Cedar Bluff Reservoir

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.

Current Fishing Opportunities

Crappie

Fair

See Above

Most of the spawning activity seemed to have occurred early this year and not many spawning fish have been caught recently. The bulk of anglers report catching fish vertically fishing jigs, spoons, and minnows around standing timber on humps or drop-offs in 10 to 15 feet of water. Fish are not concentrated right now so anglers have had to be mobile catching a fish here or there and moving on. As temperatures continue to warm look for the crappie to begin concentrating around the fish attractors and other deeper structure in more of a late spring/summer pattern.

Largemouth Bass

Fair/Good

See Above

Casting soft plastics or pitching jig and pig combo's around brush and timber on secondary points in coves in 8 to 10 feet of water has produced fair numbers of fish.

Walleye

Fair/Good

See Above

Drifting or slow retrieving jigs tipped with minnows or nightcrawlers over mainlake points, drop-offs, and submerged roads/parking lots has been the most commonly reported method and locations. Angler reports indicate that overall numbers of fish caught this past week weren't as good as they had been the prior two weeks, and more of the catch has consisted of smaller fish.

White Bass/Wipers

Good

See Above

White bass aren't orienting as strongly along the dam as they were last week, and seem to have spread out throughout the reservoir. Most anglers report catching whites using a variety of methods, but vertically fishing or casting shad imitating baits like white curly-tailed jigs, crankbaits, or small slab spoons over points should be productive.

Wiper fishing has been fair over the past week and there have been a few reports of large wipers up to 13 lbs, but most fish have been in the 5 to 8 lb. range. Vertically fishing large slab spoons or drifting live green sunfish, goldfish, or shad over mainlake points 20 to 25 feet deep should be the best method.

ATTENTION: KDWPT released the recently completed “Kansas Crappie Bonanza” video on February 17, 2012. This 25-minute video covers Kansas crappie fishing during spring, summer, fall, and winter with tips and tactics to make you a better crappie angler. Visit the KDWPT homepage and click on the Kansas Crappie Bonanza link to view the video!

WATER TEMPERATURE- 74

SURFACE ELEVATION- 2126.02'----17.98 ft. 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.

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