The 15 Best Fishing Lakes in Oklahoma

Written by Jaydee Williams
Updated: July 11, 2023
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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. 

The largest lake in Oklahoma is Lake Eufaula, coming in at 105,500 acres of surface area.

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. 

Fisherman fishing from boat during fall sunrise on grand lake in oklahoma. Photo taken with drone

The Grand Lake is a massive 46,500-acre lake in northeastern Oklahoma.

©Creating Outdoors/Shutterstock.com

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.

Sunrise at Lake of the Arbuckles

The Lake of the Arbuckles has great fishing and beautiful views.

©Seth Schubert/Shutterstock.com

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.

A sunset over Keystone Lake in Oklahoma.

Keystone Lake is 26,000 acres and offers plentiful fishing opportunities

©Joshua Burgess/Shutterstock.com

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.

The sunset sky over the Tenkiller lake, Oklah and green forested area in the evening

Tenkiller Lake is a massive lake that appeals to anglers and scuba divers.

©Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock.com

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. 

Fall colors reflecting on Cedar Lake in southeast Oklahoma against blue November sky

Cedar Lake is a small lake with lots of fish.

©Sari ONeal/Shutterstock.com

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. 

Sunset landscape with a full moon in Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge at Oklahoma

Quanah Parker Lake is an 89-acre reservoir in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Rescue.

©Kit Leong/Shutterstock.com

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.

Freshwater fish caught in Texas

Lake Texana is known for its striper bass fishing.

©River Monster Photography/Shutterstock.com

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. 

Medium close up of Lake Lawtonka with the 2,464-foot Mt. Scott in the background in the Comanche County of Oklahoma.

Lake Lawtonka has 2,398 acres of surface area with bass and crappie fishing.

©RaksyBH/Shutterstock.com

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. 

Lake Eufaula, found in eastern Oklahoma, USA

Lake Eufaula is the largest lake in Oklahoma at 105,500 acres of surface area.

©JohnDSmith/Shutterstock.com

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. 

Broken Bow Lake Oklahoma

Smallmouth bass are plentiful in Broken Bow Lake.

©iStock.com/loki1982

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. 

Overlooking the shore of Lake Hudson Recreation Area with the Milky Way Core in the background.

Lake Hudson is a popular tournament lake in northeast Oklahoma.

©arthurgphotography/Shutterstock.com

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.

A pretty scene at lake Eucha Oklahoma.

Lake Eucha is well-known for its catfish, bass, and crappie fishing.

©Diane079F/Shutterstock.com

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.

angler holds striped bass in canal

Robert S. Kerr Lake is full of striper bass.

©Tfreeman_Films/Shutterstock.com

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. 

Walleye are among the most popular gamefish in North America.

Multiple species of fish, including walleye, call Spavinaw Lake home.

©iStock.com/FedBul

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. 

isherman participating in the Bassmaster’s Central Open professional fishing tournament lock through Webbers Falls Lock and Dam on their way to the daily weigh-in at Three Forks Harbor Marina.

These fishermen were participating in the Bassmaster’s Central Open professional fishing tournament at Webbers Falls Lake.

©U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public Domain Mark 1.0 – License

The Best Fishing Lakes in Oklahoma by Species

RankLakeFish SpeciesLocation
1Grand Lake O’ The CherokeesBass, crappie, channel catfish, bluegill, and paddlefishDelaware, Ottawa, and Craig counties
2Lake of the ArbucklesLarge and smallmouth bass, white bass, crappie, catfish, and sunfishSulphur, OK
3Keystone LakeStriper, walleye, bass and catfishTulsa, OK
4Tenkiller Ferry LakeBass, crappie, catfish, bream, walleye, and rainbow troutSequoyah and Cherokee counties
5Cedar LakeLargemouth bass, bluegill, and catfishHodgen, OK
6Quanah Parker LakeStriper, walleye, bass, and catfishComanche County
7Lake TexanaBlack bass, sand bass, small mouth bass, crappie, bluegill, striper, and catfishKingston, OK
8Lake LawtonkaLarge and smallmouth bass and crappieLawton, OK
9Lake EufaulaLargemouth bass, smallmouth bass, Kentucky bass, crappie, catfish, sand bass, and stripers. Eufaula, OK
10Broken Bow LakeTrout and bassMcCurtain County
11Lake HudsonBass, crappie, channel catfish, bluegill, sauger, and perchMayes County
12Lake EuchaCatfishDelaware County
13Robert S Kerr LakeStriper bassHaskell, Muskogee, Sequoyah, and Le Flore counties
14Spavinaw LakeChannel catfish, crappie, large and smallmouth bass, sunfish, spotted bass, walleye, and white bassSpavinaw, OK
15Webbers Falls LakeCatfish, white bass, black bass, crappie, bream, walleye, sauger, striped bass, carp, and buffaloWebbers Falls, OK
Summary Table of The 15 Best Fishing Lakes in Oklahoma

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Robert Protus/Shutterstock.com


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About the Author

Jaydee Williams is a writer at AZ Animals where her primary focus is on gardening, mammals, and travel. She has over 5 years of experience in writing and researching and holds a Master's Degree in English from the American College of Education, which she earned in 2019. A central Florida native, Jaydee loves being on the water, playing music, and petting her cat, Beans.

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