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Glen Elder Reservoir Fishing Report

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

Waconda Lake: Kansas’s big walleye water, where 12,000 acres of prairie reservoir grow fish and wind in equal measure.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
37 cfs
Air / High
97 / 99 F
Wind
SE 9 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 06875900, 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.

Glen Elder Reservoir offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. The river is running 37 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings clear skies, wind SE around 9 mph, rising pressure near 1008 hPa and a high of 99. 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 Solomon River near Glen Elder.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 06875900.

39577537 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp97 F
High / Low99 / 73 F
WindSE 9-11 mph
Pressure1007.6 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 2%
Sunrise / Sunset07:04 / 19:59
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, 99/73 F, wind 12 mph, rain 2%

Fair or better. A 12 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Glen Elder 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 Glen Elder 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 Glen Elder 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 101 F, wind to 19 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 100 F, wind to 17 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 99 F, wind to 12 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, wiper and crappie limits per current KDWP regulations.

Access

Glen Elder State Park ramps and campgrounds; additional public access around the shoreline.

About this water

A 12,500-acre Bureau of Reclamation reservoir on the Solomon River, Mitchell County, Kansas, also known as Waconda Lake.

Fishing Glen Elder Reservoir: the full guide

Waconda

Glen Elder Reservoir, known locally as Waconda Lake, covers 12,500 acres on the Solomon River in north-central Kansas, one of the state’s largest and most productive fisheries. It sits over the site of a historic mineral spring flooded by the dam. Walleye are the headline, with white bass, wipers, crappie, channel catfish and flatheads filling a card that supports year-round fishing.

Walleye water

The lake produces walleye consistently: spring finds them on the rocky shorelines and near the river inflow, jig-and-minnow water at dusk. Summer moves fish to the main-lake flats, points and humps at 15-25 feet, where trolling crawler harnesses and crankbaits produces steadily. Wind is the ally: chop over the flats concentrates fish and turns the bite on.

White bass, wipers and cats

White bass run the Solomon River in spring and school through the summer, joined by wipers that push shad to the surface. Both are best located by watching for birds and surface activity. Crappie hold the brush and rock, and catfish are abundant: channels on cut bait and flatheads on live bait in the deeper structure and timber near the inflow.

State park logistics

Glen Elder State Park provides ramps, campgrounds and shoreline access around the lake. This is open prairie country: wind builds waves fast and there is little natural shelter, so small boats should plan around mornings. Beloit and Cawker City are the nearby towns, the latter home to the world’s largest ball of twine, which is either a detour or a destination.

Common questions

Is it good for walleye?

One of the best in Kansas: consistent numbers on the flats and points, with wind-driven bites the most productive.

When do white bass run?

Spring, up the Solomon River arm, with fast fishing on jigs and small spinners as the water warms.

How windy is it?

Persistently: it is open prairie. Use the chop to your advantage but respect it in small boats.

Is fishing good at Glen Elder 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 Lake41 miKanopolis Lake62 miHarlan County Lake67 miMilford Lake74 miCedar Bluff Reservoir91 miMarion Reservoir102 mi
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