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Oklahoma Reports
from Anglers
Winter trout areas open November 1
Oklahoma anglers have a chance to enjoy the unique experience
of
trout fishing within the state when six designated winter trout
areas open
Nov. 1.
"The wintertime trout areas are very popular additions
to our
year-round trout fisheries on the lower Illinois and lower Mountain
Fork
rivers," said Barry Bolton, assistant chief of fisheries
for the Oklahoma
Department of Wildlife Conservation. "These fisheries provide
trout fishing
in areas where warm water temperatures are not suitable for trout
during the
summer. They are stocked regularly with catchable size rainbow
trout, and
they are very popular with anglers all over the state."
The areas are managed by the Department and offer trout fishing
opportunities throughout the state, Bolton added. Stocking schedules
for
every trout area are posted on the Department's Web site, however,
stocking
dates do change at times due to circumstances beyond the Department's
control. Many anglers enjoy scheduling their trips around stocking
dates,
but all the areas offer quality fishing throughout the season.
Those wishing to fish any designated trout area must possess
a trout
license in addition to a resident or non-resident fishing license.
There are
no exemptions for the trout license, which cost $7.75 and is
available at
license vendors across the state.
Visit the Department's Web site, www.wildlifedepartment.com for more
information on trout fishing, trout stocking schedules, and the
following
designated wintertime trout areas.
Lake Carl Etling - This 159-acre lake is located within Black
Mesa State
Park in Cimarron Co. Trout season runs Nov. 1 - April 30. To
get there, take
US-325 28 miles west of Boise City. Boat ramps are on the south
and east
sides of the lake. Primitive and developed camping facilities
are available
at the park.
Quartz Mountain - The designated trout area is directly below
the dam at
Lake Altus-Lugert. Trout season runs Nov. 1 - March 15. To get
there from
Altus, take OK-44A north about 18 miles. Lodging and camping
facilities are
available at Quartz Mountain State Park.
Blue River - The Blue River trout area is located within the
Blue River
Public Fishing and Hunting Area near Tishomingo. Trout season
runs Nov. 1 -
March 31. To get there from Tishomingo, go four miles east on
OK-78 and then
six miles north. Bank access and wade fishing is available throughout
the
area. Primitive camping is allowed at the Blue River campground.
Robbers Cave - Located in Robbers Cave State Park, the Robbers
Cave trout
fishery is located directly below Carlton Lake Dam to the south
boundary of
the park. Trout season runs Nov. 1 - March 15. To get there from
Wilburton,
go five miles north on OK-2. Bank access and wade fishing is
available
anywhere within state park boundaries. Camping facilities and
cabins are
available at the park.
Lake Watonga - This 55-acre lake lies within Roman Nose State
Park. Trout
season runs Nov. 1 - March 31. To get there from Watonga, go
seven miles
north on OK-8A. Bank access and a boat ramp are on the west side
of the
lake. Camping and lodging are available at the park.
Lake Pawhuska - This 96-acre lake is about three miles south
of Pawhuska.
Trout season runs Nov. 1 - March 31. During that time, the City
of Pawhuska
waives the City fishing fee. To get there from Pawhuska, go three
miles
south on OK-60, and then go 1.75 miles east on a marked County
road. Lake
facilities include a boat ramp, fishing dock and restrooms. Primitive
camping is available at the lake, and developed camping is available
at
nearby Lake Bluestem.
Striped bass numbers way up at Lake Texoma
April 5, 2001 - Netting data from this spring shows
that striped bass populations
are higher than they have been in the last 15 years at Lake Texoma,
one of
Oklahoma's most popular vacation spots and one of the best inland
striper
fisheries in the country.
Fisheries biologists with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife
Conservation (ODWC) and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department surveyed
the Red
and Washita River arms of the 88,000-acre lake in February and
their results
verify what local anglers have been saying in the last few years
- fishing
is getting better and better. Gill net catch rates, a standardized
survey
method used by fisheries professionals to measure fish populations,
shows
that this year's catch rates are the highest since 1987, and
catch rates for
large fish (those 20 inches or longer) are the highest since
1985.
"Fishing should be excellent as we move through the end
of spring
into summer," said Paul Mauck, southcentral region fisheries
supervisor for
the ODWC. "Reports of anglers catching fish upwards of 20
pounds are
becoming more common, and although recent rains have temporarily
slowed
fishing success due to high, muddy water, I expect anglers will
see one of
the best fishing years in recent memory."
Mauck added that one of the most telling aspects of the survey
data
involves the percent of the catch made up of fish 20 inches and
longer.
"More than 25 percent of this year's catch were larger fish,"
he said. "That
certainly bodes well for anglers who like catching bigger stripers."
Shad, which are small baitfish that striped bass feed on, experienced
some
winterkill this year due to several prolonged cold snaps. That
could make
the striped bass even easier to catch, since they won't have
as much natural
forage available as they usually do.
"Gizzard shad numbers are relatively good, but threadfin
numbers are below
normal," Mauck said. "We will be collecting threadfin
broostock from other
locations, and do not expect any long-term impacts from this
winter's shad
kill."
Those fishing Lake Texoma need either an Oklahoma or Texas
annual fishing
license, or anglers can purchase a $7.75 Lake Texoma Fishing
License. Those
fishing with a regular state license are restricted to fishing
only those
Texoma waters in their respective state (for example, an angler
with an
Oklahoma license must stay on the Oklahoma side of the lake),
while those
fishing on a Texoma License may fish the entire lake.
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