Cedar Bluff Reservoir
Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks Cedar Bluff Area Office 785-726-3212
13 miles South of I-70 Ogallah Interchange (exit 135) on K-147
GPS Location: 38.7961 -99.7244
Location/Address:
Ellis, KS 67637
Impoundment Type: Reservoir
Surface Acres: 6,869 @ conservation level
Maximum Depth: 55'
Normal Lake Level: 2144' MSL
Current Lake Level: 2126.29' ----17.71 below conservation.
Lake Temperature: 64
| Fishing Population | Creel Limit | Min Length Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Walleye | 5 | 18'' |
| White Bass | No Limit | |
| Crappie | 50 | |
| Wiper | 2 | |
| Channel Catfish | 10 | |
| Largemouth Bass | 5 | 15" |
| Smallmouth Bass | 5 | 15" |
| Spotted Bass | 5 | 15" |
| Flathead Catfish | 5 |
** Striped Bass or Wiper in Combination
*** Walleye, Sauger or Saugeye in Combination
Fishing Report - Last Update: 5/11/2012
|
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 |
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|
Crappie |
Fair/Good |
See Above |
Anglers continue to report catching fish in a staging pattern prior to spawning. Typical staging areas are within or directly adjacent to coves and usually consist of a timbered or brush covered drop-offs in 8 to 15 feet of water. A few anglers have caught a few spawning males around brush and timber in sheltered areas of coves. |
|
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. Anglers report catching quite a few sublegal fish, but limits of legals have been reported here and there. Most legal fish range in length from 18 to 24 inches, but fish up to 29 inches have been reported. |
|
White Bass/Wipers |
Good |
See Above |
Anglers report catching whites casting or trolling white jigs, castmasters, and small crankbaits along the dam, especially in the morning and evening. Whites and a few wipers are being caught trolling shad imitating crankbaits deep off of mainlake points. |
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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- 64 SURFACE ELEVATION- 2126.29'----17.71 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 |
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