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El Dorado Lake Fishing Report

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

The Flint Hills’ walleye classroom: El Dorado’s flooded timber and windswept points teach every Kansas pattern that matters.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
1 cfs
Air / High
97 / 97 F
Wind
S 13 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 07146800, 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.

El Dorado Lake sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. The river is running 1 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings clear skies, wind S around 13 mph, rising pressure near 1009 hPa and a high of 97. 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 West Branch Walnut River near El Dorado.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 07146800.

820321 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp97 F
High / Low97 / 74 F
WindS 13-15 mph
Pressure1008.9 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain1% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset07:00 / 19:52
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 · Clear, 97/74 F, wind 14 mph, rain 0%

Fair or better. A 14 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on El Dorado Lake: 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 El Dorado Lake 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 El Dorado Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 100 F, wind to 18 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 101 F, wind to 17 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Walleye led the card at good. High of 101 F, wind to 19 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

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 18-inch minimum typical here and 5/day: verify current KDWP regs. State park vehicle permit for park accesses.

Access

El Dorado State Park ramps (Boulder Bluff, Shady Creek, Bluestem Point), Walnut River access below the dam.

About this water

An 8,000-acre Corps reservoir on the Walnut River at El Dorado, Butler County, Kansas, on the Flint Hills’ western edge.

Fishing El Dorado Lake: the full guide

Big water for the Flint Hills

El Dorado floods 8,000 acres of the Walnut River valley on the western edge of the Flint Hills: young by reservoir standards (1981), which means standing timber still forests whole coves, and the rocky dam-area structure contrasts with shallow, wind-stained upper arms. It is one of Kansas’ most complete fisheries: walleye and white bass as the headline, crappie in the timber, largemouth and spotted bass on the rock, wipers that pull drags, and channel cats everywhere.

Walleye and the wind

Kansas walleye love wind, and El Dorado provides: drift or troll the wind-blown flats and points off Shady Creek and the dam with bottom bouncers and crawler harnesses from May through summer. Spring fish stack the riprap faces at dusk for jerkbait and jig anglers, and the fall bite moves to the deeper humps with jigging spoons. White bass run the Walnut and Bemis Creek arms every April: the year’s easiest fishing.

Timber crappie and the rest

The flooded timber is a crappie apartment complex: work jigs down the trunks in 10-20 feet, deeper as summer sets, shallower in spring: the coves north of the state park hold wood in every depth. Wipers roam open water crushing shad: watch for surface blowups at dawn near the dam. Bass fishing splits between timber flipping and rock-structure finesse: the spotted bass on the riprap punch above their weight.

State park convenience

El Dorado State Park wraps much of the shore: four campground areas, multiple ramps (Boulder Bluff, Shady Creek, Walnut River) and fishing jetties for bank anglers. Wind is the tax: whitecaps build fast over shallow water, and small boats should respect Flint Hills afternoons. The town of El Dorado sits ten minutes west with every supply.

Common questions

When do the white bass run?

April into early May up the Walnut River and major creeks: jigs and small spinners as fast as you can cast on the warm afternoons.

Is bank fishing productive?

Genuinely: the park’s jetties, riprap faces and the dam area put walleye, wiper and catfish water in casting range, especially at dawn and dusk.

How do I handle the wind?

Use it: fish the blown banks where bait piles up. For safety, start upwind, plan a protected escape arm, and never trust a Kansas afternoon forecast.

Is fishing good at El Dorado Lake 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

Marion Reservoir40 miCottonwood River40 miMelvern Lake75 miKaw Lake79 miVerdigris River81 miKanopolis Lake84 mi
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