Region 1 Fishing Reports

Species

Rating

Size

Baits, Method, & Location

2011 Sampling Results

Black Crappie

Fair

5-7"=52%

8-9"=23%

10-11"=17%

12-14"=8%

Black crappie abundance increased slightly over what it has been over the past five years, but still remains moderate. A wide size range of fish is available with a respectable proportion of the population 10 inches and larger. Production and recruitment has been sufficient to replace fish lost to angler harvest over the past several years. And a stronger 2010 yearclass was established due to high water two springs ago. This stronger 2010 yearclass increased overall crappie numbers some, but don't expect the crappie fishing to be as good as it was back in the late '90's.

White Crappie

Fair

6-7"=83%

8-9"=8%

10-11"=7%

12-13"=1%

15"<1%

White crappie abundance increased over what we saw last year and indicated moderate numbers of fish. The primary factor causing the increased abundance metric was good survival of the relatively strong 2010 yearclass which results in a population dominated by small, young fish. Although small fish are numerous a wide size range of fish is available with some real nice fish up to 15 inches present. Although it is unlikely that crappie fishing will be as good as it was in the late '90's we may realize a noticeable uptick in crappie fishing due to the high water experienced during the 2010 spring.

Largemouth Bass

Poor

8-11"=35

12-14"=14%

15-19"=51%

Largemouth bass abundance was similar to what has been observed over the past four years, and indicated moderate to low abundance. A wide length range of fish is available but larger fish dominate the population.

Walleye

Good

11-17"=48%

18-20"=27%

21-24"=24%

Walleye abundance remains good primarily due to the establishment of a very strong 2010 yearclass, but a moderate 2011 yearclass was established. Fish in the 14 to 16 inch range currently dominate the population although numbers of fish 18 inches and larger are solid.

White Bass

Good

9-11"=35%

12-14"=42%

15-17"=22%

White bass abundance was relatively stable at a moderate level. A wide range of sizes are available and the abundance of larger fish 15+ inches increased over what we saw last year. Excellent shad production during 2011 meant ample forage resulting in larger fish and thicker fillets.

Wipers

Good

8"=5%

15-18"=9%

20-26"=81%

28-29"=5%

Wiper abundance has been relatively stable at a moderate level over the last five years. However, sampling results were somewhat mixxed in that one gear type showed small fish dominated the population and the other gear type showed large fish dominated the population. Either way it was apparent that 2011 and 2009 year classes were established and will infuse youth into an aging population. However, fish from the 2004 and 2005 yearclasses are still present and trophies up to 29 inches are available.

Winter Fishing Opportunities

Crappie

Good

See Above

Vertically fishing jigs and small slab spoons around the fish attractors has been best. Anglers report catching fish of all sizes, and depending on the day, a nice mess of quality sized fish can be caught.

Rainbow Trout

Slow

0.5 lb. average

The stilling basin is 80% ice covered and thawing. Some open water exists along the north wall and the northeast and east shorelines are beginning to open up. All ice is too thin to support ice fishing.

We stocked 1,250 rainbow trout on 12-15-2011. There were a respectable number of fish in the 2 to 4 lb. range in the load.

Corn and power bait fished off the bottom or casting small slab spoons and inline spinners are all good methods. There have been no recent angler reports as no one has been fishing due to the weather.

White Bass

Fair

See Above

Crappie anglers report catching fair numbers of white bass fishing from time to time.

WATER TEMPERATURE- 35

SURFACE ELEVATION- 2126.26'----17.74 ft. below conservation.

Thin ice cover exists at the upper ends of coves and the upper end of the lake. The Overland boatramp is iced in and the ice is too thick to launch a boat. The Muley boatramp and ramp east of Cove 3 are open. Any ice on the lake is to thin to support ice fishing.

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.

New for the 2010 Fishing Season: 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 District Newsletter

Subscribe Here

The fall 2011 newsletter is now complete and has lots of good information. This edition includes articles on fall fishing ideas, the Lovewell fish barrier, Glen Elder youth fishing tournament results, the trout program, and much more. To subscribe, simply click on this link and enjoy.

2012 Fishing Forecast

Below you will find a general description of the fish populations you can expect to find in 2012 based on this year's sampling.

Walleye

Good

16-22 inches and 9-11 inches

We collected a very nice sample of walleye during fall netting with all of the adult fish between 16 and 22 inches. Nearly 50% of the adults were over the 18 inch minimum length limit. We also saw fair numbers of age-0 fish indicating a 2011 year class was produced.

White Bass

Good

11-15 inches and 6-9 inches

White bass numbers were up during our 2011 fall sampling with most of the adults between 11 and 15 inches or 1-2 pounds, and only a few over 15 inches. There was also a big year class of whites produced so expect to catch many of those 7 to 10 inch fish as well.

Wipers

Fair

17-22 inches with a few up to 26 inches

Our sampling indicated a decline in the wiper numbers due to the lack of stocking since 2008. These fish continue to grow well with several of those 3 year olds already reaching 5 pounds. Fish from the 2006 stocking are still out there and will run 6 to 9 pounds. I plan to stock wipers here in 2012.

Channel Catfish

Good

All Sizes

We had one of our best channel catfish samples this fall with good numbers of all sizes collected. The greatest number of catfish were between 14 and 25 inches, but several nice fish over 30 inches were collected as well with the biggest 16.2 pounds. Anglers should expect good angling success for these guys in 2012.

Crappie

Good

8 to 15 inches

Despite very low catches in the nets due to cold water temperatures, I expect another good crappie year in 2012. There are still plenty of 10-12 inch fish with some smaller 7-9 inch guys coming into the population. Fish up to 16 inches can be found as well, but they will be fewer in number this year. High numbers of 2-4 inch crappie were collected and may lead to a nice 2011 year class if they can survive.

Black Bass

Good

6-20 inches

The bass population is still dominated by smallmouth bass between 9 and 19 inches, but we saw much better numbers of largemouth bass while sampling last spring. These guys range from 11 to 16 inches and should provide some good action as well. Smallies up to 6 pounds were reported by anglers last year so look out for some trophies as well.

Winter Fishing Opportunities

Crappie

Fair to Good

8-16 inches

Anglers continue to find fair to good numbers of crappie along the river channel between the south bluffs and the dam. Most of the fish are found in 23-30 feet of water and may be suspended several feet off the bottom. The bite continues to be good throughout the day with a wide variety of jigs, spoons, and Kastmasters all working now. Other anglers continue to find fish in the brush piles and are catching them with the same methods. Fishing off the marina docks has been very slow lately.

White Bass

Fair

6-17 inches

No change here. There really haven't been many anglers chasing white bass right now with the good crappie bite, but the best place to look is going to be west of the causeway. Slabbing in the river channels near the refuge line and around Boller Point are probably your best bets to find some whites. The guys that made it out ice fishing reported nice catches of 13-17 inch whites along both river channels using small spoons.

Trout

Fair

0.5-4 pounds

We stocked another batch of 1,100 trout on Tuesday, January 10th and these fish looked very healthy. This should help improve angling success for those that have had limited luck from the first stocking. Best success can be found using inline spinners, road runners, and a variety of prepared baits. Powerbait fished on the bottom with a small hook and a split shot is probably your best bait to harvest some trout. One angler last week caught some very nice fish using orange Powerbait near the tube.

The trout pond is virtually ice free at this time.

Walleye

Fair

17-24 inches

There have been fair numbers of walleye caught over the last several weeks by crappie anglers. They have been somewhat mixed in with the crappie, but for the most part, anglers have chanced upon a large school of walleye and done very well. Crappie jigs are catching a few, but once you find them, white and chartreuse slabs seem to be working best. The majority of the walleye caught recently have exceeded the 18 inch length limit. Anglers fishing in the outlet are also reporting a few walleye using white twistertails and Gulp baits fished around the rocks.

Check out the note below about a Walleye Angler Survey.

Ice Update

None

None

There is virtually no ice on the reservoir at this time and all of the boat ramps are open.

KDWP has posted an online Walleye Angler Survey that you can fill out with a focus on general walleye fishing questions and regulations pertaining to Glen Elder and Lovewell Reservoirs. If you would like to provide your opinions on walleye management at these reservoirs, you may do so by clicking on the link and completing a survey. Your answers will remain anonymous and help us gain a better understanding of angler attitudes and opinions.

Click here to complete the Walleye Angler Survey

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. Check for the recent updates from April 2011!

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!

Channel Catfish

Fair

Variety

Liver, shrimp, and other prepared baits will continue to work. Cut bait is a popular fall and winter bait and often the fishing is really good in the upper end where the river comes into the lake. Chumming the south side humps is ongoing and guys are using worms and dip baits.

Crappie

Fair

Variety of Sizes - mostly 11 to 12 inches

As the water cools off the fish will begin to move shallower along the dam and around the boat docks. Try small jigs and small slab spoons. Should just get better and better as the water cools down.

Trout

The seep stream was stocked January 25th with 1,400 more rainbow trout. Many trout are still being caught from the previous stockings, so fishing should be great!

Walleye/Saugeye

Fair

Variety

As the water cools down the fish should be moving around a bit more. Sometimes saugeye can be taken on shad colored crankbaits around the rocks. You will want switch to small slab spoons now too - got a report on spoons from 7.5 feet of water. MAKE SURE YOU THROW BACK ALL THOSE UNDER 15 INCHES - there are still some of those out there!!!!! We had a significant dieoff of these species the week of Aug 8 - lost somewhere between 1500 and 2000 fish with initial indications the cause due to heat and handling related stress that led to bacterial/fungal infection on the outside of the fish. Fall sampling indicates that the kill had little effect on the population and good recruitment this year indicates that saugeye and walleye numbers will actually be higher in 2011.

White Bass

Fair

All sizes - lots of 9 to 11 inch fish

There are lots of white bass in the lake and a lot of shad too. Look for schooling activity and watch for the birds. Windblown points are often good places to wade fish in the fall and winter. Any shad type lure should work but slab spoons are the bait of choice with boat anglers. White bass numbers in fall netting samples were tremendous and a wide range of sizes will be caught this winter and next year.

Wipers

Slow to Fair

All sizes

Wipers love windblown points! Bucktail and twister tail jigs and shad colored crankbaits should work off the windblown points or any windy area. Wipers like it around the brushpiles in the fall so start looking there now. Good numbers of wipers were seen in nets this fall. Not a lot of really big wipers were caught, but many 12-18" wipers were sampled.

This is a generic winter fishing report covering the fishing forecast for the upcoming 2012 fishing season. Regular weekly fishing reports will resume in March 2012.

Current lake elevation and water temperature is available on the location page linked to this fishing report. It is updated daily by the Corp of Engineers.

After Tommie Berger's retirement, Kanopolis Reservoir has been moved to the Cheney District. If you would like to receive the Cheney District Fisheries Newsletter, follow this LINK.

2012 FISHING OUTLOOK

The information that is below is an outlook on how the fish populations should be in 2012 and are based on the 2011 Fall sampling.

Saugeye

Good

Majority 13 to 18 inches

Saugeye fishing should be good as numbers are up this year with 67% being in the 13 to 18 inch size range and 15% being over 18 inches. The remaining 18% being young of the year (YOY) fish. The largest fish sampled weighted 7.4 lbs. Rated #1 in state for density.

Wiper

Good

Majority 15 to 20 inches

Numbers are up from last year with the majority of fish being in the 15 to 20 inch size range accounting for 83% and fish 20 to 25 inches accounted for 9%. The biggest fish weighted 5.14 lbs. Density rating for the state is #2.

Channel Catfish

Good

Majority 16 to 24 inches

Catfishing should be good with the numbers up considerably from last year. The population is dominated by 16 to 24 inch fish accounting for 61%, fish 24 to 28 inches accounted for 24% and 20 inch + fish accounted for 12% and the remainder were YOY fish. Biggest fish weighted 18.3 lbs. Density rating for the state is #1.

Crappie

Good & Fair

Majority 2 to 5 inches

Crappie fishing should be good for black crappie and fair for white crappie. Had a really good crappie spawn for both with 97% of the blacks and 90% of the whites being 2 to 5 inches. However, the density rating for black crappie is #2 in the state.

Largemouth/Spotted Bass

Good

Majority 4 to 8 inches

Numbers are up from last year with the majority of the largemouth being in the 4 to 8 inch size range accounting for 40%. Fish 8 to 12 inches accounted for 22%, 12 to 15 inch fish accounted for 27% and fish over 15 inches accounted for 11%. The biggest fish weighted 3.4 lbs. Density rating for the state is #1. Spotted bass numbers are down from last year, however, the fishing should be good as well. The majority of spot's are in the 11 to 14 inch size range accounting for 55% and 14 inch + fish accounted for 24%. Density rating for the state is #1.

WINTER FISHING

Crappie

Fair

7 to 16 inches

Did not have any reports of fish being caught this week, however, would try off the public fishing dock and the fish attractors. Most of them are in the 8 to 13 inch size range.

WATER TEMPERATURE- 32

SURFACE ELEVATION- 2298.57' ---- 5.73' below conservation

Currently, the water level is 1.55 feet higher than it was one year ago at this time. The lake and boat ramp's are currently iced in with approx. 1 to 2 inches of ice at this time.

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.

Thank you for your cooperation with Larry Johnson during the creel survey that was conducted from March through October.

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 spring and fall 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

2012 FISHING OUTLOOK

The information that is below is an outlook on how the fish populations should be in 2012 and are based on the 2011 Fall sampling.

Walleye

Good

Majority 20 to 25 inches

Walleye fishing should be good as numbers are up this year with 16% being in the 15 to 20 inch size range, 54% being in the 20 to 25 inch size range and 5% over 25 inches. Therefore 75% are over the 15 inch length limit. The remaining 6% being young of the year (YOY) fish. The largest fish sampled weighted 8.7 lbs. Rated #2 in state for density.

White Bass

Good

Majority 6 to 9 inches

Numbers are up from last year with the majority of fish being in the 6 to 9 inch size range accounting for 40%. Fish 9 to 12 inches accounted for 23%, 12 to 15 inch fish accounted for 25% and fish over 15 inches accounted for 6%. The biggest fish weighted 3.1 lbs.

Wiper

Good

Majority 8 to 11 inches

Numbers are up from last year with the majority of fish being in the 8 to 11 inch size range accounting for 34%. Fish 11 to 15 inches accounted for 21%, 15 to 20 inch fish accounted for 32% and fish over 20 inches accounted for 3%. The biggest fish weighted 7.1 lbs.

Channel Catfish

Fair

Majority 12 to 15 inches

Catfishing should be fair with the numbers down slightly from last year. The population is still fairly young with fish 12 to 15 inches being 38% and fish 16 to 19 inches accounted for 19% 20 inch + fish accounted for 13% and the remainder were YOY fish. Biggest fish weighted 9.5 lbs.

Crappie

Good

Majority 2 to 5 inches

Although low numbers of fish were caught in the trap nets due to cold fronts passing through crappie fishing should be good for black crappie and white crappie. Had a really good crappie spawn for both with 43% of the blacks and 83 % of the whites being 2 to 5 inches. However, the density rating for black crappie is #1 in the state.

Largemouth Bass

Fair

Majority 12 to 15 inches

The bass fishery is starting to come around and should be fair. The majority of fish were in the 12 to 15 inch size range accounting for 68% and fish 15 to 20 inches accounted for 4%. Density rating for the state is #8.

WINTER FISHING

Crappie

Good

7 to 16 inches

Have been catching limits of fish over the fish attractors, river channel and along the dam using jigs or slab spoons. Been hearing of quite a few 9-10" fish and a lot of nicer fish that are being kept that are in the 11 to 15" range. All boat ramps are iced in at this time with approx. 1 to 2 inches of ice.

WATER TEMPERATURE- 32

SURFACE ELEVATION- 1729.43 ---- 0.18' above conservation

Currently releasing 50 cfs to bypass natural inflows.

Currently, the water level is 0.03 feet higher than one year ago at this time. 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 been lifted and boats are allowed on the Reservoir. When the water elevation reaches 1722.00 feet the closure is removed.

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.

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 spring and fall 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

Glen Elder District Newsletter

Subscribe Here

The fall 2011 newsletter is now complete and has lots of good information. This edition includes articles on fall fishing ideas, the Lovewell fish barrier, Glen Elder youth fishing tournament results, the trout program, and much more. To subscribe, simply click on this link and enjoy.

2012 Fishing Forecast

Below you will find a general description of the fish populations you can expect to find in 2012 based on this year's sampling.

Walleye

Fair

17-25 in. and 8-10 in.

Walleye numbers collected during fall sampling look similar to last year's totals with most of the adults between 17 and 25 inches. Over 80% of the adults were greater than the 18 inch length limit. Fortunately, good numbers of 8-10 inch walleye were also collected indicating there is a year class coming on.

White Bass

Good

10-16 in. and 5-8 in.

White bass numbers were up this fall thanks to a strong 2010 year class. Fish between 10 and 16 inches will be most common, but there is also a decent 2011 year class of whites which will be represented with 5 to 8 inch fish. Anglers should see improved white bass angling in 2012.

Wipers

Fair

19-21" 14-15 " and 8-10 inches

Wiper numbers look similar to last year, but size structure will be smaller. Lack of recruitment in recent years has led to a lack of larger wipers with only 7 over 15 inches collected. Two younger year classes are showing up, though, with 8-10 inch age-0 fish and 14-15 inch age-1 fish collected. Wipers will be stocked annually.

Channel Catfish

Good

Mostly 17 to 28 inches

Catfish numbers were down this fall compared to last, but a strong population remains in the reservoir. Anglers may see a slight decline in catch rates in 2012, but fish between 17 and 28 inches are still fairly common with the occasional trophy over 15 pounds.

Crappie

Good

Most 7-10 in. but some up to 13 in.

Crappie numbers showed a big increase this fall and were actually the highest number collected since 2004. White crappie dominate the catch with just a few black crappie mixed in. Very high numbers of 2-5 inch fish were seen which could mean another good year class. Anglers should see good numbers of 10-12 inch crappie in fall 2012.

Winter Fishing Opportunities

Walleye

Slow

14-22 inches

Throughout the winter there will probably be a few walleye caught by crappie anglers fishing near the brush piles with a variety of jigs. Anglers wishing to pursue some 'eyes might try slabbing or jigging off Walleye Point, Cedar Point, and Cabin Point in 12-20 feet of water.

Check out the note below about a Walleye Angler Survey.

White Bass

Slow

6-13 inches

Similar to walleye, there won't be many of these guys caught this winter except by anglers targeting crappie. Best results could probably be found slabbing and jigging near the creek channels by Cabin Point, Oak Hill, and Cedar Point.

Crappie

Fair

8-13 inches

The crappie angling has slowed a little from what we were seeing earlier, but this is still going to be your best chance to catch some fish through the winter. Anglers should target the Marina Cove area and the marked brush piles off Cedar Point, Cabin Point (deep pile), and east of the state park. There are a lot of 9-10 inch crappie in the reservoir right now and they will most likely be concentrating on deep brush and other structure throughout the winter which means hitting the brush piles.

Ice Conditions

All of the boat ramps except for the White Rock creek ramp are open. There is still a fair amount of ice on the reservoir, however, so boaters will be lmited on where they can go.

KDWP is has posted an online Walleye Angler Survey that you can fill out with a focus on general walleye fishing questions and regulations pertaining to Glen Elder and Lovewell Reservoirs. If you would like to provide your opinions on walleye management at these reservoirs, you may do so by clicking on the link and completing a survey. Your answers will remain anonymous and help us gain a better understanding of angler attitudes and opinions.

Click here to complete the Walleye Angler Survey

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. We added another 280 cedar trees in August 2011, click on the link for the latest updates!

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!

2012 Fishing Outlook

The information that is below is an outlook on how the fish populations should be in 2012 and are based on the 2011 Fall sampling.

Wipers

Good

Majority 15 to 20 inches

Numbers are down slightly from last year, however, the fishing should be good. 15 to 20 inch fish accounted for 45% and 20 to 25 inch fish accounted for 14% and fish over 25 inches accounted for 3%. The biggest fish sampled weighted 11.0 lbs.

White Bass

Fair

Majority 12 to 15 inches

Numbers are down from last year with the majority of fish being in the 12 to 15 inch size range accounting for 51%. Fish over 15 inches accounted for 9% and the biggest fish weighted 1.7 lbs.

Walleye

Good

Majority 15 to 28 inches

Walleye fishing should be good as numbers are up this year with 47% being over 15 inches and another 47% being in the 13 to 15 inch size range and the remaining 6% being young of the year (YOY) fish. The largest fish sampled weighted 8.8 lbs. Rated #1 in state for density.

Channel Catfish

Fair

Majority 11 to 15 inches

Catfishing should be fair with the numbers up slightly from last year. The population is still fairly young with fish 11 to 15 inches being 41% and fish 16 to 19 inches accounted for 35% and 24% were YOY fish.

Crappie

Good & Fair

Majority 2 to 5 inches

Although low numbers of fish were caught in the trap nets due to cold fronts passing through crappie fishing should be good for black crappie and fair for white crappie. Had a really good crappie spawn for both with 78% of the blacks and 94 % of the whites being 2 to 5 inches. However, the density rating for black crappie is #3 in the state.

Largemouth Bass

Fair

Majority 12 to 15 inches

The bass fishery is starting to come around and should be fair. the majority of fish were in the 12 to 15 inch size range accounting for 47% and fish 15 to 20 inches accounted for 31%. Density rating for the state is #4.

WINTER FISHING

Crappie

Fair

9 to 14 inches

Have not had any reports of fish being caught this week, however, the lake and all boat ramps are iced covered at this time. Ice cover is approx. 1 to 2 inches thick at this time.

Rainbow Trout

Good

10 to 22 inches

Trout are being caught on kastmasters, power bait, salmon eggs and worms. Some pretty nice fish were stocked again this year, so get out and enjoy the nice weather and catch some trout. Weighed a 11.275 pound fish caught from the third stocking. The fourth load of trout was stocked on Jan. 25th. The stilling basin is currently ice covered with approx. 1 to 2 inches of ice at this time.

WATER TEMPERATURE- 32 Degree's

SURFACE ELEVATION- 1887.58 ---- 4.87' below conservation

Currently, the water level is 1.67 feet lower than it was one year ago at this time. Boaters, be aware of submerged rock piles along the East side of the Goose Flats boat ramp.

All boat ramps are currently ice covered with approx. 1 to 2 inches of ice. Stilling basin also is currently ice covered with approx. 1 to 2 inches of ice at this time.

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.

Now Available: A Webster District newsletter that will include Webster, Kirwin and Keith Sebelius Reservoir's 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. The link is: http://kdwp.state.ks.us/news/KDWP-Info/News/Newsletter-Request-Forms/Request-a-Newsletter-for-the-Webster-Reservoir-Fishing-District

2012 Fishing Forecast

Below you will find a general description of the fish populations you can expect to find in 2012 based on this year's sampling.

Walleye

Good

17-20" 36% 13-16" 17% 10-11" 47%

Walleye numbers were down in the 2011 fall sample, but still remain strong and should provide good fishing again in 2012. Three size groups were represented with a nice year class collected this fall. Of the adults netted, 80% were over 15 inches. Of the total catch, however, 43% were legal size due to the inclusion of the 2011 year class.

Stripers

Good

13-16" 10% 18-22" 26% 23-26" 63% >26" 1%

Striped bass catch rates increased this fall with a wide variety of sizes represented in the sample. The bulk of the catch was between 18 and 26 inches with fish up to 28 inches collected, as well as some one year old 13-16 inch stripers. Body condition was slightly improved over last year as well.

White Perch

Good

6-8" 8% 9-12" 90% >12" 2%

White perch numbers are similar to last year, but size structure is much improved. With the majority of perch between 9 and 12 inches and some over 13 inches collected, anglers should be satisfied with the white perch fishing in 2012. Lower numbers of young fish also indicates the predators are helping to keep their numbers in check.

White Bass

Fair

6-9" 51% 13-17" 49%

There's not a lot of white bass in Wilson right now, but there are some really quality fish. Fall sampling revealed a moderate number of 13 to 17 inch whites with the biggest weighing in at 2.3 pounds. These fish are in excellent shape right now. A small year class was produced in 2011 as well so there may be some fish recruiting into the population in the next few years.

Channel Catfish

Good

11-15" 13% 16-23" 77% 24-28" 10%

Channel catfish numbers were similar to last year, but size structure was improved as indicated by 3/4 of the fish between 16 and 23 inches. Fish over 9 pounds were collected and many in the 3-6 pound range were found as well.

Blue Catfish

Poor

19-20"

We only collected four blue catfish during fall sampling indicating their numbers remain fairly low. Please continue to release all blue catfish you catch as we are trying to produce a naturally reproducing population at Wilson.

Crappie

Poor

11-13"

There are a few crappie in Wilson and anglers may be able to find them during the colder months congregated around the brush piles. They are all quality size right now due to the lack of recruitment of younger fish into the population and anglers will be pleased with their condition.

Winter Fishing Opportunities

Crappie

Fair to Good

Varied

There should also be some fish in the brush piles near Minooka and around the bluffs, but I haven't heard any reports. Jigs can often outfish minnows this time of year so you may want to try 1/8 or 1/4 ounce jigs with a variety of plastics and tubes. White is always a good choice, but pink and chartreuse also work well.

Stripers

Fair

3-8 pounds

There have been some anglers wade fishing in the Hell Creek area and catching a few stripers. They are using large bucktails in white and chartreuse.

Walleye

Fair to Good

Variety

The only reports I've heard recently are some decent catches of walleye along the river channel breaks throughout the reservoir. Anglers have been trolling crankbaits and slabbing for best results.

White Bass

Fair

Not many, but they are mostly 15-16 inches and very healthy

The few white bass being caught now are just incidental while fishing for walleye and stripers. They can be caught using similar methods like slabbing and trolling crankbaits.

Black Bass

Slow

Variety

These guys will be tougher to catch with the cold water temperatures. Anglers should plan on fishing slow presentations of white and chartreuse spinnerbaits and soft plastics near rocky ledges, channel breaks, and dropoffs. The fish are likely deeper than you think when the water gets close to freezing.

White Perch

Fair to Good

9 to 13 inches

Worms on the bottom should catch white perch through the winter if you can find the concentrations of fish - small slab spoons are also a good bet all through the fall and winter. Start looking towards the upper end around Elm Creek and Duval. Continue to keep all you catch and remember - 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!!!!!

We saw very high numbers of these guys around Elm Creek and Horseshoe Bend. There are some really quality fish out there right now and anglers should be able to find some by concentrating around the river channel on the upper end.

There has been very little angling activity to report on here lately. Best bets are wade fishing for stripers in Hell Creek, looking for crappie schooled on the river channel or in the brush piles, and walleye along the river channel. Things will remain like this until we see the water temperatures begin to warm up.

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.

We have 2 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!!!!!!

I have taken over the fisheries management at Wilson Reservoir until a replacement district fisheries biologist is hired. If you have any questions regarding the fisheries at the reservoir you can contact me at scott.waters@ksoutdoors.com or call me at the office 785-545-3345. I'd be glad to discuss any ideas or thoughts you have regarding Wilson.

Largemouth Bass

Very Good

up to 6 lbs

Largemouth are abundant with all sizes present. Angling will be best near rock and brush on artificials.

Bluegill

Good

6 to 8 Inches

Look for bluegill around the rocks on the piers and around any brush in the water. Worms and small jigs are a good bait.

Channel Catfish

Fair

Small

Fair numbers of stocked channel catfish are available to anglers using typical catfish techniques.

Saugeye

Good

up to 24 inches

Saugeye numbers and sizes are good. Most will be caught on shad imitation baits, or jig and a worm.

Wiper

Fair

up to 20"

Wipers are not abundant, but some can be caught on shad imitation lures and topwater baits.

Crappie

Fair

up to 15"

Crappie numbers are down, but angling will be decent on jigs and minnows along the dam and near brush/rocks.

Current Fishing Opportunity

This is a generic fishing report covering the fishing forecast for the upcoming 2012 fishing season. The Current Fishing Opportunity section will be updated with regular weekly fishing reports starting March 2012.

The cabin is rentable now - get ahold of the Hays Regional Office - 785-628-8614 - for reservations or more information.

2012 FISHING OUTLOOK

The information that is below is an outlook on how the fish populations should be in 2012 and are based on the 2011 Fall sampling.

Channel Catfish

Good

Majority 11 to 16 inches

Catfishing should be good with the numbers up considerably from last year. The population is dominated by 11 to 16 inch fish accounting for 70%, fish 16 inch + fish accounted for 11% and the remainder were YOY fish. Biggest fish weighted 7.3 lbs.

Largemouth Bass

Good

Majority 8 to 12 inches

Numbers are up from last year with the majority of the largemouth being in the 8 to 12 inch size range accounting for 77% and fish over 15 inches accounted for 6%. The biggest fish weighted 4.13 lbs.

Bluegill

Good

Majority 6 to 8 inches

Numbers are down slightly from last year with the majority of the bluegill being in the 6 to 8 inch size range accounting for 61% and fish over 8 inches accounted for 6%.

Water Temp. 32

The lake and boat ramp is currently ice covered at this time with approx. 1 to 2 inches of ice.

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

2011 Sampling Results

Channel Catfish

Fair

11"-15"=80%

16"-18"=20%

Similar to last year, abundance remained moderate to good. However, smaller fish made up a greater proportion of the population this past fall.

Crappie

Fair-Good

6"-9"=50%

10"-11"=50%

Crappie abundance decreased to it's lowest level over the past five years which will leave surviving individuals room to grow. Regardless, plenty of harvestable sized fish in the 10 to 11 inch range remain. Moderate production of crappie in 2010 increased the number of smaller fish which will help sustain the population into the future.

Largemouth Bass

Fair

8"-11"=39%

12"-14"=51%

15"-20"=9%

Largemouth abundance remained high and few fish exceeded 15" in length. It may be that this species is experiencing overcrowding that leads to poor growth.

Bluegill

Fair

5"=8%

6"-7"=92%

Bluegill abundance appeared to increase slightly but remained low to moderate. Very little production of young fish was documented last year, but with high predator abundance and declining waterlevels, this wasn't unexpected. Low abundance should allow larger individuals to grow quickly.

Saugeye

Good

13"=17%

15"-17"=92%

23"=3%

Saugeye abundance remained high with the 2009 and to some degree the 2010 yearclasses comprising the majority of the population. Furthermore, a few large fish from older yearclasses remain. With 60% of the population at or exceeding the 15" minimum length limit, angling prospects look good for 2012.

Wiper

Fair

13"-14"=44%

15"-16"=56%

Wiper abundanced decreased but was moderate. Existing individuals grew as evidenced by the capture of larger fish stuffed with shad this past fall.

Winter Fishing Opportunities

Crappie

Vertically fishing jigs and small slab spoons around deep the deeper fish attractors or in deep water off the dam face.

Largemouth Bass

Ultra slow retrieving suspending jerkbaits and swimbaits along shallow sunny shorelines on warmer than normal days.

This fishing report is a generic fall/winter report providing general guidance to assist the angler in catching the various species mentioned above and will not be updated weekly unless new angler reports or other information warrants updates. Weekly updated fishing reports will resume during the spring of 2012.

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.

New for the 2010 Fishing Season: 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

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/

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. IF THE FISH DO NOT DIE DUE TO LOW HOT WATER THEY WILL LIKELY DIE IN THE WINTER UNDER THE ICE. SO, TAKE WHAT YOU CAN NOW.

The lake is almost completely dewatered now so not much activity for this fall.

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. THE LAKE WILL STAY THIS WAY THROUGH OCTOBER 31 WHEN THE GATES WILL BE CLOSED FOR THE WINTER SEASON.

I am retiring with my last day Sept 16. So, the weekly update to this report may not be as reliable as it has been. Be patient with us until someone is hired or covers for me!!!!

The gates opened on March 1 this year and remain open through October. Remember, the gate will only be open from 6 AM to 10 PM and that will be when fishing is allowed. Please comply with posted signs!!!!!

Glen Elder District Newsletter

Subscribe Here

The fall 2011 newsletter is now complete and has lots of good information. This edition includes articles on fall fishing ideas, the Lovewell fish barrier, Glen Elder youth fishing tournament results, the trout program, and much more. To subscribe, simply click on this link and enjoy.

2012 Fishing Forecast

Below you will find a general description of the fish populations you can expect to find in 2012 based on this year's sampling.

Walleye/Saugeye

Fair

13-19 inches

We found decent numbers of these guys all around the lake while netting this fall. Most of them are legal size, but measure carefully as there were a few under 15 inches. Anglers may catch them on crankbaits in 3-10 feet of water or drifting a jig/crawler along the bottom.

Crappie

Fair

9-12 inches

We did find some crappie hanging out near shore this fall while sampling. They are running 10-12 inches and look like they are in great shape, but there just aren't many of them in there now. We did see a few small crappie indicating there was some reproduction this year.

Channel Catfish

Good

8-24 inches

Catfish can be caught all the way up to ice formation out here. Traditional baits like nightcrawlers, shad sides, shad gizzards, and shrimp should all work. We found a good variety of sizes while netting, but the majority of the fish were the recently stocked 8-12 inchers.

Bluegill

Green Sunfish

Redear Sunfish

Good

5-9 inches

There is a tremendous sunfish population in the lake right now with anglers having a chance to catch big bluegill, redear sunfish, green sunfish, and hybrid sunfish on the same trip. They can be caught on small spinners, jigs, and flies pretty much lake wide. Young anglers will have a good time catching them with a simple worm under a bobber.

Largemouth Bass

Good

6-19 inches

There are very high numbers of 8-10 inch fish in the lake right now, but also a fair number of 15-19 inch fish with several fish up to 5 pounds collected this spring while shocking.

Winter fishing Opportunities

This is a generic winter fishing report that will not be updated often. If I hear any good reports from ice fishing or other methods, I will be sure to include it in this report. Jewell should eventually offer some nice ice fishing opportunities with the variety of species and sizes out there right now.

Water temperature: 36 degrees

Water level: 1 foot low