Oklahoma Lake Suggestion

[rtwvumtneer6]

Cautiously optimistic that next years college football season will allow us to travel to Stillwater and Norman.  Looking for suggestions on a lake to target in central/northeast Oklahoma during the trip.  

 

Thanks!  

[Bankc]

How near is near?  The reason I ask is because there aren't any good lakes that are very close to either Stillwater or Norman.  But if you don't mind a bit of drive out, then you can find some pretty good bodies of water.  

 

I'd recommend Konawa or Lake of the Arbuckles for the ones nearest Norman.  You're still talking about an hour to an hour and a half drive from Norman.  But they're both really good bass lakes.  I especially love Konawa for all of it's grass.  Thunderbird and Stanley Draper are the closest lakes to Norman.  Both are terrible for fishing, are as muddy as you can imagine, and neither have much for cover.  Unless you like white bass, catfish, or crappie, I'd avoid them.  Between the two, I'd pick Stanley Draper because it has a bit more cover and is recently renovated.  

 

The nearest good lakes to Stillwater are probably Sooner Lake and Bell Cow Lake.  They're about a 40-50 mile drive away, and once again, both are excellent black bass lakes.  Watch out on Bell Cow.  There are like a million trees, and some are extend 20 feet above the water and 15 feet below, and other extend 20 feet above the water and 6 inches below.  So it's easy to ground your boat or destroy your prop on a stump if you're not paying attention to your sonar.  Carl Blackwell and Lake McMurtry are closest lakes to Stillwater.  They're better than Thunderbird and Stanley Draper, but still not really worth your time, unless you're into (again) white bass, catfish, and crappie.  Between those two, I'd go with Carl Blackwell, if I had to chose.  It's going to be more of a party lake, but the party tends to be more along the shore than on the water.  

[jbsoonerfan]

Bradley Hallman might disagree with you about Dirtybird.

[Bankc]

11 hours ago, jbsoonerfan said:

Bradley Hallman might disagree with you about Dirtybird.

And I will let him!  That guy definitely knows a lot more about fishing than me!  

 

And I will concede that there are definitely big bass in Dirtybird.  Some of the guys who spend a lot of time on that water know how to find them.  But that lake generally requires you to really know it well.  There aren't many stories of people catching a limit or personal best their first time out.  It's a lot like Draper, in my opinion.  And since I fish Draper often (due to proximity), I might be biased towards it over Dirtybird.  After all, I know Draper pretty well, and while it took me a long time to learn that lake and where to find the fish, I now can do alright there.  

 

Konawa and Lake of the Arbuckles have clearer water (none of that red mud), more grass and cover, bigger and more LMB on average, and are just easier to find the fish in.  They also has less fishing pressure, as Dirtybird is next to the biggest metropolis in Oklahoma.  Konawa and Lake of the Arbuckles have both been ranked on the Bassmaster's Top 100 lakes in the country, numerous times.  I bet if you asked 100 serious anglers who have fished all three which one they're rather fish if travel and time wasn't an issue, 99 of them will reply Konawa or Lake of the Arbuckles.  

 

 

[jbsoonerfan]

1 minute ago, Bankc said:

And I will let him!  That guy definitely knows a lot more about fishing than me!  

 

And I will concede that there are definitely big bass in Dirtybird.  Some of the guys who spend a lot of time on that water know how to find them.  But that lake generally requires you to really know it well.  There aren't many stories of people catching a limit or personal best their first time out.  

 

Konawa and Lake of the Arbuckles have clearer water (none of that red mud), more grass and cover, bigger and more LMB on average, and are just easier to find the fish in.  They also has less fishing pressure, as Dirtybird is next to the biggest metropolis in Oklahoma.  Konawa and Lake of the Arbuckles have both been ranked on the Bassmaster's Top 100 lakes in the country, numerous times.  I bet if you asked 100 serious anglers who have fished all three which one they're rather fish if travel and time wasn't an issue, 99 of them will reply Konawa or Lake of the Arbuckles.  

 

 

I've spent more than my fair share of time on Konawa and quite a bit on Arbuckle, although I have had a lot more success on Konawa. I like to fish skinny water and there just isn't a lot of fish-able structure on Arbuckle in shallow water. I have NEVER fished Thunderbird, mainly for the reasons that you mentioned, I have always heard it is tough. I might actually sneak down to Arbuckle tomorrow and see if I can't find a smallmouth or two.

[BlakeMolone]

On 10/13/2020 at 9:52 AM, jbsoonerfan said:

I've spent more than my fair share of time on Konawa and quite a bit on Arbuckle, although I have had a lot more success on Konawa. I like to fish skinny water and there just isn't a lot of fish-able structure on Arbuckle in shallow water. I have NEVER fished Thunderbird, mainly for the reasons that you mentioned, I have always heard it is tough. I might actually sneak down to Arbuckle tomorrow and see if I can't find a smallmouth or two.

Do you have any recommendations for smaller lakes within an hour and a half of Tulsa? Have you spent much time fishing Bixhoma?

[jbsoonerfan]

4 minutes ago, BlakeMolone said:

Do you have any recommendations for smaller lakes within an hour and a half of Tulsa? Have you spent much time fishing Bixhoma?

Okemah or Eufaula would be my choices. While Eufaula is not a smaller lake there are plenty of places to put in and stay out of the big water. Okemah is a small lake and the fishing can be good there. Last time I was there was in the Spring and there was a LOT of grass already on the surface back then. I don't know what it is like now. You can go to the dam and put the TM down and fish that entire west bank going back south and you are bound to catch a few there. I might be heading that way next week if the weather cooperates. 

[BlakeMolone]

46 minutes ago, jbsoonerfan said:

Okemah or Eufaula would be my choices. While Eufaula is not a smaller lake there are plenty of places to put in and stay out of the big water. Okemah is a small lake and the fishing can be good there. Last time I was there was in the Spring and there was a LOT of grass already on the surface back then. I don't know what it is like now. You can go to the dam and put the TM down and fish that entire west bank going back south and you are bound to catch a few there. I might be heading that way next week if the weather cooperates. 

Appreciate it! I’ve been fishing Skiatook from the bank this year and have caught smallies, spots, and largemouth all smaller fish though for the most part. I’ve seen some monster smallies cruising the bank there though and an 8ish largemouth dead on the bank. Taking my new little water craft out for the first time this Friday. I’ve had luck at green leaf from my float tube too. Would you recommend just buckling down and learning one or two local lakes or just fishing and learning as many good lakes as possible?

[jbsoonerfan]

8 minutes ago, BlakeMolone said:

Appreciate it! I’ve been fishing Skiatook from the bank this year and have caught smallies, spots, and largemouth all smaller fish though for the most part. I’ve seen some monster smallies cruising the bank there though and an 8ish largemouth dead on the bank. Taking my new little water craft out for the first time this Friday. I’ve had luck at green leaf from my float tube too. Would you recommend just buckling down and learning one or two local lakes or just fishing and learning as many good lakes as possible?

If it were me, I would find a lake that you like and learn it. I have a lake (Longmire) that is about 7 miles from my house. I started fishing it back in May pretty hard and have been fairly successful there. It doesn't have a ton of fish, but it has quality fish in it.  It is only about 955 acres so it is pretty small but it doesn't see a lot of pressure. I fished Konawa a lot back in March and April and had a lot of success there. This spring I plan to stay close and try to figure this lake out.

[Luke Barnes]

On 11/18/2020 at 12:24 PM, BlakeMolone said:

Appreciate it! I’ve been fishing Skiatook from the bank this year and have caught smallies, spots, and largemouth all smaller fish though for the most part. I’ve seen some monster smallies cruising the bank there though and an 8ish largemouth dead on the bank. Taking my new little water craft out for the first time this Friday. I’ve had luck at green leaf from my float tube too. Would you recommend just buckling down and learning one or two local lakes or just fishing and learning as many good lakes as possible?

Ive caught some good bass out of Skiatook from the bank. 3lb smallie and 4.5 lb largie were the biggest. All in Tall Chief Cove. I want to go back soon. 

[roadwarrior]

I caught my first 5 lb bass at Grand Lake in the summer of '57.

That September I turned 5.

 

[Bankc]

In Oklahoma, I'd recommend bucking down and learning one lake at a time.  We have a lot of diversity to our lakes.  So learning any one of them will take some time, but trying to learn so many different types of lakes at once would take forever.  What you learn from one lake may not translate to the next six lakes you fish.