river channel. Slab spoons and Kastmaster spoons are good winter baits - they had been catching good numbers thru the ice but the ice is going downhill right now. Our nets were FULL of whites of all sizes - this lake is absolutely full of white bass right now!!!!
Wipers	Slow	All sizes	Some guys feel that bucktail jigs will outfish slab spoons fished vertically - might try them too!! We caught a few really nice wipers up to 10 pounds in our nets and there are lots of little guys coming on!!!
General Comments
We have the dates for our FISHING INFORMATION NIGHTS set now. The Hays event will be on Monday, February 22 at the Fort Hays Memorial Union from 7 to 9:30 PM The Salina event is on Thursday, February 25 at the Highway Patrol Training Center Little Theatre from 7 to 9 PM. Both these events are free and we encorage all anglers interested in hearing the fishing forecasts for our local reservoirs to attend. Both events will host Paul Miller who will be giving a program on "CRAPPIE FISHING TIPS AND TACTICS" Paul is a long time crappie angler, a retired KDWP employee, and currently a fishing guide out of Manhattan. Please attend one of these fun and informative events!!! Current lake elevation and water temperture is available on the location page linked to this fishing report. It is updated daily by the Corp of Engineers. The lake is now 1 foot below conservation so the USACE can work on the outlet tower thru the winter. If you are wanting to still get out on the ice, be sure to check it carefully and DON'T TAKE ANY CHANCES!!! There has been water on the ice and if we get wind it will go pretty fast. The lake is completely frozen but the seep stream is open except for the lower end and the outlet/river area is open too. It is COLD again so BE SAFE OUT THERE!!!!! I think this years creel is going to show a tremendous harvest from Kanopolis!!! The creel is over and I want to thank all you anglers for sharing your information with the creel clerks and helping us better manage the fish in the lake!!!!! It has been a very good fishing year at Kanopolis and it could be depending on the weather. Fall netting on Kanopolis - White bass numbers are extremely high, crappie numbers and sizes are good, walleye/saugeye numbers of big fish appear down a bit but lots of little guys coming on, and we caught some nice channel catfish along with lots of little guys. There are LOTS and LOTS of shad in the lake and most are just the right size for feeding the fish into the winter. There are also lots of baby white bass, crappie, drum, and river carpsuckers that are also adding to the forage base this year. The game fish in Kanopolis this year are in excellent body condition and should have PLENTY to eat this fall - might make them a little harder to catch!!!!!

KEITH SEBELIUS RESERVOIR FISHING REPORT -

Last Updated: 2/3/2010

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, & Location
Walleye/Saugeye	Poor	9 to 26 inches	Did not have any reports this week, but would try fishing along the north side of the dam using jigs. Would also try fishing along the point south of the swim beach using jigs and slab spoons. Stocked 600,000 saugeye fry on April 20, 2009. Stocked 66,855 saugeye fingerlings on May 19, 2009.
Wiper	Fair	Various	Did not have any reports this week, but would try fishing along the north side of dam, the river channel, drop offs and in concrete cove using jigs and slab spoons.
Crappie	Fair	7 to 14 inches	Did not have any reports of fish being caught this week, but would continue fishing around the marina slips, public fishing dock, and over the fish attractor south of the swim beach using jigs and slab spoons.
General Comments
WATER TEMPERATURE- 32 SURFACE ELEVATION- 2294.97' ----9.33' below conservation Currently, the water level is 0.93 feet higher than it was one year ago at this time. Approximately 90 additional cedar trees have been added around the Public Fishing dock, the mid dam fish attractor and the fish attractor South of the swim beach. Stocked 600,000 saugeye fry on 4/20/09. Remember it is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water! Therefore, please discard leftover bait in a trash can. Did have reports of ice being approx. 5-6" thick, but getting pretty soft. So if venturing out on the ice use extreme caution and take a buddy with you. Come join us for our annual Fishing Information Night that will be help February 22, 2010 at the Black & Gold room located on the campus of Fort Hays State University at 7:00 P.M. This year our guest speaker Paul Miller will be presenting crappie fishing tips and tactics.

KIRWIN RESERVOIR FISHING REPORT - Need a Map? -

Last Updated: 2/3/2010

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, & Location
Walleye	Poor	9 to 24 inches	Haven't heard of any fish being caught this week. Would continue using jigs and slab spoons on the drop offs and river channel. Stocked 112,500 walleye fingerlings on may 22, 2009. Stocked an additional 58,000 walleye fingerlings on May 28, 2009.
Wipers/ White Bass	Fair	Various	Did not have any reports of fish being caught this week, but would try fishing around the fish attractors and river channel using jigs and slab spoons. Stocked 380,000 wiper fry on May 11, 2009.
Crappie	Good	7 to 16 inches	Did not have any reports of fish being caught this week, but would continue fishing around the north & south shore fish attractors using jigs and slab spoons. The ice is getting pretty soft with the warmer weather, so use extreme caution if venturing out on the ice.
General Comments
WATER TEMPERATURE- 32 SURFACE ELEVATION- 1729.39' ----0.14' above conservation Currently, the water level is 1.41 feet higher than one year ago at this time. Stocked 380,000 wiper fry on May 11, 2009. Stocked 112,500 walleye fingerlings on May 22, 2009. Stocked an additional 58,000 walleye fingerlings on May 28, 2009. The Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) has been put into effect at Kirwin, so if you have any questions contact the Service at 785-543-6673 or stop by their office at 702 Xavier Road. The seasonal boat closer has now been lifted and boats are now allowed on the Reservoir. When the water elevation reaches 1722.00 feet the closure is removed. Both the North and South Shore ramps are iced in. Remember it is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water! Therefore, please discard leftover bait in a trash can. Started releasing water at a rate of 50 cfs to bypass current inflow on 11-03-09 and have bumped it up to 100 cfs, but have reduced it back to 25 cfs. If venturing out on the ice use extreme caution and take a buddy with you. Come join us for our annual Fishing Information Night that will be help February 22, 2010 at the Black & Gold room located on the campus of Fort Hays State University at 7:00 P.M. This year our guest speaker Paul Miller will be presenting crappie fishing tips and tactics.

LOVEWELL RESERVOIR FISHING REPORT - Need a Map? -

Last Updated: 2/3/2010

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, & Location
Walleye	Good	Most 15-22 inches	A very nice sample of walleye was collected in the fall and the numbers appear to be up again this year. There are still plenty of sublegal fish that will have to be returned to the water in 2010, but approximately 1/3 of the adults collected were over the 18" length limit.
White Bass	Fair	12-16 inches	White bass numbers were down from the 2009 sample, but size structure remains very good. Anglers should expect decent success in 2010, but it may not be as good as the 2009 season was.
Wipers	Fair	15 inches to 10 pounds	We collected a variety of sizes of wipers during the fall sample, but 2010 numbers will probably be lower than they were in 2009. Still, anglers will probably be able to find some fish near the inlet and outlet and while trolling for whites in the reservoir.
Crappie	Fair	8-13 inches	Our fall sample revealed much improved numbers compared with the 2006-2008 samples for both black and white crappie. Anglers should have improved success in 2010 for crappie, but we won't likely see the success rates from 2003-2005.
Channel Catfish	Good	Up to 15 pounds	Channel catfish appear to be thriving in the Lovewell with numbers in 2010 comparable to the 2009 angling season. Good numbers of larger fish were also collected so trophy potential for channel catfish is expected to be good in 2010.
Winter Fishing Opportunity			Read Below
White Bass	Poor	7-14 inches	The ice has deteriorated to the point where it is probably not safe to try fishing anywhere on the reservoir. Check back for updated reports when they become available.
Crappie	Poor	8-15 inches	The ice has deteriorated to the point where it is probably not safe to try fishing anywhere on the reservoir. Check back for updated reports when they become available.
Comments
This is a generic winter fishing report covering the fishing forecast for the upcoming 2010 fishing season. The Winter Fishing Opportunity section will be updated should good information become available. Regular weekly fishing reports will resume in March 2010. We will be holding our annual Fishing Information Nights again this year at both Hays and Salina. The Hays FIN will take place February 22nd from 7:00-9:30 p.m. in the Black and Gold room of the FHSU student union. Fisheries biologists from Glen Elder, Lovewell, Cedar Bluff, Wilson, Kanopolis, Kirwin, Webster, and Norton Reservoirs will give the forecast for the upcoming fishing season. In addition, there will be a special presentation on Crappie Fishing Tips and Tactics. The Salina FIN will be February 25th at the KS Highway Patrol Training Center on East Iron Avenue starting at 7:00 p.m. Anglers will hear fishing forecasts for Glen Elder, Lovewell, Wilson, Kanopolis, and Milford Reservoirs. There will also be a special crappie fishing presentation that night. So make sure and come out to learn more about what we think should be an excellent year of fishing! In addition, I will be presenting the fishing forecast for both Glen Elder and Lovewell Reservoirs at the Waconda Boats open house on the weekend of February 27th-28th at their store in Glen Elder. Times are TBA so stay tuned for more details. Anglers can now find GPS coordinates, descriptions, and histories of some of the major brushpiles in Lovewell. Simply follow this link Good Fishing Spots and select the individual brushpile to find out more information. For current water temperature and reservoir elevation, simply click on the "Lovewell Reservoir" link above this report. 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!

WEBSTER RESERVOIR FISHING REPORT - Need a Map? -

Last Updated: 2/3/2010

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, & Location
Rainbow Trout	Excellent	1/2 to 7 pounds	Stocked the fourth round of 2100 rainbow trout on January 28. Have been catching fish on kastmasters, little cleo's, power bait and salmon eggs. Will be stocking the next round of fish in Mid March. The stilling basin has approx. 4-5 inches of ice cover on it at this time and the ice is getting pretty soft. If venturing out on the ice, always use extreme caution and take a buddy with you. The South Fork Solomon river above the lake was also stocked on Jan. 28 with 250 trout. Only one zone will be stocked this year and it run approx. 1/2 mile downstream of the low water crossing on N Road and extends one mile upstream of the same crossing.
Wipers/White Bass	Fair	6 to 18 inches	Did not have any reports of fish being caught this past week, but would try fishing off the bridge by Bow City using jigs. Stocked 332,000 wiper fry on May 11, 2009.
Crappie	Fair	6 to 15 inches	Did not have any reports of fish being caught this week, but would try fishing up in Old Marina cove west of the Coyote shelter or off the south shore road. The North and South fish attractors are currently ice free at this time, however, the colder weather that is forecast may lay some ice down. If venturing out on the ice use extreme caution.
General Comments
WATER TEMPERATURE- 32 Degree's SURFACE ELEVATION- 1892.53' ---- 0.08' above conservation Currently, the water level is 0.93 feet higher than it was one year ago at this time. Stocked 332,000 wiper fry on May 11, 2009. Stocked 68,000 walleye fingerlings on May 22, 2009. Stocked another 56,600 walleye fingerlings on May 28, 2009. Boaters, be aware of submerged rip rap along the Goose Flats boat ramp. Stocked the fourth round of 2100 rainbow trout into the stilling basin on January 28 for the 2009/2010 season that opened October 15. Will be stocking the next round in mid March. Also stocked trout into South Fork Solomon river above the lake. One site will be stocked this year and it extends 1/2 mile downstream of the low water crossing on N Road and extends one mile upstream of the same crossing. Remember it is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that water! Therefore, please discard leftover bait in a trash can. Started releasing water at a rate of 50 cfs to bypass current inflow on 11-03-09 and it has been bumped up to 100 cfs. The reservoir is currently ice free around the north and south fish attractor and approx. 6 inches in the coves. The ice is getting pretty soft so please use extreme caution. All boat ramps are iced in. The stilling basin has approx. 4-5 inches of ice cover on it and it is getting pretty soft also. If venturing out on the ice always use extreme caution and take a buddy with you. Come join us for our annual Fishing Information Night that will be help February 22, 2010 at the Black & Gold room located on the campus of Fort Hays State University at 7:00 P.M. This year our guest speaker Paul Miller will be presenting crappie fishing tips and tactics.

WILSON RESERVOIR FISHING REPORT - Need a Map? -

Last Updated: 1/29/2010

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, & Location
Channel Catfish	Slow	Variety	We caught some really nice catfish in our nets. Caught a few blue catfish too - looks like they are growing good but they have a long ways to go before being legal to take. Shad sides and gizzards are good cold water baits but good catfishing will have to wait till spring and things thaw out unless you want to try the river/ stilling basin which is open. When the ice goes off the catfish like to eat dead shad in the backs of the coves so try there when the time comes.
Crappie	Slow	Varied	You'll have to work for the crappie in this lake this year!!! Check deeper brushpiles but don't expect to catch big numbers.
Stripers	Fair	1.5 to 5 pounders mostly	When the lake freezes over the stripers move to the upper end around Horseshoe Bend and into the back of the coves. They have been catching some thru the ice but the ice is going downhill with water on the ice and warmer weather predicted. The stripers routinely will take cut bait as soon as the ice goes off in the upper end and in the backs of the coves when they feed on dead shad.
Walleye	Slow	Variety	Most will be in 30 to 50 feet of water - green and orange jigs and slab spoons will be the baits of choice during the winter and early spring. When the ice goes off they will move towards the dam and rocky areas to spawn but that is a ways off.
White Bass	Slow	Variety of Sizes	There are not a lot of white bass in the lake but we caught a few really nice ones. Slab spoons should work around the deeper river channel or the brushpiles and crankbaits will work as soon as the ice goes off and the whites stage in the upper end for their spawning run.
Black Bass	Slow	Variety	The water temp is where the bass are going to be sleeping for the winter.
White Perch	Good	8 to 10 inches	They have been hauling the perch out at Horseshoe Bend thru the ice but that mght be about over. As soon as the ice goes off, try there from a boat too. Small slab spoons or white jigs fished deep might work if you can find the fish. Continue to keep all you catch and remember - IT IS NOW 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
We have the dates for our FISHING INFORMATION NIGHTS set now. The Hays event will be on Monday, February 22 at the Fort Hays Memorial Union from 7 to 9:30 PM The Salina event is on Thursday, February 25 at the Highway Patrol Training Center Little Theatre from 7 to 9 PM. Both these events are free and we encorage all anglers interested in hearing the fishing forecasts for our local reservoirs to attend. Both events will host Paul Miller who will be giving a program on "CRAPPIE FISHING TIPS AND TACTICS" Paul is a long time crappie angler, a retired KDWP employee, and currently a fishing guide out of Manhattan. Please attend one of these fun and informative events!!! The lake level is now down near conservation and they have reduced the outflow to 50 cfs. The main lake has started to open up but the coves are frozen in so no boat access available yet. Ice conditions are going downhill prior to this latest cold snap so check carefully and BE SAFE OUT THERE!!!! Still a few brave souls ice fishing in the back of Hell Creek and up around Horseshoe Bend - a few fish being caught but no glowing reports. If you are still wanting to get out there to ice fish, be sure you check it good and DON'T TAKE ANY CHANCES!!!!! Now is a good time to wear a life jacket, don't fish alone - always take a buddy and some rope, or slide a flatbottom boat out on the ice and use it to fish out of!!! Or better yet - stay off the ice and wait till it melts completely! The current lake elevation and water temperature are posted on the location page daily by the Corp of Engineers - it is linked to this fishing report page for your convenience. Netting and electrofishing is complete for this year - Yea!!!! We got done before it got really cold this year and I will be working the data up soon. The big news right now is that Zebra Mussells have been found in Wilson - they have apparently been here for a year or so and they are well established. That means new signs are going up and the phrase 'CLEAN, DRAIN, AND DRY' will be the busswords around the lake for all boaters, anglers, duck hunters, etc. We need to be extra diligent in cleaning our equipment and not spread those little suckers to any of the other surrounding lakes!!!!! We now have 2 Aquatic Nuisance Species - white perch and zebra mussells and have joined Cheney and El Dorado as lakes with both species.

STATE FISHING LAKES

JEWELL STATE FISHING LAKE -

Last Updated: 1/21/2010

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, & Location
Walleye	Fair	12-16 inches	We collected very good numbers of walleye while sampling this fall. They are all between 13 and 15 inches, thus most are still under the length limit, but a few will be legal now. They can be found about anywhere around the lake and can be caught on crankbaits, curly tail jigs, and nightcrawlers.
Crappie	Fair	7-10 inches	Over 250 adult black crappie were stocked in September 2009. Some of these fish should be of harvestable size already, but most will be in 2010. Look for them around the flooded timber, weed beds, and off the dam. Small tube jigs, road runners, and minnows will give you the best chance to catch a few crappie.
Channel Catfish	Good	10-19 inches	Approximately 1,000 channel catfish were stocked on 9/23/09. This is in addition to the first batch of 2,000 fish stocked in September 2008. Fall sampling revealed the 2008 fish are growing well and nearly 2/3 of them are of legal size now.
Bluegill Green Sunfish Redear Sunfish	Fair	4-8 inches	Sunfish numbers are fair right now with a variety of sizes and species available. Bluegill will dominate the catch, but a few green sunfish and redear sunfish can also be found. These three species would offer some fine ice fishing this winter.
Largemouth Bass	Fair	6-15 inches	The bass were stocked in late August 2008 and spring 2009 and average about 1/3 of a pound. In addition, the adults got off a big spawn in 2009 and high numbers of 6-8" fish were collected this fall.
Winter Fishing Opportunity			Listed Below
All Species	Fair to Good	All Sizes	I have not heard of any ice fishing reports, but there is potential to catch walleye, sunfish, crappie, and bass through the ice. Try fishing near the brushpiles on the lower end. Slabs, Kastmaster, small jigs, and wax worms are all good bets to catch some fish through the ice.
General Comments
This is a generic winter fishing report covering the fishing forecast for the upcoming 2010 fishing season. The Winter Fishing Opportunity section will be updated should good information become available. Regular weekly fishing reports will resume in March 2010. With nearly all of the stocking complete, the fishery is becoming established. Channel catfish, bluegill, redear sunfish, and green sunfish all offer an opportunity to harvest some fish. Largemouth bass, crappie, and walleye should offer some good catch and release angling this year with a few of the walleye and crappie big enough to take home. Given stable water conditions, 2010 should offer some fine angling opportunities for each of these species. Water temperature: 100% Frozen Water level: 8 feet low--max depth 14 feet

OTTAWA STATE FISHING LAKE FISHING REPORT -

Last Updated: 1/29/2010

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, & Location
Largemouth Bass	Slow	Variety	The season is over!!!.
Bluegill	Slow	6 to 8 Inches	The fishing for bluegill is over for the year as they don't like cold water. Some catch a few bluegill thru the ice on meal worms or maggots.
Channel Catfish	Slow	Variety	A lot of guys go back to stinky shad sides and gizzards this time of the year if the water is open - catfishing will not be any good till the spring thaw comes.
Saugeye & Wipers	Slow	Some over the 18" legal limit now	We saw some really nice saugeye in our fall nets - up to 24 inches but few wipers and those were pretty small.
Crappie	Fair	8 to 10 inches	The crappie will be in the deeper brushpiles until the spring thaw and warmer weather. Jigs and small roadrunners should work for winter crappie. The netting showed a lot of nice crappie - up to 1.5 pounds. The face of the dam might be the first place they will show up after the ice goes off. Latest report is that jigs have to be tipped with mealworms or Crappie Nibbles to catch fish.
General Comments
We have the dates for our FISHING INFORMATION NIGHTS set now. The Hays event will be on Monday, February 22 at the Fort Hays Memorial Union from 7 to 9:30 PM The Salina event is on Thursday, February 25 at the Highway Patrol Training Center Little Theatre from 7 to 9 PM. Both these events are free and we encorage all anglers interested in hearing the fishing forecasts for our local reservoirs to attend. Both events will host Paul Miller who will be giving a program on "CRAPPIE FISHING TIPS AND TACTICS" Paul is a long time crappie angler, a retired KDWP employee, and currently a fishing guide out of Manhattan. Please attend one of these fun and informative events!!! This report will not be updated much as we are in the winter season. I will try to keep track of ice conditions but I am not over there very much in the wintertime. The ice will be going downhill now so BE CAREFUL AND CHECK THE ICE - DON'T TAKE ANY CHANCES!!!! There is no fish in this lake worth a cold dip through rotten ice!!!! The new cabin is in and usable. We have it rentable now - get ahold of the Hays Regional Office - 785-628-8614 - for reservations or more information. Starting January 1, 2007 there has been an 18 inch minumum length limit on saugeye and wipers to protect both species a little longer so that they will do their job of chowing down on shad and crappie. We have stocked both these species the last 4 years and there are fair numbers of saugeye over 18". The wipers have not done well at all - very few are recruiting to larger sizes!!! So, catch and release fishing will be in order for a while longer. Have heard that anglers were catching both species and doing a good job of returning the sub-legal fish to the water -THANKS!!!!! Our netting showed a real nice fish population - fair numbers of legal saugeye, some real nice channel catfish, lots of crappie from 8 inches to 12 inches, fair numbers of big bluegill, and a few young-of-the-year wipers and saugeye. All the fish were in excellent body condition and it looks like next year will be a good fishing year for this lake!!!!!

ROOKS STATE LAKE FISHING REPORT -

Last Updated: 2/3/2010

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, & Location
Channel Catfish	Poor	1/2 to 9 pounds	Have not had any reports this week, but would try fishing around the fishing pier and off Rainbow Point using jigs or slab spoons. Stocked 6,700 fish on 8-4-09 that averaged approx. 3 to the pound.
Largemouth Bass	Poor	6 to16 inches	Have not had any reports this week, but would try using jigs or slab spoons.
General Comments
Water Temp. 32 Stocked just over 400 adult bass ranging in size from 9 to 16 inches, as well as 22,250 bluegill ranging in size from 2 to 6 inches. Stocked 6,700 channel catfish on 8-4-2009 which were approx. 3 to the pound. Lake is ice covered with approx. 5-6 inches of ice, but is getting pretty soft. If venturing out on the ice use extreme caution and take a buddy with you. Come join us for our annual Fishing Information Night that will be help February 22, 2010 at the Black & Gold room located on the campus of Fort Hays State University at 7:00 P.M. This year our guest speaker Paul Miller will be presenting crappie fishing tips and tactics.

SALINE STATE FISHING LAKE FISHING REPORT -

Last Updated: 10/1/2009

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, & Location
General Comments
On October 1 the gates closed permanently for the winter season and fishing will not be allowed until the lake is opened again in the spring, if there is sufficient water at that time.

SHERIDAN STATE FISHING LAKE FISHING REPORT -

Last Updated: 1/29/2010

Species	Rating	Size	Baits, Method, & Location
Crappie	No Report	up to 13 inches	Vertically fishing small jigs and slab spoons around the brushpiles.
Largemouth Bass	No Report	up to 4 pounds	Vertically fishing slab spoons through the ice around the fish attractors.
Sunfish	No Report	6-10 inches	Small jigs tipped with nightcrawler pieces or meals worms around the fish attractors.
Comments
ATTENTION: The warm, windy weather we experienced last week rotted the ice to the point that it will no longer suport ice fishing. Any attempt to get out on the ice is strongly discouraged. It is illegal to release any fish into public water unless it was taken from that, so please discard any unused bait in a trash can. Anglers who fish Sheridan State Fishing Lake might consider sharing their experiences with other anglers through the public fishing report. If you would like to post a fishing report please go to http://ksfishing.blogspot.com/

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