Oklahoma City and Tulsa area trout fishing seasons will wrap up Feb. 29, but anglers will still be able to fish for rainbows and browns for a few more weeks at the six seasonal Wildlife Department trout fisheries found statewide.Dolese Youth Park Pond in Oklahoma City and Veterans Park Pond in Jenks are stocked with trout annually in December, January and February. These "Close to Home Fishing" sites require anglers to have a state fishing license, and the limit is six trout per day. Anglers fishing at the Dolese pond also are required to have an Oklahoma City fishing permit.
Anglers at both metro sites may still catch and keep trout after the stocking season closes on Feb. 29, as long as trout remain in the water.
Trout stocking will continue into March and April at the Wildlife Department's six winter trout fishing areas statewide. The areas are:
Robbers Cave: In Robbers Cave State Park, the Robbers Cave trout fishery is in the Fourche Maline River directly below Carlton Dam to the south boundary of the park. Trout stocking season runs Nov. 1 to March 15. From Wilburton, go 5 miles north on State Highway 2. Bank access and wade fishing is available anywhere within state park boundaries. Camping facilities and cabins are available at the park.
Medicine Creek: This trout fishery runs through the town of Medicine Park from the Gondola Lake Dam on the north to the State Highway 49 bridge on the south. Access is easy from a sidewalk along the creek's east side. Trout stocking season runs from Nov. 1 to March 15. Camping and lodging are available nearby.
Lake Watonga: This 55-acre lake is in Roman Nose State Park. Trout stocking season runs Nov. 1 to March 31. From Watonga, go 7 miles north on State Highway 8A. Bank access and a boat ramp are on the west side of the lake. Camping and lodging are available at the park.
Blue River: This river flows through the Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area near Tishomingo. Trout stocking season runs Nov. 1 to March 31. From Tishomingo, go 4 miles east on State Highway 78 and then 6 miles north. Bank access and wade fishing is available throughout the area. Primitive camping is allowed at the Blue River campground.
Perry CCC/Lake Perry Park: This 32-acre lake was built in the mid-1930s and offers ample bank access and a boat ramp on the west side of the lake. Stocking takes place from Nov. 1 to March 31. From Perry, go a mile south on State Highway 86. Lodging is available in Perry. This lake replaces Lake Pawhuska as a designated trout fishery.
Lake Carl Etling: This lake is at Black Mesa State Park in Cimarron County.Trout stocking season runs Nov. 1 to April 30. From Boise City, go 28 miles west on U.S. 325. Boat ramps are on the south and east sides of the lake. Primitive and developed camping facilities are available at the park.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation operates two year-round trout fisheries in the Lower Mountain Fork River below Broken Bow dam and in the Lower Illinois River below Tenkiller Ferry Dam. Trout are normally stocked in those areas every week or two, but stocking is sometimes suspended during summertime when the water gets too warm to sustain the trout.
Trout anglers must carry a resident or nonresident state fishing license while fishing. Anglers must also carry any local permits that might be required. Trout fishing regulations, including daily and size limits, restricted areas and maps, can be found in the 2015-16 "Oklahoma Fishing" regulations guide online at wildlifedepartment.com or in print where fishing and hunting licenses are sold.
The mission of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation is the management of Oklahoma's wildlife resources and habitat to provide scientific, educational, aesthetic, economic and recreational benefits for present and future generations of hunters, anglers and others who appreciate wildlife.
Website: wildlifedepartment.com
Telephone: (405) 521-4632
This program receives federal assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and thus prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age and sex (gender) pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (as amended), Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990. To request an accommodation or informational material in an alternative format, contact Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, (405) 521-3851. If you believe you have been discriminated against in any program, activity or service, contact U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office for Diversity and Workforce Management, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041.
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