Elk City Reservoir/Wildlife Area Waterfowl Report -
| Waterfowl numbers | Waterfowl numbers fluctuate with migration, hunting pressure, and changing habitat conditions. |
| Water level | We had around 8 inches of rainfall in early November and got quite a bit of runoff. All of the marshes filled up with only a couple of exceptions. The lake is 0.34 ft above conservation pool right now. For current Reservoir levels visit http://www.swt-wc.usace.army.mil/ELKC.lakepage.html |
| Hunting conditions | The wetlands are all frozen. A good portion of the lake has stayed open but most of the perimeter has a good amount of ice. There is ice at the boat ramps on the reservoir. There was pretty decent vegetative growth in a lot of the wetlands and around the edge of the lake. The end of the summer was extremely dry, and a lot of the vegetation died. Food production was variable across the wetlands. |
| Expected hunting success | Variable. The 5-day split has given the ducks a much-needed break from hunting pressure. The ice will make hunting difficult when season opens back up. TEAL SEASON IS SEPT. 14-29 REGULAR DUCK SEASON IS NOV. 9-JAN. 5 AND JAN. 11-26 |
| Comments | Please do not leave trash on the public ground including empty shells. Individuals utilizing the wildlife area need to be aware of the refuge boundaries. Boats cannot drive through the refuge area on the water. Maps can be obtained at the Fisheries & Wildlife office (below the dam), at the State Park (on the lake side), and online at https://ksoutdoors.com/content/download/20944/140278/file/ELK%20CITY%20RES%20&%20WA.pdf |