I know a lot of the KC area guys use that Kaw Point area, but who has been to the Cedar Creek access (its a little north of the intersection of 83rd and Gardner Rd.)? Whats the fishing like in that area? Whats the average water depth? Current strong/weak? Is it a safe area to park over night? If you know anything or have heard anything about it I'd like to hear. I've been wanting to fish on the Kaw for a while now, but I have been limited by the fact that I have a smaller boat and I only had the trolling motor to get around. Now that I have a motor I'm ready. Plus my family just moved up to Shawnee and its only about 10 min. from this ramp. Let me know what you know, thanks.
I've launched there a bunch of times, and never had problems leaving my car there late / overnight. The biggest problem will be the shallow water. When the Kaw is below 4000cfs (Desoto guage), which it is for a lot of the summer, it gets pretty hard to find enough water. I launched last summer when the river was at 2500cfs, and the transition area from Cedar Creek to the Kaw was no more than 6 inches deep. I managed to get a few hundred feet upstream before the shallows won out and I couldn't find a path through. There is a little deeper water going downstream, but you have to be careful not to cross anything too shallow, as it's a lot harder to get back going upstream. It changes a little every year as to what is shallow vs deep, but the shallow always comes into play pretty quick when the water is down. It's worth it though, when there is a little more water. That is a great section of river that doesn't get a lot of traffic. Even when it's low you can motor out to the mouth of the Kaw, I've had decent luck fishing right there. Be really careful of submerged rocks starting around the intersection with the Kaw side channel, they will sneak up on you. I'd usually motor down to that point and then paddle or let the current pull me through until I'm almost to the main river.
So are you saying that even the Kansas River is shallow there at times or just Cedar Creek? Thanks for the info by the way.
The Kansas River is shallow, too. It looks like a lot more water than what is really there. You end up dealing with shallow water from any of the ramps between 435 and Lawrence, but the section between Cedar Creek and Eudora is about the worst.
By the way, here is the link to the gauges and stuff: Main Page of Links http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/watermanagement/ DeSoto Gauge http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ks/nwis/uv/?site_no=06892350&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060 Don't be afraid to try when the water is low, just don't have big expectations of being able to get very far beyond the creek mouth..
Thanks alot, I really appreciate the info. I will have to give my buddy in KC a call and see if he can try it out with me on a weekend soon. Looks like it is up according to those sites you gave me... I would guess it should stay high enough for a little while.
I'll probably be fishing out near the boat ramp in desoto today if anybody is interested. Or if somebody wants to fish at the 435 weir i would be up for it. I don't have a clue as to how to get down there from the highway and where we are allowed to fish down there. Let me know, 9139632649 Jake
Hey Jake I need a fishing partner who can teach me to throw a cast net. I have a 16' jon for the Kaw or a bass boat rigged out for the Missouri. I haven't ever fished the Kaw out of Desoto I have fished with Catdaddy Shumway at the confluence of the Kaw and the Wakarusa {right where the guy drowned the other day....did they ever find him? } I'm off every sat sunday and Monday.Can put you on a bunch of Channel cats in another month or so. Send me a Pm if you wanna go sometime. Also used to fish Shawnee mission a lot we might have to do that if gas gets any more expensive. :big_smile:
I'm up for it. I sent you a pm. As for tonight. I just fished from the boat ramp right there at cedar creek and caught 2 small channel cats and about a 3 pound drum. i was using worms and minnows that i caught with a cast net.
