Trace element analyses have been commonly used to differentiate water sources and reconstruct life histories of fishes. However, baseline information related to trace element signatures in water sources and calcified structures from fishes are needed to facilitate these evaluations. Water samples were collected from 79 sampling locations in Kansas between 2017 and 2019 including 25 reservoirs, six water sources for four state-owned fish hatcheries, 23 Kansas River basin sites, and 25 Neosho River basin sites. Molar ratios (mmol/mol) of five elements with Ca as a base (Ba/Ca, Mg/Ca, Mn/Ca, Na/Ca, and Sr/Ca) were measured from samples at each location. Water chemistry signatures exhibited variability among fish hatcheries, reservoirs, and downstream gradients of both rivers, suggesting potential for source identification using trace element analyses. Two fish species that are recreationally important in Kansas and may be candidates for life-history reconstruction using trace element analyses are Walleye (Sander vitreus) and Blue Catfish (Ictalurus furcatus). To this end, molar ratios of Ba/Ca and Sr/Ca were examined from 105 adult Walleye sagittal otoliths collected from 10 Kansas impoundments and 26 juvenile Walleye reared in three Kansas hatcheries. In addition, lapillus otoliths were examined using the same techniques from 43 adult Blue Catfish from eight Kansas impoundments. Like water samples, fish from different reservoirs often had distinct signatures. Linear regression provided further evidence that molar ratios observed from otoliths can be predicted reasonably well (r² = 0.692 to 0.888) by water chemistry. These results provide evidence that trace element analyses are useful for examining origin and broad movements of select Kansas fishes.