Wilson Reservoir
US Army Corps of Engineers 785-658-2551
GPS Location: N38 54.715 W98 30.066
Location/Address:
Sylvan Grove, KS
Impoundment Type: Reservoir
Surface Acres: 9,040 acres
Maximum Depth: 65 feet
Normal Lake Level: 1516 msl. This lake generally has a fairly stable water level.
Current Lake Level: At conservation
Lake Temperature: 68 degrees
| Fishing Population | Creel Limit | Min Length Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | ||
| Channel Catfish | 10 | |
| Crappie | 50 | |
| Flathead Catfish | 5 | |
| Largemouth Bass | 5 | 15" |
| Smallmouth Bass | 5 | 15" |
| Spotted Bass | 5 | 15" |
| Striped Bass | 2 | |
| Walleye | 5 | 15" |
| White Bass | ||
| White Perch | ||
| Blue Catfish | 5 | 35" |
** Striped Bass or Wiper in Combination
*** Walleye, Sauger or Saugeye in Combination
Fishing Report - Last Update: 5/10/2012
|
Species |
Rating |
Size |
Baits, Method, & Location |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Crappie |
Fair |
10-14 inches |
The crappie spawn is in full swing and the fish should be in the coves and creeks. Look for them to spawn in 5-9 feet of water, depending on water clarity. Minnows fished under a bobber will likely work best, but some anglers also do very well casting jigs suspended under a bobber. Other anglers catch good numbers of crappie while casting twistertails or roadrunners over spawning areas. We recently added a bunch of cedar trees to the brush piles around Minooka so there is even more habitat down there now. |
|
Stripers |
Fair to Good |
3-8 pounds |
Anglers have been catching some stripers off the dam while trolling with a variety of crankbaits. There have also been reports of stripers showing up around the Horseshoe Bend area. Slabbing near the river channel drops may work well on the west end, and trolling is also a good option up there. |
|
Walleye |
Good to Excellent |
14-23 inches |
There have been several reports of walleye limits taken on the east side of the reservoir between the spillway boat ramp and Pelican Point. These fish are coming from a variety of depths, but most have been caught on jig/worm or jig/minnow combos. Anglers might also try walleye fishing on the west end near the river channel by the Elm Creek ramp and west. There are usually some very nice catches toward this end of the reservoir. Anglers are starting to catch quite a few cigars which run 8-12 inches. Please handle these fish with care and cut the line if they swallowed the hook. They are the future keeper walleye at Wilson and must be returned to the water in good condition so they can grow to the 15 inch length limit in a couple of years. |
|
White Bass |
Good |
14-18 inches, up to 3 pounds |
There are still some reports of white bass being caught around Horseshoe Bend and up the river near the Bunker hill bridge. There was a small fish kill of larger white bass around the bridge, but that seems to be over now. White and chartreuse twistertails are tough to beat when they are in the river. Casting roadrunners and roostertails also works well. |
|
Black Bass |
Good |
10-18 inches |
The smallmouth are probably nearing the end of the spawn unless the cold fronts have delayed things a bit this year. They can be found near the rocky points and rocky coves anywhere from 5 to 15 feet deep. The largemouth spawn is probably just about to get underway which means the males will be on the nest and aggressively guarding it. Crankbaits, plastics, twistertails, and even buzz baits are all working well at this time. |
|
White Perch |
Fair to Good |
9 to 13 inches |
Worms on the bottom should catch white perch if you can find the concentrations of fish - small slab spoons are also a good bet. Start looking towards the upper end around Elm Creek and Duval. There are also likely good numbers of white perch around the dam and marina area. 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!!!!! |
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General Comments |
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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 two Aquatic Nuisance Species - white perch and zebra mussels and have joined Cheney and El Dorado as lakes with both species. The law now says that if anyone leaves the lake with water in your livewell or boat, you are subject to a ticket for transporting Zebra Mussels since they will spawn and the microscopic little mussels will probably be in every drop of water in the lake. Make sure you drain all water from the boat before you leave the boat ramp area!!! We have been taking veliger samples and the samples were high so be sure to drain and dry everything!!!!!! 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. |
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