Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
| Spring fishing is heating up and many anglers are checking their tackle and planning their next Oklahoma fishing adventure. One popular destination, south central Oklahoma’s Lake Texoma, offers so many fishing and recreation opportunities it has been nicknamed the “playground of the southwest” and “striped bass capital of the world.” “Lake Texoma has a phenomenal fishery; this is a great lake for striped and smallmouth bass, and it’s produced some record catfish,” said Billy Bob Walker, Oklahoma Game Warden for Marshall County. “Beyond fishing, this is just a really pretty area that offers a lot of boating and outdoor recreation opportunities.” The lake spans the Oklahoma-Texas border with at least two-thirds of the reservoir located in Oklahoma. Management of the fishery is shared between the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “A resident fishing license is all you need if you plan to just fish the Oklahoma side of the lake. The $12 Lake Texoma license can be added if you want to fish both sides of the lake, above the dam,” Walker said. The Lake Texoma license allows anglers to fish the entire lake without having to purchase a resident or nonresident license. A valid resident or non resident license is needed to fish below the dam. “One really cool new thing is that you can buy and carry these licenses on your phone with our new license app.” Licenses can be purchased through a license dealer, or by creating an account at wildlifedepartment.com. All sportsmen – especially lifetime license holders and returning customers – are urged to sign in to update their information and complete their account setup. The accompanying free mobile app from the Wildlife Department is available for both Apple or Android devices. “The Wildlife Department works hard to make sure there are high quality fisheries across our state. Texoma is a just one example of that successful work here in southern Oklahoma.” Lake Texoma Regulation Reminders Consult the Oklahoma Fishing Guide for other statewide and Texoma-specific regulations.
|
Striped Bass Capital of the World Highlights
- The 88,000-acre lake (12th largest in the nation) was created I 1944 by impounding the Red River. This popular recreation area hosts more than 6 million visitors annually.
- Striped bass were first stocked in Lake Texoma by the Wildlife Department in 1965. This popular fishery has developed into one of the most recreationally and economically important fisheries in the state.
- Lake Texoma is one of only a handful of reservoirs in the United States that has a naturally reproducing striped bass population. Other lakes must routinely restock their fishery.
- The $12 Lake Texoma fishing license was created in 1979 to allow anglers to fish the entire lake without purchasing both the Texas and Oklahoma fishing licenses.
