The 15 Best Fishing Lakes in Oklahoma

Great fishermen never share their secrets, so we’ll do it for them! If you’re looking for the best fishing lakes in Oklahoma, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading to learn where to cast a rod in the Sooner state.

Oklahoma is home to many species of fish, and most of the lakes have bass and crappie. Some lakes have multiple species of bass including white, black, sand, and Kentucky bass. If you’re looking for a certain species, be sure to check out our chart below the article for a quick way to find the lake that has them. 

1. Grand Lake O’ The Cherokees

The Grand Lake, as it’s called by most locals, is one of the most well-known lakes in Oklahoma for bass fishing. It’s a 46,500-acre lake in northeastern Oklahoma spanning Delaware, Ottawa, and Craig counties. This lake isn’t just home to a bunch of bass, anglers fish for crappie, channel catfish, bluegill, and paddlefish in the lake as well. 

2.  Lake of the Arbuckles

The Lake of the Arbuckles is actually a reservoir located in Sulphur, OK. It was built in 1966 and has become a popular spot for fishing ever since. One feature of this lake is that it has extremely clear water. This makes it a good lake to run trotlines or troll and sight fish. The lake is home to large and smallmouth bass, white bass, crappie, catfish, and sunfish.

3. Keystone Lake

Keystone Lake is also a reservoir, the dam was built in 1968 and used as a way to generate hydroelectric energy and provide flood control for the area. It’s located about twenty miles from Tulsa, OK. Keystone Lake is adjacent to and considered a part of the Keystone Lake State Park, which offers camping and recreational activities. The lake is 26,000 acres and offers plentiful fishing opportunities. You can expect to catch striper, walleye, bass, and catfish on Keystone Lake.

4. Tenkiller Ferry Lake

Tenkiller Ferry Lake, also known as Lake Tenkiller, is a reservoir that was formed by the damming of the Illinois River. Its beautiful, clear blue waters are home to a plethora of fish species. Anglers can catch bass, crappie, catfish, bream, walleye, and rainbow trout in the crystal waters. The massive 12,900-acre lake reaches depths of 165 feet at its peak and is a popular spot for scuba divers. The lake is in Sequoyah and Cherokee counties.

5. Cedar Lake

One of the smaller lakes on our list at only 86 acres, Cedar Lake shouldn’t be underestimated. This little gem is stocked with largemouth bass, bluegill, and catfish regularly. If the fishing isn’t enough to draw you in, the pine and oak forests surrounding the lake will make you glad you visited. Cedar Lake is located in Hodgen, OK. 

6. Quanah Parker Lake

Like many of the others on our list, Quanah Parker Lake is actually a reservoir. The lake is in Comanche County and is a part of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Rescue. It was built in the 1930s as a Federal Work Project and it has a surface area of 89 acres. Anglers can expect to find catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, and sunfish in the lake. 

7. Lake Texana

Coming in as Oklahoma’s second largest lake, Lake Texana is actually a reservoir and one of the largest reservoirs in the nation. It has a surface area of 89,000 acres and is home to many species of fish. You can expect to catch black bass, sand bass, small mouth bass, crappie, bluegill, and catfish, but most anglers are drawn to this lake for the stripers. There are quite a few guides who fish this lake and the lake has a full-size marina inside the Lake Texana State Park. The lake is on the border of Texas and Oklahoma, and the state park is in Kingston, OK.

8. Lake Lawtonka

Lake Lawtonka is just north of Lawton, OK, the city it was named after. It is a stream-fed lake and is a medium size at 2,398 acres of surface area. The lake is best known for its large and smallmouth bass fishing, as well as crappie. 

9. Lake Eufaula

The largest lake in Oklahoma is Lake Eufaula, coming in at 105,500 acres of surface area. Lake Eufaula is located near the town of Eufaula, OK. The lake is actually a reservoir, and it was created in 1964 to provide flood control and create hydroelectric energy. Today, anglers fish Lake Eufaula in hopes of catching largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, Kentucky bass, crappie, catfish, sand bass, and stripers. 

10. Broken Bow Lake

Deemed “the most beautiful lake in Oklahoma”, Broken Bow Lake is actually a reservoir. It was built in 1970 as a form of flood control for the area. The lake sits in southeast Oklahoma in McCurtain County and features 14,000 acres of surface area. It’s a popular spot for trout and bass fishing in the state and is well-known for the large fish that have been caught there. 

11. Lake Hudson

Another reservoir on our list is Lake Hudson, which is in Mayes County in northeast Oklahoma. The lake is home to crappie, channel catfish, bluegill, sauger, and perch as well as multiple species of bass. Its 12,000-acre surface area makes the lake a popular choice for tournaments and is most often host to bass-catching competitions. 

12. Lake Eucha

Lake Eucha is part of Delaware County and is well-known for its catfish. Anglers can also fish for bass and crappie in the 2,812-acre lake. It’s a fishing-only lake and is conveniently located near Tulsa, OK, serving as a water distribution point for the city.

13. Robert S. Kerr Lake

The Robert S. Kerr Reservoir, or R.S. Kerr Lake is in east Oklahoma and is the third-largest lake in the state. It spans Haskell, Muskogee, Sequoyah, and Le Flore counties and has 43,800 surface acres. The lake is shallow in most parts and is best known for its plethora of striper bass.

14. Spavinaw Lake

Spavinaw Lake is a gorgeous spot to cast a line. It’s inside the Grand Lake State Park, just a few miles from Grand Lake, Lake Hudson, and Lake Eucha. The lake is home to multiple species of fish including channel catfish, crappie, large and smallmouth bass, sunfish, spotted bass, walleye, and white bass. The 1,548-acre lake has two boat ramps and a few swimming areas that make the shallow lake fun for the whole family. 

15. Webbers Falls Lake

Webbers Falls Lake is another reservoir on our list. It’s located on the Arkansas River in Webbers Falls, OK. The lake is surrounded by tons of flowering foliage including dogwood and redbud trees. It’s a beautiful spot for fishing, swimming, and other recreational activities. The lake is one of the smaller on our list with only 957 acres of surface area. Where it is lacking in size it makes up for in beauty and in the plethora of fish species it contains. Anglers can catch catfish, white bass, black bass, crappie, bream, walleye, sauger, striped bass, carp, and buffalo on the lake. 

The Best Fishing Lakes in Oklahoma by Species