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Horsethief Reservoir is one of the reservoirs LakeRadar tracks in Kansas. The water surface spans about 450 acres, making it a modest body of water. Other waters in the region include Cedar Bluff Reservoir. Coverage here includes an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Use the conditions and forecast on this page to decide when to go boating, fishing, or paddling at Horsethief Reservoir.
Updated
No active alerts for this lake as of the last check (Oct 9, 5:40 AM CDT). Alerts are re-checked automatically; see the official source for updates.
Overall Good (83/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Sailing (95/100).
How the score is calculated →Best good fishing window, averaging 82/100 across these hours. Dawn hours (06:00 local). Wind 14 mph from the south-southwest. 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) | 63° | 62° | 62° | 61° | 64° | 70° | 75° | 80° | 84° | 85° | 87° | 87° | 88° | 86° | 83° | 78° | 74° | 72° | 70° | 70° | 69° | 68° | 67° | 66° |
| Wind (kts) | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| Direction | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S |
| Gusts (kts) | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 5 AM CDT | 63°F | 14 mph SSW (203°) | 20 mph | 0% | 2% | Clear |
| Fri, 6 AM CDT | 62°F | 14 mph SSW (203°) | 20 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Fri, 7 AM CDT | 62°F | 14 mph SSW (203°) | 20 mph | 0% | 2% | Sunny |
| Fri, 8 AM CDT | 61°F | 14 mph SSW (203°) | 21 mph | 0% | 5% | Sunny |
| Fri, 9 AM CDT | 64°F | 15 mph SSW (203°) | 22 mph | 0% | 2% | Sunny |
| Fri, 10 AM CDT | 70°F | 15 mph SSW (203°) | 24 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Fri, 11 AM CDT | 75°F | 16 mph SSW (203°) | 27 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Fri, 12 PM CDT | 80°F | 17 mph SSW (203°) | 28 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Fri, 1 PM CDT | 84°F | 20 mph SSW (203°) | 29 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Fri, 2 PM CDT | 85°F | 20 mph SSW (203°) | 31 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Fri, 3 PM CDT | 87°F | 21 mph SSW (203°) | 31 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Fri, 4 PM CDT | 87°F | 21 mph SSW (203°) | 31 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Fri, 5 PM CDT | 88°F | 20 mph SSW (203°) | 30 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Fri, 6 PM CDT | 86°F | 17 mph S (180°) | 30 mph | 0% | 2% | Clear |
| Fri, 7 PM CDT | 83°F | 16 mph S (180°) | 29 mph | 0% | 3% | Clear |
| Fri, 8 PM CDT | 78°F | 17 mph S (180°) | 29 mph | 0% | 7% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 9 PM CDT | 74°F | 18 mph S (180°) | 27 mph | 0% | 10% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 10 PM CDT | 72°F | 20 mph S (180°) | 27 mph | 0% | 6% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 11 PM CDT | 70°F | 20 mph S (180°) | 27 mph | 0% | 6% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 12 AM CDT | 70°F | 20 mph S (180°) | 27 mph | 0% | 9% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 1 AM CDT | 69°F | 20 mph S (180°) | 27 mph | 0% | 4% | Clear |
| Sat, 2 AM CDT | 68°F | 20 mph S (180°) | 27 mph | 0% | 7% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 3 AM CDT | 67°F | 20 mph S (180°) | 27 mph | 0% | 10% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 4 AM CDT | 66°F | 20 mph S (180°) | 27 mph | 0% | 9% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 5 AM CDT | 66°F | 21 mph SSW (203°) | 28 mph | 0% | 5% | 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 9, 2026 | Friday October 9, 2026 | Friday Night October 9, 2026 | Saturday October 10, 2026 | Saturday Night October 10, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 60° | 88° | 64° | 87° | 66° | 88° | 69° | 90° | 64° | 81° | 61° | 79° | 55° | 74° |
| Wind | SSW 14 mph | SSW 14 to 21 mph | S 16 to 21 mph | SSW 21 to 26 mph | S 22 mph | SSW 21 to 26 mph | SSW 22 mph | SSW 22 mph | SSW 17 mph | WSW 15 mph | SE 15 mph | SSW 17 mph | SW 9 to 13 mph | NNW 10 to 18 mph |
| Gusts | 20 mph | 31 mph | 30 mph | 38 mph | 32 mph | 36 mph | 32 mph | 31 mph | 28 mph | 24 mph | 24 mph | 27 mph | 22 mph | 25 mph |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 3% | 10% | 43% | 43% | 26% | 15% |
| Forecast |
Good for fishing (82/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: 0% chance of precipitation. Dawn hours (05:00 local). Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend, water temperature. Confidence is moderate (74%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Good for boating (79/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. Wind 14 mph from the south-southwest. 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.
Excellent for sailing (95/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 14 mph from the SSW is in the preferred sailing range. No active official alerts for this lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Good for kayaking (79/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. Wind 14 mph from the south-southwest. Confidence is high (90%).
Water temperature is not available from a verified source for this lake. No swimming score is shown without it.
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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.
A versatile water resource in KS, Horsethief Reservoir offers expansive open waters for motorized cruising, sailing, and shoreline fishing. The lake's dynamic character across the seasons attracts outdoor enthusiasts year-round. Check current USGS streamflow gauges, water temperatures, and state regulations for the best experience.
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.
Low-wake cruising, electric-troll fishing craft, and quiet-water exploration. Target gamefish include Bluegill, 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 Horsethief Reservoir 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 9, 5:40 AM CDT