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Cedar Bluff Reservoir Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

High plains clear water: Cedar Bluff’s chalk bluffs hold walleye, wipers and white bass in western Kansas.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
0 cfs
Air / High
102 / 102 F
Wind
SSE 14 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 06861000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Cedar Bluff Reservoir lines up a genuinely fishable day across the board. The river is running 0 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings clear skies, wind SSE around 14 mph, rising pressure near 1006 hPa and a high of 102. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

WalleyeGood

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Northern pikeGood

Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

White bassFair

The spring river run: small crankbaits and roadrunners up the tributaries.

CrappieSlow

Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

Tomorrow: Similar at 100 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Smoky Hill River near Arnold (inflow).

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 06861000.

26100 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp102 F
High / Low102 / 75 F
WindSSE 14-17 mph
Pressure1006.0 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 7%
Sunrise / Sunset07:11 / 20:04
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 102/75 F, wind 20 mph, rain 7%

Slow. 102 F: be on the water at dawn and off by mid-morning, or fish after dark.

Species guide

The species that matter on Cedar Bluff Reservoir: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. The spring river run: small crankbaits and roadrunners up the tributaries.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: spring, early winter

The ambush predator of weedbeds and cabbage edges. Aggressive, big and always worth a wire leader. Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

When to come: the Cedar Bluff Reservoir calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Walleye
White bass
Northern pike
Crappie
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Cedar Bluff Reservoir today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 103 F, wind to 20 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 102 F, wind to 22 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 99 F, wind to 16 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Kansas requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Kansas license. Walleye, wiper and crappie limits per current KDWP regulations.

Access

Cedar Bluff State Park north and south units: ramps, campgrounds and shoreline access.

About this water

A 6,000-acre Bureau of Reclamation reservoir on the Smoky Hill River, Trego County, Kansas, beneath chalk bluffs.

Fishing Cedar Bluff Reservoir: the full guide

A reservoir among the chalk

Cedar Bluff Reservoir sits on the Smoky Hill River in western Kansas, surrounded by the chalk bluffs and shortgrass prairie that give it its name. It covers around 6,000 acres at conservation pool, though levels swing with the region’s dry cycles. Walleye lead the fishery, joined by wipers, white bass, crappie and channel catfish in water that runs clearer than most plains reservoirs.

Walleye and wipers

Walleye stage on the rocky points and riprap in spring, taking jigs and jerkbaits at dusk, then move to the flats and humps at 12-25 feet for summer where crawler harnesses and bottom bouncers cover water. Wipers school over open water chasing shad, exploding on the surface at dawn in summer: slabs and swimbaits get destroyed when you find them.

The rest of the card

White bass run the Smoky Hill arm in spring and school through summer. Crappie hold what brush and rock the lake offers, best in spring. Channel catfish are abundant and easy from the bank on cut bait and prepared baits. The clearer water rewards low-light fishing and lighter line than most Kansas anglers expect.

Western Kansas logistics

Cedar Bluff State Park manages two areas with ramps, camping and shoreline access; the Corps handles the rest. Water levels vary substantially with drought cycles: check current elevation before towing, because ramps go dry in low years. Wind is relentless on the high plains, and there is little shelter: fish mornings and lee shores. Hays is 30 minutes north.

Common questions

How does drought affect it?

Substantially: levels drop in dry cycles and ramps can go unusable. Check current elevation before planning a trip.

What is a wiper?

A white bass-striped bass hybrid stocked across Kansas: it schools aggressively and fights far above its weight.

Is the water clear?

Clearer than most Kansas reservoirs, which makes finesse presentations and dawn or dusk fishing noticeably more effective.

Is fishing good at Cedar Bluff Reservoir right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Wilson Lake68 miGlen Elder Reservoir91 miHarlan County Lake92 miKanopolis Lake95 miMarion Reservoir147 miMilford Lake151 mi
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