Cheney Reservoir is a Bureau of Reclamation storage project on the North Fork Ninnescah River in south-central Kansas, developed as part of the Wichita Project. Completed in 1965, the reservoir covers approximately 10,284 acres. It is managed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation primarily for municipal and industrial water supply for the Wichita area, with flood storage and recreation as companion purposes.

About 67 miles of shoreline frame a mix of open water, creek arms, points, and wind-exposed flats typical of a plains supply reservoir. Depth and bottom character vary from shallower shoreline margins to deeper water toward the dam, giving anglers and boaters both protected coves and broader main-lake habitat. The Ninnescah basin setting and relatively compact shoreline-to-acreage pattern distinguish Cheney from larger multi-arm mountain or timbered highland lakes.

Cheney Reservoir supports recreational boating, fishing, and shoreline use through public access points and recreation facilities around the pool. Sportfishing and boating rules are guided by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. The lake draws regional day-use and overnight visitors seeking open-water recreation on a managed water-supply reservoir.

Reclamation manages Cheney between published operating elevations that include a conservation pool near 1,421.6 feet, a flood pool near 1,429 feet, and a dead pool near 1,378.5 feet. Inflows, municipal demand, and flood-storage operations move the surface through that band. Monitoring lake levels matters for ramp access, fishing success, shoreline conditions, and understanding how much active storage remains above dead pool.

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