Since I moved to OKC from western Oklahoma almost 10 years ago, I've done a whole lot less fishing. I'm looking for some ponds in the area or some good fishing spots at local lakes that are nice & quiet. There were some places in far NW OKC that I used to go to that have been developed, so those are off of the table now. Any suggestions within an hour of OKC?

Also, any general discussion about fishing would be cool too. Live bait or Lures? Ever been noodling? Favorite species to eat? What is your trophy?

I'll start.

I like to fish for crappie and sand bass, the texture and flavor just seems to hit my palate the best. I like to eat channel cat too, though I've never really gotten the hang of catching/filleting them..My most memorable trophy would have to be a stringer of about 50 bluegill I caught in an afternoon at Grand Lake when I was about 10...

So thats a start...any suggestions on a good spot to rekindle my love of fishing?

Lake Arcadia.. hubby caught six this morning.. don't ask me what kind though!

fishing and a rock concert?

thats a great start for a weekend.

We just started this year with the kids, it rubbed off on us, and now the wife & boy can't get enough in!

We're near the airport, so SW OKC is convient for us. Crystal Lake & OK River have been kind to us lately, sadly it was a slow start, took over a dozen trips before the first catch! Novice? Cold? who knows, but now that it's warmed up, the fish are biting!

We just do catch & release, mostly pan fish, but have landed a few bass, cats, and crappie, maybe carp in the river?

Tried many lures, only had 2 work, fish shapped ones. worms and corn are the real winners lately.

Good Luck!

Well I love to fish. Been doing it ever since I was 5. I am the same way, I don't fish much around here. Most of the fishing I do is when I go back home to Arkansas.

I am mainly a bass fisherman, but love to eat crappie and like to catfish as well.

Have you tried thunderbird?

You might try the Wes Watkins reservoir out by harrah off I-40. Haven't tried it yet but my cousin says it is pretty good for crappie and bass. As far as bait goes read the listings in the paper as to what the fish are biting on. I prefer minnows and small jigs for crappie and lures and spinners for bass.

HERE (http://www.okctalk.com/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=224974)'s some general information about local "Close to Home" fishing spots.

Here (http://www.okc.gov/lakes/2009%20Fishing%20Regulations%20Final2.pdf) is a brochure that outlines the City's fishing regulations for 2009, and gives you specific catch limits, and lets you know what types of fish are stocked in our "Close to Home" waters.

You might try Blue River near Tishomingo. I know this isn't really local but its only about 1 to 1 1/2 hours away which makes it doable for a weekend. The fishing is great....sometimes too good. Last time we went there it got boring because we actually spent more time taking fish off the hook than we did with our hook in the water. No kidding, we found a deep spot just downstream from one of the waterfalls (Mimosa falls I believe) and as soon as we cast in, the fish hit the bait. The hook never had a chance to hit the bottom. Theres some decent (primitive) camping spots if you deciide to camp. I dont think theres a fee to camp, but you will need either a fishing license or a blue river passport to camp there. Heres two links.

Home Page (http://blueriverok.com/)

Blue River Oklahoma (http://www.outdoorsok.com/Oklahoma/Blue)

It's past that time of year now, but Blue River is stocked with trout up until March, I think, so you'd need a trout stamp if fishing there during the fall/winter months.

My husband likes Rush Springs - also I hear them speak of Konawa. Jstanthrnme - do you tube fish in the ponds or just bank it?

Ha, no I'm just a casual angler. A camp chair, tacklebox, rod & reel, and icechest is the extent of my fishing equipment. I don't think I could handle going out in a tube, seems like thats a bit to serious for my tastes.

I think I'm going to go to American Horse Lake next week. I hear the bass aren't all that big, but there are a lot, and they bite. Its N of Geary in Blaine County. Its like a big farm pond. Its a public lake, but it is completely undeveloped. No facilities but also, no crowds.

http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/freefishing.htm
Oklahoma’s Free Fishing Days slated

Anglers can fish for free June 6-7 during Oklahoma’s Free Fishing Days, which allow people to fish without state fishing licenses or permits (including trout licenses and fishing and hunting legacy permits).
Fishing in Oklahoma normally requires a license and a fishing and hunting legacy permit, which you can purchase at various sporting good vendors across the state. Additionally, trout anglers must normally possess a trout license to fish in designated trout waters in the state.
“Oklahoma’s Free Fishing Days provide a good chance to take someone who has never been angling on a fishing trip with you, since they don’t have to buy a license or permit to go,” said Damon Springer, Aquatic Resource Education coordinator for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. “Anglers have an opportunity to draw someone to the sport who otherwise wouldn’t know what fun they are missing.”
According to Springer, there are many accessible waters to fish in Oklahoma, ranging from lakes and rivers to urban ponds designated by the Wildlife Department as “Close to Home Fishing” waters. Anglers who don’t know where to start can turn to the Wildlife Department’s weekly state fishing report to find just the right place to go. Anglers can receive the fishing report by subscribing to the Department’s weekly news release at Wildlife News service (http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/wl_news.htm)
“The Department’s state fishing report is compiled by Wildlife Department employees and volunteers and covers lakes and waters throughout every region in the state,” Springer said. “The reports offer information about water conditions as well as which fish are biting and on what baits.”
Anglers should note that certain city permits may still apply to specific fishing areas during Free Fishing Days.
Oklahoma was the first state in the nation to offer free fishing days over 25 years ago and has since been followed by dozens of other states that have established similar days.
Anglers should be aware of and abide by all Texas fishing license and permit requirements when fishing the Texas portion of Lake Texoma June 6-7. The Texas Free Fishing Day is June 6, so anglers will be able to fish both Texas and Oklahoma portions of the lake for free that day. On June 7, free fishing will only be allowed on the Oklahoma portion of the lake. Anglers must follow all other fishing regulations.


Thats this weekend!

OK so is there any fishing possibilities on the Canadian River? I live in Norman, and have been looking for places close to here to fish. Me and the cousin have been doing some pond jumping lately. But we have access to that river, but it just seems so shallow...are there any deep holes? Are there any fish in it at all?

Has anyone ever fished in the North Canadian (Oklahoma) River?

I've been tempted to try it, but have yet to because I don't know enough about it. The guy at the bait shop on MacArthur was telling me Eastern is a popular spot, but I wouldn't know which side of the dam to fish on. Any advice?

I've been fishing recently at the spillway of Overholser, and have caught nothing of real value. I saw a guy catch a gar, and I've caught a few drum. I caught some small channel cats on nightcrawlers too, but nothing big at all. I've also been going to Hefner too, and Sand Bass are biting on minnows. Anybody have any other reports?

OK so is there any fishing possibilities on the Canadian River? I live in Norman, and have been looking for places close to here to fish. Me and the cousin have been doing some pond jumping lately. But we have access to that river, but it just seems so shallow...are there any deep holes? Are there any fish in it at all?

you live in norman and are bypassing lake thunderbird??

tsk, tsk.

well at the time we didn't have a boat, so it's a bit hard to fish it. but just last week we bought a little 14 ft aluminum jon boat, so we will be able to fish it soon once we get it tagged and titled (having problems with that)

I have been looking for a small boat. I was leaning towards a jon boat, but have looked at some zodiacs too.

Where did you get your boat from, nik4411?

Well we saw it on craigslist, the guy was selling it out of Cyril. Pretty decent little boat. 14 ft, aluminum, v-hull, nice and deep and wide, so it seems pretty stable. Was only 200 dollars, so a great deal.

The zodiacs are the inflatable boats?

Yeah. but I think a Jon Boat would better suit my purposes. I'll have to keep my eye on Craigslist..

Yea just keep an eye on craigslist and even the paper if you get it...there are always boats being sold out there

Wait for winter to get here and you'll start seeing boats cheap.

Thats what I was thinking.

I'm actually about to go fishing right now. Not sure where though. I was thinking about the Zoo Lake..

Ive always wondered about the zoo lake...how is it?

There is a residential pond in norman, that i can usually catch some really nice bass....
last week i caught a nice 5 pounder, great fish. what a hawg

I didn't spend but an hour or so at Zoo Lake. I caught one miniscule bluegill. But I did get some pretty hard hits that I couldn't set the hook on because I was fooling with my other pole. Largemouth at Zoo Lake are catch and release only, so if your fishing for keepers, go somewhere else. There are fish there though. The Wildlife Department has fish feeders set up every couple hundred yards. A guy at the bait shop was telling me about some good sized catfish he had caught there.

Hmm I might have to check that out thanks for the info. Im mainly a bass fisherman but ive never kept one my whole life. Catch and release only. I very rarely keep any fish, usually only crappie, and sometimes some catfish. Can you keep the cats? And is the lake clean?
And it always seems like when you are distracted with another pole or talking to someone else or something like that is when you get the best hits!

At zoo lake, the limit on catfish is 6. Its nice there. Don't be suprised when you hear a lot of loud gangsta rap though.

I tried out the Oklahoma River yesterday. After spending most of the day at Dolese and Hefner, and not catching a thing, I decided to give the river a shot. I caught a half-dozen sandies in about 30 minutes. I'll definately be going back there.

See I have wondered about the oklahoma river as well. Might have to check that out...do you really have to have that city permit to fish hefner, the river and the likes?

This link might provide some information - City of Oklahoma City | Fishing Regulations (http://www.okc.gov/lakes/regulations.html)

anybody been doing any fishing? havent been able to much the lat few weeks.

jstanthrnme what about you?

I'm curious I live right on the OK river near downtown, what can be caught in it, and what baits should I use ? jstanthrnme, what did you use,and where ?

I've been fishing a lot recently. Mostly at Lake Hefner. Though today I spent about 5 hours at Overholser along the west shore near the covered pier, and then went to the spillway. Nothing except for a couple of bites. After that I went to Dolese Youth Park for a couple of hours. No fish, but I did catch two giant crawdads. I'm gonna go out tommorow too, either to Roman Nose State Park, or American Horse Lake in Blaine County. Hopefully I'll have better luck.

For the river, if your going for sand bass, try minnows. You can fish pretty much anywhere along it. The guy at the bait shop has told me that around Eastern is a popular spot. Though I've only been to the park near Robinson on the south side. If you're looking for live bait, the shop on MacArthur near Wilshire on the west side of Lake Hefner has it all. Goldfish, Crickets, Crawdads, Minnows, Nightcrawlers...They're extremely nice too.

I was also going to mention a 21 inch walleye that I caught in early September at Lake Hefner. That was definately exciting. I caught him on a minnow on an overcast late afternoon on the covered pier by the golf course. I have seen a few others pulled out of there too. That is my trophy fish at the moment. The previous trophy was a brook trout that I caught in the headwaters of the Colorado River in Rocky Mountain National Park off of a Rooster Tail in late July.

Speaking of trout, the wildlife department will begin stocking trout this weekend in certain lakes. A trout liscence is required in addition to required fishing permits.

Here is the trout stocking schedule:
Trout Stocking (http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/trtstok.htm)

I'd like to point out that the Wildlife Department has started stocking rainbow trout in the pond at Dolese Youth Park at 50th & Meridian.

Here is a link:
OKC trout season coming soon (http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/dolese.htm)

ha, so several months later...thats funny i once caught a 21 inch walleye out of lake eufaula many years ago when i was a kid. caught it off a rocky point with a swim bait.

but, its that time of year again. the weather is warming up, and slowly, the water temps will be too. time to start fishing.

friday i hit a local residential pond here in norman i love to fish. i catch a lot of really quality sized bass out of there. i hooked and landed a decent fish, prob a pound and a half, and hooked another but let him get in the air and he shook the lure out. i only fished for about 30 minutes.

I've been fishing quite a bit over the winter months.. No luck at all.

This past weekend, I went to Roman Nose State Park for their annual Trout Derby. There were a lot of people who were pulling rainbow trout out of the lake left and right. I haven't quite mastered the technique to catching trout. It was fun though. The one trout I did catch, somehow, was able to get out of my fish basket.

Springtime is on its way though, they'll be spawning soon, and with that comes some great fishing.

Fishing is a great sport; learned it as a kid.

However, just a reminder: always get permission from the land owner if you are going to fish on "private property." We live in a residential neighborhood w/ponds, which are limited ONLY to the lake residents; otherwise, it is "trespassing." Further, the fish in those ponds are "catch and release" because of all the yard/street pollution that goes into the ponds. I would never want to eat any fish from them.

And get yourself a fishing license and carry it! Just saw a game warden checking licenses at the pond at SW 104 & S Penn the other day.

Enjoy the fishing!

A great place to fish that turns out some HUGE striper and catfish would be the Oklahoma River... Down by Eastern there is a great dam to fish off of and it's really quiet down there. The people that go out there are there to fish usually so you don't have to worry about any problems (usually). Unless you run into an angry bum... Which hasn't happened to me but I try to stay alert!