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Elk City Lake sits in Kansas and is classified as a reservoir. The water surface spans about 4,118 acres, making it a mid-sized body of water. Fish documented in the area include White Crappie, Largemouth Bass, Green Sunfish, and Black Crappie. Sitting at around 796 feet of elevation, it drops to a maximum depth near 38 feet. The page brings together an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, water readings, fishing conditions, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. If you are planning a trip, Big Hill Lake, Copan Lake, and Fall River Lake are also nearby. Water data on this page comes from a mapped monitoring station near the lake. Current weather, wind, and activity conditions for Elk City Lake are updated throughout the day.
Updated
Latest source update is older than expected. Use caution and check the official source.
The last automated check (Oct 11, 3:20 AM CDT) found no active alerts for this lake, but that check is older than LakeRadar's alert freshness window, so the current alert status could not be confirmed.
Confirm before heading out: official alerts for this area or weather.gov/alerts. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
Overall Excellent (90/100) across 5 activities. Best right now: Boating (92/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 92/100 across these hours. Measured water temperature 72°F from a representative gauge 6.9 mi away. Provisional data. Wind 8 mph from the south. Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 65° | 63° | 63° | 63° | 66° | 70° | 74° | 78° | 81° | 84° | 85° | 87° | 87° | 86° | 84° | 83° | 80° | 78° | 78° | 77° | 76° | 76° | 75° | 74° |
| Wind (kts) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Direction | S | S | S | S | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW |
| Gusts (kts) | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, 5 AM CDT | 65°F | 8 mph S (180°) | 15 mph | 0% | 16% | Mostly Clear |
| Sun, 6 AM CDT | 63°F | 8 mph S (180°) | 15 mph | 0% | 22% | Sunny |
| Sun, 7 AM CDT | 63°F | 8 mph S (180°) | 15 mph | 0% | 30% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 8 AM CDT | 63°F | 9 mph S (180°) | 16 mph | 0% | 23% | Sunny |
| Sun, 9 AM CDT | 66°F | 12 mph SSW (203°) | 18 mph | 0% | 17% | Sunny |
| Sun, 10 AM CDT | 70°F | 13 mph SSW (203°) | 21 mph | 0% | 29% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 11 AM CDT | 74°F | 15 mph SSW (203°) | 24 mph | 0% | 27% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 12 PM CDT | 78°F | 17 mph SSW (203°) | 25 mph | 0% | 42% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 1 PM CDT | 81°F | 18 mph SSW (203°) | 27 mph | 0% | 41% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 2 PM CDT | 84°F | 20 mph SSW (203°) | 28 mph | 0% | 40% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 3 PM CDT | 85°F | 20 mph SSW (203°) | 29 mph | 0% | 46% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 4 PM CDT | 87°F | 20 mph S (180°) | 29 mph | 0% | 42% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 5 PM CDT | 87°F | 18 mph S (180°) | 27 mph | 0% | 30% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 6 PM CDT | 86°F | 16 mph S (180°) | 23 mph | 0% | 27% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sun, 7 PM CDT | 84°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 22 mph | 0% | 15% | Mostly Clear |
| Sun, 8 PM CDT | 83°F | 14 mph S (180°) | 21 mph | 0% | 19% | Mostly Clear |
| Sun, 9 PM CDT | 80°F | 13 mph S (180°) | 21 mph | 0% | 16% | Mostly Clear |
| Sun, 10 PM CDT | 78°F | 13 mph S (180°) | 22 mph | 0% | 14% | Mostly Clear |
| Sun, 11 PM CDT | 78°F | 14 mph S (180°) | 23 mph | 0% | 8% | Mostly Clear |
| Mon, 12 AM CDT | 77°F | 14 mph SSW (203°) | 22 mph | 0% | 1% | Clear |
| Mon, 1 AM CDT | 76°F | 13 mph SSW (203°) | 21 mph | 0% | 1% | Clear |
| Mon, 2 AM CDT | 76°F | 14 mph SSW (203°) | 21 mph | 0% | 1% | Clear |
| Mon, 3 AM CDT | 75°F | 14 mph SSW (203°) | 21 mph | 0% | 5% | Clear |
| Mon, 4 AM CDT | 74°F | 14 mph SSW (203°) | 22 mph | 0% | 4% | Clear |
| Mon, 5 AM CDT | 73°F | 14 mph SSW (203°) | 23 mph | 0% | 7% | Mostly Clear |
Official National Weather Service hourly forecast. Showing 10 of 25 hours. Wind arrows point the way the wind is blowing; the compass point and degrees show where it comes from.
| Period | Overnight October 11, 2026 | Sunday October 11, 2026 | Sunday Night October 11, 2026 | Columbus Day October 12, 2026 | Monday Night October 12, 2026 | Tuesday October 13, 2026 | Tuesday Night October 13, 2026 | Wednesday October 14, 2026 | Wednesday Night October 14, 2026 | Thursday October 15, 2026 | Thursday Night October 15, 2026 | Friday October 16, 2026 | Friday Night October 16, 2026 | Saturday October 17, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 63° | 87° | 72° | 87° | 73° | 90° | 72° | 80° | 66° | 75° | 58° | 64° | 47° | 61° |
| Wind | S 8 mph | SSW 8 to 20 mph | SSW 13 to 16 mph | SSW 15 to 22 mph | SSW 10 to 18 mph | SSW 10 to 14 mph | SSW 7 to 12 mph | SSE 8 mph | SSE 7 mph | SSW 9 mph | NW 8 to 13 mph | N 16 mph | N 7 to 13 mph | N 8 mph |
| Gusts | 15 mph | 29 mph | 23 mph | 31 mph | 28 mph | 21 mph | 17 mph | 16 mph | 14 mph | 18 mph | 21 mph | 27 mph | 23 mph | 14 mph |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 14% | 69% | 81% | 82% | 82% | 56% | 21% | 5% | 4% |
| Forecast |
No active USGS or USACE telemetry gauge is currently mapped to Elk City Lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake.
ELK R NR ELK CITY, KS · Oct 11, 10:00 AM UTC
Good for fishing (89/100), from 6 available inputs. Supporting this: Measured water temperature 72°F from a representative gauge 6.9 mi away. Provisional data. Wind 7 mph from the south. Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend. Confidence is moderate (78%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Excellent for boating (92/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 7 mph from the south. No active official alerts for this lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility and conditions, verified water access. Confidence is moderate (84%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Good for sailing (88/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 7 mph from the S is workable but not ideal. No active official alerts for this lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Excellent for kayaking (92/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 7 mph from the south. Gusts to 13 mph. Confidence is high (90%).
Surface water measured at 72°F. Air and water contrast evaluate recreational immersion comfort.
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Individual boat ramp GPS coordinates are maintained under the jurisdiction of KS Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Elk City Lake is a prominent freshwater reservoir in KS, offering expansive open water for waterskiing, cruising, and tournament angling. The lake's deep basins and shallow flats provide varied habitat for local fish species. Conservation initiatives and public access oversight are overseen by state and local natural resource agencies.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) is required for anglers age 16+. Digital license on mobile is accepted.
Current motorized watercraft registration mandatory. Practice Clean, Drain & Dry protocols: drain all livewells and inspect props before launching. Life jackets required for all passengers.
Public shoreline and boating access managed by State & Local Authorities. Verify seasonal gate hours, launch fees, and parking rules before travel.
High-speed motorboating, pontoon cruising, wakeboarding, and water skiing across main channels. Target gamefish include White Crappie, Largemouth Bass, Green Sunfish, Black Crappie. Morning hours typically provide optimal glassy conditions for kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) touring.
Warm water temperatures, peak swimming, active watersports, and open full-service campgrounds. Highest weekly attendance; plan early arrivals on summer weekends.
Spring pre-spawn and fall feeding transitions create prime trophy angling conditions. Cooler air, lower boat traffic, and vibrant seasonal shoreline foliage.
Mild year-round outdoor climate. Uncrowded waters, active winter bass and crappie fishing, and open year-round boat launch access.
No external source rows are cited by the data currently shown on this page.
Updated
Scores are heuristics, not safety guarantees. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
All telemetry for Elk City Lake is synchronized directly from authorized federal and state monitoring networks (USGS, NWS, NOAA, and state environmental authorities). Observations are strictly instrumented readings — unmonitored sensors are transparently disclosed rather than synthetic estimates.
Last source audit: Oct 11, 5:15 AM CDT