All hunters at Glen Elder WA are required to check in and out daily.

Hunters can go to ksoutdoors.com/checkin to check-in / check-out using your licensing login credentials.

There is a deer blind available for use on a first-come basis in the Youth-Mentor Hunting Area

Get the most up-to-date Regional waterfowl reports and prospects.

Glen Elder Wildlife Area encompasses almost 13,200 land acres surrounding the 12,500 acre Glen Elder Reservoir. View a Google Earth map of the area. Located 13 miles west of Beloit, KS. on U.S. Highway 24, the lake was built in 1968 for irrigation, flood control, and recreation. Because the irrigation district below the reservoir was never fully established, the demand is lower than other western Kansas lakes, and the water level remains relatively stable.

You can see and photograph a diversity of wildlife species. In winter, bald and golden eagles visit. Deer and pheasant are common sights. Waterfowl stop on their migrations, and a small Canada goose flock make the area home.

For more information about the area, check the kiosks located around the reservoir or contact the Glen Elder Area Office.

Hunting

Public hunting areas are limited in Kansas, so demand is high. Less than 1% of Kansas land is public. Management continually seeks to enhance quality.

Youth-Mentor Area: 450+ acres along the north shoreline of Waconda Lake have been designated for Youth-Mentor hunting from October 1st through January 31st. Youth must be age 17 or younger. Adult mentors must be at least 18 years of age and are allowed to hunt with the youth. Remember, each hunting mentor must be accompanied by at least 1 youth who is actively hunting. Check-in/ out is required of all hunters (including youth).

There is also a deer blind available for use in the Youth-Mentor area. It is located near the corn fields in the western portion of the Y/M area and can be seen from HWY 24.

Special Hunts: Special hunts for pheasant, waterfowl and deer are offered through the season. Special hunts for youth only are also available. Online applications for these hunts will begin in July on the KDWP website. For more details about special hunts, contact the Glen Elder Office. KDWP and the Waconda Lake Association have organized and held a Youth, Women and Celebrity Pheasant Hunt for the past 14 years, and the Osborne County Pheasants Forever Chapter has co-sponsored a youth dove hunt since 2011.

Special Disability Area: There is a 160 acre area on the southeast corner is open to vehicle access for disabled persons through a special permit. Contact the Glen Elder Area Office for details.

Big Game: Deer populations cycle with habitat and hunter harvest. Most deer are whitetails with a few mule deer in the area. Turkey numbers are fair in the local area, but their usage of the WA varies seasonally.

Upland Game: Pheasant populations fluctuate yearly with the most hunting pressure during the season opener. Diverse habitats - grass, crops, weeds- produce the best results. Quail numbers are generally fair. In some areas vegetation is heavy and can be difficult to walk through.

Migratory Birds: Doves are plentiful until cold weather moves in. Sunflower fields are the best hunting. Geese and ducks use the area during migration, depending upon habitat conditions. Most goose hunting occurs when the geese leave the area to feed. Early season duck numbers depend on flooded shoreline vegetation. A water level plan that lowers the lake in June and raises it in September is planned each year, but only rainfall makes the plan work. Duck and goose numbers usually peak in December.

General Area Information

Lake Level: 4 1/2 feet below conservation (normal) pool as of early December 2025. We will still need multiple significant rain events to return closer to normal levels.  Current lake level can be seen at Waconda Lake Information - U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

Boat Ramps: With low water, the Boller Point boat ramp is the only functional ramp for small craft outside of the State Park. A new boat ramp at Boller Point was completed in early 2025.

Camping: Camping is available in Glen Elder State Park (N.E. corner of the lake) where numerous sites are open including showers and electric and water hookups. Primitive camping on the Wildlife Area is only allowed in designated locations. Camping in parking lots is not allowed. The designated locations are North Fork, Fisherman's Bridge, Carr Creek, Boller Point, Schoen's Cove, and the Bluffs areas.

Camp Fires must be in established metal fire-rings only. Users are not allowed to burn any other items (i.e., trash) except wood or charcoal.

There are no trash receptacles on the Wildlife Area. Please take your trash with you.

Shooting Range: Open during daylight hours. If there are muddy conditions, users may have to walk in from the gates. Everything brought into the range should be taken home with you including spent casings and targets.