Reservoir · Sedgwick, Kansas
Cheney Reservoir
Current Lake Rating
Point-in-time lake rating — separate from the trip recommendation below.
Excellent93
Conditions look excellent for a Generic fishing trip. Light to moderate wind should make casting and boat control easier.
Scores are model-specific and are not directly comparable across water types.
Rating confidence: Medium
Should I Go?
Go
Fishing guidance for this destination based on available lake conditions, weather, and seasonal context. It is not a boating, swimming, ice, or access-safety rating.
Recommendation confidence: Medium (70)
Guidance uses the shared lake fishing model. It is not destination-specific calibration.
Best window
Sat, 7:00 AM–10:00 AM
Why
- Air temperature is comfortable for fishing
- Cloud cover is generally suitable for fishing.
Current Readings
- Water level
- 1,420.48 ft
- Change over 24 hours
- -0.03 ft
- Trend
- Falling
- Water temperature
- 26.4 °C
- Last updated
- 1 hr ago
≈ 79.5 °F
Source: USGS · CHENEY RE NR CHENEY, KS · 07144790 · Elevation, lake/res, NGVD29
Better Nearby Options
Checking nearby StrikeTracks waters…
Weather Near Lake
Current Weather
Overcast
Temperature
81°F
Feels like
83°F
Wind
8 mph S
Wind gust
15 mph
Current precipitation
0.00 in
Updated
Sep 5, 2026, 3:15 AM
Recent Rainfall
Estimated precipitation near this lake
Last 6 hours
0.00 in
Last 24 hours
0.00 in
Last 48 hours
0.00 in
Little recent rainfall near this lake.
Next 24 Hours
Sat 4 AM
Overcast
Temp 80°F
Chance 0%
Precip 0.00 in
Wind 8 mph
Sat 8 AM
Overcast
Temp 79°F
Chance 0%
Precip 0.00 in
Wind 7 mph
Sat 12 PM
Overcast
Temp 96°F
Chance 0%
Precip 0.00 in
Wind 11 mph
Sat 4 PM
Overcast
Temp 100°F
Chance 0%
Precip 0.00 in
Wind 10 mph
Sat 8 PM
Overcast
Temp 92°F
Chance 0%
Precip 0.00 in
Wind 9 mph
Sun 12 AM
Clear
Temp 83°F
Chance 1%
Precip 0.00 in
Wind 6 mph
Four-Day Forecast
Sat, Sep 5
Overcast
High 100°F / Low 77°F
Chance 1%
Precip 0.00 in
Max gust 21 mph
Sun, Sep 6
Overcast
High 100°F / Low 75°F
Chance 2%
Precip 0.00 in
Max gust 20 mph
Mon, Sep 7
Overcast
High 104°F / Low 75°F
Chance 1%
Precip 0.00 in
Max gust 36 mph
Tue, Sep 8
Overcast
High 106°F / Low 81°F
Chance 2%
Precip 0.00 in
Max gust 33 mph
Weather and rainfall are estimated for this lake's coordinates. Local conditions can vary, especially in mountainous terrain and during isolated storms.
Recent rainfall can influence lake level and access, but the timing and magnitude depend on watershed size, soil conditions, and reservoir operations where applicable.
Weather data: Open-Meteo
Reservoir Elevation History
Elevation is reported relative to the datum used by this USGS monitoring site. Elevations from different lakes or datums should not be directly compared.
Loading historical elevation…
Fishery Profile
Documented species you may encounter at Cheney Reservoir.
Species images are AI-generated illustrations for visual reference and may simplify natural variation. Fishery records are based on the cited agency sources. About fish illustrations
Fishery overview
Cheney Reservoir is south-central / southwest Kansas's flagship federal reservoir for white bass/wiper, walleye, crappie, and catfish, and Wichita's water-supply lake. StrikeTracks publishes Monitoring-Backed water temperature from USGS 07144790. This is not El Dorado Reservoir, not Horsethief, and not the Arkansas River at Wichita.
Target species
White Bass
Morone chrysops
- Expectation
- Primary
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
KDWP Cheney 2026 report: white bass and wiper Fair, up to 27 inches on points. Not Wilson striped bass and not Glen Elder white bass.
Wiper
Morone saxatilis × Morone chrysops
Canonical species: Hybrid Striped Bass
- Expectation
- Primary
- Population
- Stocked
- Native status
- introduced
- Confidence
- High confidence
KDWP Cheney groups wiper with white bass as a destination target. Not El Dorado's 21-inch / 2-fish wiper special unless current Cheney regs match; confirm KDWP tables.
Blue Catfish
Ictalurus furcatus
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
KDWP Cheney: blue catfish Fair to Good, up to 50 pounds, 10/day with one fish 30 inches or longer. Not Milford's 28–40 inch slot.
Channel Catfish
Ictalurus punctatus
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
KDWP Cheney: channel catfish Fair to Good, up to 20 pounds on cut bait and stink bait. Not Kansas River at Topeka.
Walleye
Sander vitreus
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Stocked
- Native status
- introduced
- Confidence
- High confidence
KDWP Cheney: walleye Fair, up to 27 inches near the dam and rocks. 2026 forecast rates Cheney among Kansas reservoir walleye waters. Not Milford and not Wilson.
White Crappie
Pomoxis annularis
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Established
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
KDWP Cheney: crappie Fair to Good, up to 17 inches, 20/day and 10-inch minimum. Not Clinton crappie.
Fishery characteristics
- Composition
- Mixed wild and stocked
Broad prairie USACE reservoir on the North Fork Ninnescah with flats, river channel, and rocky dam face. Catalog coordinates are USGS 07144790, the in-lake water-quality station, not Arkansas River 07144300.
Best seasons
- Spring
- Summer
- Fall
Common techniques
- Boat fishing
- Shore fishing
- Spinning
- Trolling
Access and Public Fishing Rights
KDWP Cheney State Park and Cheney Wildlife Area document public ramps and shoreline. Flooded vegetation can close ramps; confirm current USACE and KDWP ramp status. Catalog coordinates are the USGS in-lake site.
Stocking information
KDWP 2026 fishing reports and forecasts treat Cheney as a managed walleye, wiper, crappie, and catfish reservoir. Confirm current official KDWP stocking notices.
- Stocked
Wiper
Stocked · Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
- Stocked
Walleye
Stocked · Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
Official sources
KDWP Cheney specials include crappie 20/day with 10-inch minimum and blue catfish 10/day with only one 30 inches or longer. White perch are illegal to possess alive. Distinct from Milford's blue-cat slot. Confirm current official KDWP regulations.
Monitoring-Backed same-lake USGS 00010 at 07144790.
Location and Access
Cataloged lake location
Sedgwick, Kansas
The map marker represents the cataloged waterbody or monitoring location and may not indicate legal parking or public access. Confirm access through the official information before visiting.
Lake Details
County
Sedgwick
Management Category
USACE Wichita water-supply reservoir
Regulation Scope
Cheney Reservoir
Regulation Summary
Cheney Reservoir: KDWP special length and creel limits on the USACE Cheney project. Confirm current official regulations.
Target Species
White Bass, Hybrid Striped Bass, Walleye, White Crappie, Blue Catfish, Channel Catfish
Public Access
Public
Boat Launch
Available
Shore Fishing
Available
Description
Cheney Reservoir, Sedgwick / Reno counties, Kansas. About 9,500-acre USACE Wichita water-supply reservoir on the North Fork Ninnescah. Monitoring-Backed from live USGS 00010 at 07144790 Cheney Reservoir near Cheney (siteType LK, in-lake YSI EXO). Arkansas River at Wichita 07144300 is a nearby river, not pool thermal. Not El Dorado and not Horsethief Reservoir.
