a day ago
Summertime fishing is here, and Oklahoma lakes are stocked. Where to find these species
With Oklahomans in full-blown summer mode, it's time to grab your rod and reel, tackle box and head to your favorite fishing spot.
Oklahoma offers a diverse range of fish for anglers to catch, along with numerous lakes, ponds, and rivers where they can be found. And the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation is keeping Oklahoma waters stocked.
Here's what to know about where fish have been stocked ahead of summer fishing in Oklahoma.
More: Taking a dip in dirty water? Here's how to tell if Oklahoma rivers, lakes are safe to swim
As mentioned in a TikTok video, the wildlife department "lovingly stocked" nearly 1 million fingerling Florida bass in bodies of water across the state at the end of May.
A subspecies of largemouth bass, Florida bass will interbreed with native largemouth bass. The hybrids created grow rapidly and produce trophy-size fish, according to the department. Largemouth bass is the most sought-after game fish in Oklahoma. In 2024, more than 800,000 of the Florida bass were stocked in public Oklahoma waters.
You can spot a largemouth bass by noting the following traits:
The mouth hinge is well behind eye
Most do not have a tooth patch on their tongue
The first and second dorsal fins are barely connected.
This is not an exhaustive list, but rather a handful of lakes that were stocked in 2024. There were many smaller lakes stocked, as well as ponds and rivers.
Lake Murray: 100,809 Florida largemouth bass
Foss Lake: 1,100,000 walleye and 350 white bass
Fort Supply Lake: 990,000 walleye
Altus-Lugert Lake: 82,051 walleye
Broken Bow Lake: 100,246 Florida largemouth bass
Kaw Lake: 85,459 walleye
Eufaula Lake: 119,963 Florida largemouth bass
Oologah Lake: 147,300 walleye
Skiatook Lake: 100,017 hybrid striped bass, 108,030 walleye and 2,000 Florida largemouth bass
Lake of the Arbuckles: 100,138 Florida largemouth bass
Canton Lake: 4,393,951 walleye
In 2024, more than 10.1 million fish were stocked in public Oklahoma waters, plus 315,000 in private farm ponds.
Here's the breakdown of fish species stocked in public waters in 2024:
Bluegill: 240,225
Brown Trout: 20,008
Certified Florida Largemouth: 801,955
Channel Catfish: 150,693
Grass Carp: 6
Hybrid Striped Bass: 283,735
Hybrid Sunfish: 5,713
Rainbow Trout: 305,492
Redear Sunfish: 24,030
Saugeye: 1,211,489
Walleye: 7,074,791
White Bass: 350
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma lakes now stocked for summer fishing: See best spots
