Melvern Reservoir Fishing Information
35 miles S of Topeka on US-75
US Army Corps of Engineers - Melvern Reservoir (785) 549-3318
Species | Rating | Size | Baits, Method & Location | |
---|---|---|---|---|
White Crappie | Fair | up to 15 inches | Crappie can be found on brush piles and timber in deeper water 15 - 25 ft. Crappie may move into shallower areas at dawn and dusk to feed. Jig and small plastics or minnows will produce bites. | |
White Bass | Good | up to 16 inches | White Bass are can be found in the river channels 20+ ft. Jigging spoons, plastics, and deep running crankbait will produce bites. Topwater bite is picking up as young of year shad begin to school in open water. Watch for concentrations of fish breaking the surface at dawn and dusk. | |
Walleye/Saugeye/Sauger | Fair | 15-20 inches | Walleye can be found on mudflats or near river channels in 10-20ft. Nightcrawlers rigged with bottom bouncers or jigs with plastics are producing bites. Walleye may move into shallower areas at dawn and dusk to feed. | |
Catfish | Good | up to 40lbs. |
| |
Black Bass | Good | 1-5 lb | Smallmouth Bass can be found on deeper, rock structures. Crayfish imitations will produce bites. Largemouth Bass can be found in flooded terrestrial vegetation. | |
General Comments | ||||
Summary: Warm summer temperatures (dog days of summer) can make for difficult fishing conditions for some species. Walleye and Crappie may seek cooler temperature at deep depths during the day. Fish tend to move into shallows at night to feed when temperatures cool. Catfishing can be the most productive during the late summer. Sink bait and dough bait works best during the warm summer months. NEW BLUE CATFISH HARVEST REGULATIONS 10 fish daily creel limit, only 1 fish 30" or longer Fisheries biologists continue to study Kansas blue catfish and the research is showing reservoirs with lower population densities exhibit the best growth rates which equates to greater numbers of larger fish available to anglers. Growth rates of blue catfish are variable across Kansas. Time required for a blue catfish to reach 30 inches is as short as 8 years at Tuttle Creek Reservoir to as long as 14 years at El Dorado Reservoir. Due to the time required to grow to larger sizes, these older and larger fish are quite valuable. Angler harvest is necessary to provide desired densities and harvest should be focused upon smaller blue catfish, especially those in the 18 to 25 inch range while releasing the larger fish to fight again. Water level and discharge: Current conditions can be found at: https://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/Locations/District-Lakes/Melvern-Lake/Daily-Lake-Info-2/ Invasive Species: Melvern Reservoir has Zebra Mussels. Remember to clean, drain, and dry your watercraft to prevent the spread of invasive species. |
Fishing Population | Creel Limit | Min Length Limit |
---|---|---|
Bluegill | ||
Channel Catfish | 10 | |
Crappie | 20 | 10 |
Flathead Catfish | 5 | |
Green Sunfish | ||
Largemouth Bass | 5 | 18 |
Smallmouth Bass | 5 | 18 |
Spotted Bass | 5 | 18 |
Walleye | 5 | 18 |
Blue Catfish | 5 | 35 |
Sauger | 5 | 18 |
* Largemouth, Smallmouth, Spotted Bass in Combination
** Striped Bass or Wiper in Combination
*** Walleye, Sauger or Saugeye in Combination
View Fishing Forecast definitions
NAME | Density | Preferred | Lunker | Big fish | Bio rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
SAUGEYE | |||||
(>14") | (>18") | (>22") | (lbs.) | BR | |
SEBELIUS | 10.67 | 4.53 | 0.37 | 6.38 | G |
COUNCIL GROVE | 3.78 | 1.80 | 0.42 | 6.89 | F |
KANOPOLIS | 2.02 | 1.07 | 0.20 | 6.70 | G |
POMONA | 0.95 | 0.28 | 0.00 | 2.97 | G |
MELVERN | 0.94 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.50 | F |
CLINTON | 0.86 | 0.12 | 0.00 | 2.72 | F |
TUTTLE CREEK | 0.75 | 0.13 | 0.02 | 4.81 | G |
WEBSTER | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.06 | 4.48 | F |
ELK CITY | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.11 | F |
NAME | Density | Preferred | Lunker | Big fish | Bio rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
LARGEMOUTH BASS | |||||
(>12") | (>15") | (>20") | (lbs.) | BR | |
SEBELIUS | 264.55 | 81.66 | 1.03 | 5.24 | G |
WILSON | 49.43 | 38.12 | 0.39 | 5.63 | G |
WEBSTER | 45.72 | 29.11 | 0.00 | 3.80 | F |
KIRWIN | 37.30 | 28.81 | 0.00 | 3.72 | F |
LACYGNE | 35.01 | 26.89 | 1.96 | 7.70 | G |
BIG HILL | 33.15 | 14.38 | 0.64 | 6.81 | G |
CEDAR BLUFF | 18.65 | 7.00 | 0.09 | 5.83 | G |
KANOPOLIS | 17.03 | 2.14 | 0.53 | 4.85 | F |
MILFORD | 10.70 | 2.81 | 0.00 | 4.21 | F |
GLEN ELDER | 10.26 | 7.17 | 0.07 | 4.92 | G |
MELVERN | 8.57 | 1.89 | 0.00 | 2.03 | F |
EL DORADO | 7.93 | 4.29 | 0.21 | 3.94 | F |
CLINTON | 6.09 | 2.53 | 0.00 | 4.75 | F |
WOLF CREEK | 5.61 | 4.23 | 0.59 | 5.49 | P |
PERRY | 3.51 | 1.74 | 0.27 | 6.00 | P |
LOVEWELL | 2.94 | 2.35 | 0.00 | 4.56 | P |
TORONTO | 1.50 | 1.50 | 0.00 | 3.71 | P |
HILLSDALE | 1.47 | 1.05 | 0.00 | 2.99 | P |
NAME | Density | Preferred | Lunker | Big fish | Bio rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
WALLEYE | |||||
(>15") | (>20") | (>25") | (lbs.) | BR | |
KIRWIN | 4.78 | 0.56 | 0.06 | 8.46 | G |
MARION | 4.74 | 0.49 | 0.00 | 4.65 | G |
WEBSTER | 3.06 | 0.92 | 0.11 | 6.36 | G |
EL DORADO | 2.73 | 1.00 | 0.09 | 7.94 | G |
WILSON | 2.62 | 1.18 | 0.07 | 7.45 | G |
MILFORD | 2.60 | 0.20 | 0.00 | 3.87 | F |
CEDAR BLUFF | 2.15 | 0.57 | 0.03 | 7.93 | G |
GLEN ELDER | 2.04 | 0.22 | 0.01 | 6.61 | F |
CHENEY | 1.20 | 0.73 | 0.14 | 7.54 | F |
HILLSDALE | 1.17 | 0.31 | 0.10 | 7.06 | G |
LOVEWELL | 1.00 | 0.47 | 0.00 | 4.62 | F |
WOLF CREEK | 0.66 | 0.20 | 0.02 | 5.99 | F |
MELVERN | 0.49 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 4.45 | F |
CLINTON | 0.42 | 0.04 | 0.00 | 3.45 | F |
POMONA | 0.38 | 0.08 | 0.00 | 4.16 | P |
KANOPOLIS | 0.12 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 5.83 | P |
BIG HILL | 0.10 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.39 | F |
ELK CITY | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.30 | P |
SEBELIUS | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.51 | P |
NAME | Density | Preferred | Lunker | Big fish | Bio rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
BLACK CRAPPIE | |||||
(>8") | (>10") | (>12") | (lbs.) | BR | |
SEBELIUS | 26.47 | 14.00 | 1.33 | 1.54 | G |
CEDAR BLUFF | 23.61 | 4.75 | 0.08 | 1.29 | G |
KIRWIN | 9.56 | 9.15 | 5.79 | 2.06 | G |
LOVEWELL | 4.46 | 0.76 | 0.05 | 1.43 | F |
KANOPOLIS | 3.94 | 3.03 | 0.44 | 1.43 | G |
WEBSTER | 3.77 | 1.75 | 0.02 | 1.40 | F |
MARION | 3.33 | 0.67 | 0.33 | 1.09 | F |
MILFORD | 2.88 | 0.94 | 0.02 | 1.06 | F |
HILLSDALE | 1.75 | 0.32 | 0.05 | 1.02 | G |
CLINTON | 1.11 | 0.70 | 0.02 | 0.93 | G |
JOHN REDMOND | 0.75 | 0.13 | 0.04 | 1.29 | P |
GLEN ELDER | 0.73 | 0.40 | 0.13 | 1.11 | F |
WILSON | 0.64 | 0.24 | 0.11 | 1.68 | P |
PERRY | 0.38 | 0.08 | 0.00 | 0.81 | P |
POMONA | 0.34 | 0.14 | 0.02 | 1.44 | P |
TORONTO | 0.34 | 0.15 | 0.04 | 1.19 | P |
BIG HILL | 0.33 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.52 | F |
WOLF CREEK | 0.23 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 1.39 | P |
LACYGNE | 0.20 | 0.11 | 0.00 | 0.93 | P |
EL DORADO | 0.14 | 0.04 | 0.00 | 0.60 | P |
FALL RIVER | 0.10 | 0.08 | 0.02 | 1.14 | P |
TUTTLE CREEK | 0.09 | 0.07 | 0.05 | 1.17 | P |
MELVERN | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.63 | P |
ELK CITY | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.13 | P |
NAME | Density | Preferred | Lunker | Big fish | Bio rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
BLUEGILL | |||||
(>6") | (>8") | (>10") | (lbs.) | BR | |
SEBELIUS | 44.33 | 9.47 | 0.00 | 1.21 | G |
CEDAR BLUFF | 15.12 | 0.20 | 0.00 | 0.40 | F |
HILLSDALE | 6.07 | 0.05 | 0.00 | 0.46 | F |
LACYGNE | 4.39 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.31 | F |
KANOPOLIS | 3.78 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.39 | G |
WILSON | 3.51 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.33 | G |
WEBSTER | 2.94 | 0.50 | 0.00 | 0.50 | F |
LOVEWELL | 2.56 | 0.05 | 0.00 | 0.43 | P |
BIG HILL | 2.37 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.36 | G |
MARION | 2.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.39 | F |
MILFORD | 1.44 | 0.35 | 0.00 | 0.52 | P |
CLINTON | 1.11 | 0.07 | 0.00 | 0.52 | F |
KIRWIN | 0.81 | 0.06 | 0.00 | 0.59 | F |
PERRY | 0.60 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.32 | P |
MELVERN | 0.52 | 0.05 | 0.02 | 0.37 | P |
EL DORADO | 0.32 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.23 | F |
TUTTLE CREEK | 0.32 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.25 | P |
GLEN ELDER | 0.30 | 0.10 | 0.00 | 0.70 | P |
WOLF CREEK | 0.30 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.18 | P |
FALL RIVER | 0.29 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.26 | F |
POMONA | 0.23 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.43 | F |
COUNCIL GROVE | 0.14 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.21 | P |
TORONTO | 0.13 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.23 | P |
ELK CITY | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.13 | P |
NAME | Density | Preferred | Lunker | Big fish | Bio rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
CHANNEL CATFISH | |||||
(>16") | (>24") | (>28") | (lbs.) | BR | |
LOVEWELL | 6.94 | 0.94 | 0.11 | 11.81 | G |
BIG HILL | 6.30 | 0.73 | 0.03 | 9.05 | G |
HILLSDALE | 5.36 | 0.33 | 0.05 | 10.45 | G |
MARION | 4.43 | 0.23 | 0.03 | 5.79 | G |
KANOPOLIS | 3.37 | 0.43 | 0.02 | 9.93 | G |
WILSON | 2.97 | 0.46 | 0.03 | 10.11 | G |
TORONTO | 2.56 | 1.83 | 0.47 | 11.33 | G |
PERRY | 2.45 | 0.67 | 0.14 | 12.70 | G |
CHENEY | 2.45 | 0.41 | 0.04 | 14.81 | G |
ELK CITY | 2.23 | 0.23 | 0.00 | 5.65 | G |
LACYGNE | 2.19 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 7.26 | G |
GLEN ELDER | 2.18 | 0.46 | 0.16 | 16.60 | G |
MELVERN | 2.14 | 0.27 | 0.04 | 8.33 | G |
CLINTON | 1.82 | 0.12 | 0.00 | 6.06 | G |
FALL RIVER | 1.73 | 1.39 | 0.64 | 14.53 | G |
POMONA | 1.55 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 11.96 | G |
CEDAR BLUFF | 1.46 | 0.32 | 0.04 | 14.15 | G |
COUNCIL GROVE | 1.42 | 0.20 | 0.09 | 9.41 | F |
WEBSTER | 1.39 | 0.11 | 0.03 | 10.64 | G |
KIRWIN | 1.06 | 0.25 | 0.08 | 11.23 | G |
JOHN REDMOND | 1.05 | 0.31 | 0.07 | 12.33 | F |
TUTTLE CREEK | 0.95 | 0.20 | 0.09 | 14.31 | G |
WOLF CREEK | 0.70 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 4.12 | F |
EL DORADO | 0.58 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3.84 | F |
SEBELIUS | 0.37 | 0.23 | 0.17 | 22.56 | F |
MILFORD | 0.35 | 0.07 | 0.02 | 9.23 | F |
NAME | Density | Preferred | Lunker | Big fish | Bio rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
WHITE BASS | |||||
(>9") | (>12") | (>15") | (lbs.) | BR | |
GLEN ELDER | 18.32 | 16.17 | 3.84 | 3.49 | G |
MARION | 17.06 | 12.20 | 0.43 | 1.87 | G |
CEDAR BLUFF | 10.24 | 9.28 | 2.79 | 2.25 | G |
PERRY | 9.76 | 5.82 | 0.22 | 2.15 | G |
KANOPOLIS | 8.17 | 6.15 | 0.28 | 2.70 | G |
POMONA | 7.40 | 4.58 | 0.45 | 2.20 | G |
CLINTON | 6.88 | 5.20 | 1.02 | 2.32 | G |
WEBSTER | 6.22 | 3.92 | 0.08 | 2.73 | G |
MILFORD | 5.78 | 4.93 | 0.55 | 2.13 | G |
KIRWIN | 5.19 | 4.22 | 0.67 | 2.18 | G |
TORONTO | 5.00 | 3.00 | 1.36 | 2.69 | G |
FALL RIVER | 4.24 | 2.94 | 0.94 | 3.02 | G |
WOLF CREEK | 3.96 | 2.44 | 0.32 | 1.98 | G |
MELVERN | 3.33 | 2.63 | 0.43 | 2.26 | G |
LOVEWELL | 3.25 | 1.75 | 0.25 | 1.85 | P |
EL DORADO | 3.24 | 1.58 | 0.36 | 2.03 | F |
JOHN REDMOND | 3.14 | 2.21 | 0.95 | 3.24 | F |
BIG HILL | 3.00 | 1.83 | 0.07 | 1.73 | G |
LACYGNE | 2.71 | 1.60 | 0.33 | 2.88 | G |
COUNCIL GROVE | 2.47 | 1.58 | 0.18 | 2.23 | F |
HILLSDALE | 2.43 | 1.83 | 0.10 | 1.43 | G |
WILSON | 2.21 | 2.11 | 0.86 | 2.96 | G |
CHENEY | 0.86 | 0.80 | 0.33 | 2.09 | P |
ELK CITY | 0.80 | 0.40 | 0.03 | 1.94 | F |
TUTTLE CREEK | 0.47 | 0.18 | 0.02 | 2.96 | F |
Waterbody | Density | Preferred | Lunker | 3 yr avg | Size | Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sebelius Reservoir | 267.22 | 82.69 | 1.03 | 5.24 | Reservoir | G |
Wilson Reservoir | 62.91 | 44.38 | 0.39 | 5.63 | Reservoir | G |
Webster Reservoir | 45.72 | 29.11 | 0.00 | 3.80 | Reservoir | F |
Big Hill Reservoir | 38.62 | 16.46 | 0.64 | 6.81 | Reservoir | G |
Kirwin Reservoir | 37.30 | 28.81 | 0.00 | 3.72 | Reservoir | F |
LaCygne Reservoir | 35.01 | 26.89 | 1.96 | 7.70 | Reservoir | G |
Melvern Reservoir | 25.37 | 6.34 | 0.00 | 2.86 | Reservoir | G |
Cedar Bluff Reservoir | 22.06 | 7.49 | 0.09 | 5.83 | Reservoir | G |
Glen Elder Reservoir | 20.90 | 11.69 | 0.07 | 4.92 | Reservoir | G |
Kanopolis Reservoir | 17.03 | 2.14 | 0.53 | 4.85 | Reservoir | F |
Milford Reservoir | 15.89 | 3.94 | 0.00 | 4.21 | Reservoir | F |
El Dorado Reservoir | 12.86 | 5.36 | 0.21 | 3.94 | Reservoir | F |
Wolf Creek Reservoir | 12.44 | 9.42 | 0.79 | 5.49 | Reservoir | F |
Clinton Reservoir | 9.56 | 3.75 | 0.00 | 4.75 | Reservoir | F |
Perry Reservoir | 4.74 | 2.70 | 0.27 | 6.00 | Reservoir | P |
Lovewell Reservoir | 2.94 | 2.35 | 0.00 | 4.56 | Reservoir | P |
Hillsdale Reservoir | 1.77 | 1.35 | 0.00 | 3.01 | Reservoir | P |
Toronto Reservoir | 1.50 | 1.50 | 0.00 | 3.71 | Reservoir | P |
Waterbody | Density | Preferred | Lunker | 3 yr avg | Size | Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Melvern Reservoir | 34.23 | 14.91 | 1.41 | 1.61 | Reservoir | E |
Sebelius Reservoir | 28.53 | 15.00 | 1.83 | 1.54 | Reservoir | G |
Lovewell Reservoir | 26.88 | 10.54 | 1.02 | 2.50 | Reservoir | G |
Hillsdale Reservoir | 25.52 | 11.45 | 1.52 | 1.29 | Reservoir | E |
Perry Reservoir | 25.45 | 14.03 | 0.38 | 1.42 | Reservoir | G |
Cedar Bluff Reservoir | 24.71 | 5.51 | 0.43 | 1.80 | Reservoir | G |
Toronto Reservoir | 18.51 | 5.83 | 1.91 | 2.40 | Reservoir | G |
Elk City Reservoir | 15.49 | 5.57 | 1.35 | 2.40 | Reservoir | G |
LaCygne Reservoir | 15.07 | 5.95 | 0.45 | 2.30 | Reservoir | G |
Clinton Reservoir | 10.61 | 3.46 | 0.24 | 1.37 | Reservoir | G |
Kirwin Reservoir | 10.31 | 9.56 | 6.06 | 2.06 | Reservoir | G |
Wolf Creek Reservoir | 8.93 | 3.27 | 0.57 | 1.64 | Reservoir | F |
Tuttle Creek Reservoir | 7.57 | 4.68 | 1.05 | 1.69 | Reservoir | G |
Pomona Reservoir | 7.41 | 3.11 | 0.18 | 1.73 | Reservoir | G |
Big Hill Reservoir | 7.40 | 3.43 | 0.27 | 1.19 | Reservoir | G |
Marion Reservoir | 6.67 | 2.67 | 0.33 | 1.09 | Reservoir | G |
Milford Reservoir | 6.54 | 3.75 | 0.58 | 1.90 | Reservoir | G |
Fall River Reservoir | 6.06 | 1.85 | 0.44 | 2.58 | Reservoir | G |
El Dorado Reservoir | 5.93 | 2.29 | 0.82 | 1.59 | Reservoir | G |
Council Grove Reservoir | 5.89 | 3.22 | 1.33 | 1.87 | Reservoir | F |
Kanopolis Reservoir | 5.67 | 3.58 | 0.50 | 1.43 | Reservoir | G |
Webster Reservoir | 5.38 | 2.90 | 0.17 | 1.79 | Reservoir | G |
Glen Elder Reservoir | 3.33 | 1.38 | 0.46 | 1.91 | Reservoir | F |
John Redmond Reservoir | 1.71 | 0.79 | 0.25 | 3.04 | Reservoir | F |
Wilson Reservoir | 0.73 | 0.31 | 0.13 | 1.68 | Reservoir | P |
Waterbody | Density | Preferred | Lunker | 3 yr avg | Size | Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sebelius Reservoir | 44.40 | 9.50 | 0.00 | 1.21 | Reservoir | G |
Cedar Bluff Reservoir | 15.33 | 0.22 | 0.00 | 0.44 | Reservoir | F |
Hillsdale Reservoir | 6.09 | 0.07 | 0.00 | 0.46 | Reservoir | F |
LaCygne Reservoir | 4.50 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.31 | Reservoir | F |
Kanopolis Reservoir | 3.81 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.39 | Reservoir | G |
Wilson Reservoir | 3.53 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.33 | Reservoir | G |
Webster Reservoir | 2.94 | 0.50 | 0.00 | 0.50 | Reservoir | F |
Big Hill Reservoir | 2.63 | 0.17 | 0.00 | 0.62 | Reservoir | G |
Lovewell Reservoir | 2.56 | 0.05 | 0.00 | 0.43 | Reservoir | P |
Marion Reservoir | 2.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.39 | Reservoir | F |
Milford Reservoir | 1.44 | 0.35 | 0.00 | 0.52 | Reservoir | P |
Clinton Reservoir | 1.20 | 0.07 | 0.00 | 0.52 | Reservoir | F |
Kirwin Reservoir | 0.83 | 0.06 | 0.00 | 0.59 | Reservoir | F |
Perry Reservoir | 0.60 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.32 | Reservoir | P |
Melvern Reservoir | 0.52 | 0.05 | 0.02 | 0.37 | Reservoir | P |
El Dorado Reservoir | 0.36 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.23 | Reservoir | F |
Tuttle Creek Reservoir | 0.32 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.25 | Reservoir | P |
Glen Elder Reservoir | 0.30 | 0.10 | 0.00 | 0.70 | Reservoir | P |
Wolf Creek Reservoir | 0.30 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.18 | Reservoir | P |
Fall River Reservoir | 0.29 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.26 | Reservoir | F |
Pomona Reservoir | 0.23 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.43 | Reservoir | P |
Council Grove Reservoir | 0.14 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.21 | Reservoir | P |
Toronto Reservoir | 0.13 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.23 | Reservoir | P |
Elk City Reservoir | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.13 | Reservoir | P |