| Waterfowl | Waterfowl numbers slightly higher than last survey. (1/16/26)
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| Lake level | Lake Level is 875.66 Conservation Pool is 875.50 Clinton Wildlife Area Refuge is Open (Closed October 1-January 15) |
| Hunting conditions | Wetland Pools ALL WETLAND POOLS ARE CURRENTLY ICE FREE- *As of 1/16/25* Forecasted arctic conditions will freeze most pools up. Coblentz - All pools are full. Good millet and smartweed with perimeter rows of standing corn and some sorghums. Be mindful of deep water around structures on East side of Southeast and middle pools and in waterways. Pump is off. East Coblentz- Full. Food sources in pool are beggar's ticks and smartweed with some millet. Deep, open pool on Northeast side of marsh past berm. Shadden- "Little Shadden" (South of Wakarusa) mostly dry, with millets and smartweed; filled by rainfall only. "Big Shadden" South pool- mostly dry, standing and cut corn; North pool- less than 1/4 filled, with water in low spots. Good millet with standing/harvested corn on perimeter of newly constructed marsh (on the North side of Wakarusa river.) Open to hunting, needs rainfall for more huntable water. Elk Creek- Elk Creek pools are mostly dry, with water in low spots. See below. *A portion of the funding for long-needed Elk Creek marsh renovations was recently allocated from KDHE with the unfortunate expiration date of 12/31/2025. The water levels had to be dropped enough to set new control structures, drainage pipes, and complete grading and dirt work. Again, the timing is extremely unfortunate, and staff remains dedicated to making lasting improvements to the quality and overall amount of public waterfowl hunting available at Clinton Wildlife Area.* The Refuge pool is roughly 1/2 to 3/4 filled. Elk creek marsh pools are numbered from West to East, with pool 1 next to Elk Creek boat ramp and parking lot. Food: moist-soil vegetation- millets, smartweed, and beggar's ticks. Cut corn with rows left standing in pools 1, 2, and 3. *Additional rainfall* and colder weather may change conditions throughout the property, as well as local waterfowl numbers rapidly. -Recent rains are filling some tributaries and should help starting to fill some rain-filled only marshes and oxbows. Lake- Lake level is just above normal pool. As of 1/16/26, there is NO ICE on lake. That will change with cold conditions. Expect shallow, exposed areas to be frozen within 24 hours of this update. There are many shallow areas of the lake that offer mudflats for waterfowl hunting opportunities. Seed-producing vegetation grew in many of the dried lake edges as the levels dropped. Wildlife Area REFUGE is currently OPEN. Clinton W.A. Refuge will be CLOSED FROM OCTOBER 1ST, 2025 TO JANUARY 15TH, 2026. Please look for signage and the line indicating the Western Refuge boundary. It runs North and South along the back side of pool 3. The East Refuge boundary extends 1/2 mile east of County Rd. 1023, running parallel to the road, across the Wakarusa arm of Clinton reservoir. KDWP 2025-2026 Online Hunting Atlas Clinton contains miles of creeks, rivers and oxbows on the wildlife area; each of which has unique conditions and frequently hold waterfowl when weather and/or hunting pressure pushes them from marsh pools.
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| Expected hunting success | Poor to fair |
| Comments | IMPORTANT! Clinton Wildlife Area is utilizing an electronic check-in system required of all hunters. To check-in / check-out, please go to https://ksoutdoors.com/checkin using your licensing login credentials. Please remember that trapping is also allowed on the Wildlife Area. Elk Creek (Wakarusa River) and Coon Creek (Lake) boat ramps are open. Rock Creek Boat ramp is closed; a gravel launch area for canoes and kayaks is available when lake is above normal reservoir pool (875.5). |
