Cheney Lake, Kansas: Sailing, Fishing, Camping & Visitor Guide

Ask a sailor to name the best lake in Kansas and they won’t hesitate: Cheney. Spread across about 9,500 acres of open prairie water a half-hour west of Wichita, Cheney Reservoir is the windiest lake in the lower 48 states – average wind speeds just under 14 mph – which is bad news for umbrellas and very good news for anyone with a sail. On a breezy summer weekend you’ll see a hundred multicolored sailboats leaning across the water at once, and the lake regularly hosts national regattas. It’s also Wichita’s drinking-water reservoir, a top wiper and walleye fishery, and the closest big lake for half a million people. Not bad for a lake most of the country has never heard of.

This guide covers all of Cheney – the sailing and windsurfing it’s famous for, the fishing, the two marinas, the campgrounds and cabins, and the practical stuff like algae advisories and where to launch. It’s part of our growing Kansas Lakes Database.

Cheney Lake at a glance

• Size: ~9,500 acres (9,550 at full pool); about 67 miles of shoreline
• Maximum depth: about 42 feet; normal pool elevation around 1,422 feet
• Location: Reno, Kingman and Sedgwick counties; about 20-25 miles west of Wichita
• Built: dam on the North Fork Ninnescah River, completed in 1965 by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
• Purpose: Wichita’s municipal water supply, plus flood control and recreation
• Top fish: wiper, walleye, white bass, crappie, channel and blue catfish, white perch
• Famous for: being the windiest lake in the lower 48 – a premier sailing and windsurfing destination

The lake that waters Wichita

Cheney is a little different from the big northeast-Kansas reservoirs: it was built by the Bureau of Reclamation, not the Army Corps of Engineers, and its first job is to keep the taps running in Wichita. The bureau dammed the North Fork Ninnescah River with a long earthen embankment and finished the project in 1965; the reservoir has supplied a big share of metro Wichita’s water ever since, which is part of why water quality here gets watched so closely.

One bit of internet trivia worth a smile: in 2016 the digital-mapping company MaxMind moved its “default” U.S. location – the spot that had wrongly pinned countless online complaints on an unlucky Kansas farmhouse – to the middle of Cheney Reservoir, on the sensible theory that nobody lives in a lake.

Sailing and windsurfing at Cheney

This is what put Cheney on the map. With the steadiest, strongest wind of any lake in the lower 48 and 9,500 acres of open water to use it on, Cheney is one of the best sailing lakes in the central United States – Windsurfing magazine once ranked it among the country’s top spots, too. The Ninnescah Sailing Center on the West Shore is the hub of it all, an active club that races throughout the season and helps host regattas that fill the lake with sails. Even if you don’t sail, it’s a sight worth driving out for: a hundred boats heeled over in a stiff Kansas breeze is about as close to the ocean as the prairie gets. Windsurfers and kiteboarders love it for the same reason.

Fishing Cheney Lake

Cheney is a genuinely good fishery, and wiper (hybrid striped bass) is the headliner – hard-pulling fish that roam the open water in schools and reward anglers who chase the surface action. Behind them the lake offers strong walleye, white bass, crappie, and channel and blue catfish, along with bluegill and white perch. It’s open to fishing year-round.

• Wiper & white bass: watch for surface-feeding schools chasing shad in open water on summer mornings and evenings.
• Walleye: work the points, the dam riprap and the river channel; low-light is best.
• Crappie: fish brush, jetties and the marina structure, especially in spring.
• Catfish: the flats and the upper end produce channels and big blues. There’s an ADA-accessible fishing jetty at the Toadstool Loop.

Anglers 16 to 74 need a Kansas fishing license; check the latest KDWP fishing report and limits before you go.

Is Cheney Lake safe to swim? Blue-green algae

Because Cheney is Wichita’s water supply, its water quality is monitored closely – and like other fertile Kansas reservoirs it can develop blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) blooms in summer that bring KDHE Watch and Warning advisories. During a Watch, boating and fishing are fine but avoid swimming near visible scum; during a Warning, keep children and dogs out of the affected water. Check the current KDHE advisory before you swim, and rinse off afterward.

Boating, marinas and ramps

Cheney is built for boats. The state park has two marinas and a remarkable 22 boat-launch lanes across several ramps, so even a busy holiday rarely means waiting to put in. Beyond sailing, you’ll find power boats, ski boats, jet skis and paddlers sharing the water – just respect that famous wind, which can turn this big open lake choppy in a hurry.

Camping and the state park

Cheney State Park wraps the lake across roughly 1,900 acres on the East Shore and West Shore, and it’s one of the better-equipped parks in the system: more than 200 reservable utility (electric/water) campsites, 400-plus primitive sites, and seven modern cabins on the West Shore. Add swim beaches, the Giefer Creek and Spring Creek nature trails, dump stations and a full slate of day-use areas, and you’ve got an easy weekend base. Reserve sites and cabins through the Kansas State Parks system, and remember the state-park vehicle permit.

Getting there and what’s nearby

Cheney sits about 25 minutes west of Wichita off Highway 54, which makes it the go-to lake for Kansas’ largest city and an easy drive from Hutchinson (home of the Cosmosphere space museum and the Kansas State Fair) to the northwest. It’s a true day-trip lake for south-central Kansas, with the wind almost guaranteed.

Know before you go

• State park permit: a Kansas state-park vehicle permit is required for Cheney State Park (daily or annual).
• Fishing license: anglers 16-74 need a Kansas fishing license.
• Algae: check the current KDHE blue-green algae advisory before swimming, and avoid visible scum.
• Wind & safety: Cheney is the windiest lake in the lower 48 – great for sailing, but wear a life jacket and watch the building chop in a small boat.
• Water level: as a water-supply reservoir Cheney can drop in drought – check current conditions before launching.

Frequently asked questions

How big is Cheney Lake?

About 9,500 acres with roughly 67 miles of shoreline, in south-central Kansas about 25 miles west of Wichita. It reaches around 42 feet deep.

Why is Cheney Lake famous for sailing?

Cheney is the windiest lake in the lower 48 states, with average winds near 14 mph and 9,500 acres of open water. The Ninnescah Sailing Center on the West Shore hosts active racing and national regattas, and it’s a top windsurfing spot too.

What fish can you catch at Cheney Lake?

Wiper (hybrid striped bass) is the signature fish, along with walleye, white bass, crappie, channel and blue catfish, bluegill and white perch. The lake is open to fishing year-round.

Can you camp at Cheney Lake?

Yes. Cheney State Park has more than 200 utility campsites, 400-plus primitive sites and seven modern cabins on the West Shore, plus swim beaches and nature trails on the East and West shores.

Is Cheney Lake safe to swim in?

Usually, but because it’s Wichita’s water supply its quality is watched closely, and it can get blue-green algae advisories in summer. Check the current KDHE advisory, avoid visible scum, and keep kids and dogs out during a Warning.

Where is Cheney Lake?

In Reno, Kingman and Sedgwick counties in south-central Kansas, about 20-25 miles west of Wichita off U.S. 54.

Is there a marina at Cheney Lake?

Yes – Cheney State Park has two marinas and 22 boat-launch lanes, making it one of the most boat-friendly lakes in Kansas.

Related: explore more of the largest lakes in Kansas – including Clinton Lake, Milford Lake and Tuttle Creek Lake – or head back to the Kansas Lakes Database.