Largemouth Bass Fishing in Oklahoma
Bass fishing in Oklahoma, in our opinion, is one of the great wonders of the world. Oklahoma has over 200 man-made lakes. All varying in size, location, habitat, and fish that live in them. This provides a great variety when bass fishing in Oklahoma. You can hit stripers at Texoma, Largemouth just about anywhere, Sand Bass at Eufala, Small Mouth, Spotted you name it. This state has an abundance of bass and we want to help you find them, catch them, and have a blast doing it!
This post will be focused on Largemouth Bass for the sake of length. We could probably write a whole book on bass fishing in Oklahoma, but in this we’ll focus on Largemouth essentials.
Watch the Wind
Nothing can kill a fishing trip quicker than an Oklahoma windy day and unfortunately we are in no short supply of those. That is not to say you can’t catch fish when it’s windy! It’s just so much more difficult trying to cast, keep your boat straight, or even your tube straight. My ideal wind conditions are under 15mph but if you don’t mind it, by all means go catch a tank and send us a picture!
Flooded Timber
Whenever I’m fishing an Oklahoma lake and I see flooded timber, I immediately get excited. When a storm comes through and the lake levels rise due to rain, you’ll see trees begin to get partly submerged by the lake water. That is exactly what we want. It provides the fish structure as well as new hunting ground to catch bugs, worms, crawdads, lizards, or any of their other favorite snacks. I particularly love to throw a Power Worm or a Senko into flooded timber and let them slowly fall down the trunk of a tree. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve almost had my arm torn off from a huge bass sitting at the base of a tree waiting for something to float by.
Good Oklahoma Lakes to Fish
We’ve been fishing Oklahoma lakes since we were born and have a few that are our favorite.
Lake Konowa - This lake is located out in Seminole County and in recent years has turned into an awesome bass fishing lake. It has concrete boat ramps for easy boat launches.
American Horse Lake - This lake is located in Blaine County just 10 miles west of Geary. This lake is relatively small, but it features some rather large bass. It has one concrete ramp but because of its size it is a great lake to tube fish.
Bell Cow Lake - This lake is located in Chandler. It features a couple of boat ramps as well as having a good amount of timber providing good structure to fish.
Greenleaf - This lake is located on the western edge of the Ozarks. The water levels stay really table which has allowed a lot of vegetation to grow which has fostered the fish population.
McGee Creek - Located in Atoka County, McGee Creek can produce some very big fish. It is annually stocked with Florida Largemouth Bass.
Shawnee Twin Lakes - This is a two for one! Located in Shawnee, these lakes have seen improvement in their largemouth population. Just last year a double digit largemouth was caught here.
Stanley Draper - This lake is great for those who live in OKC. It's a short drive from the city, the lake is located near Tinker Airforce Base. The fishing in this lake has been improving every year recently. A 9 lb largemouth was caught 2022 spring.
These lakes are just a few of what Oklahoma has to offer. These are lakes we are familiar with and frequently come back to, but most all the lakes in Oklahoma have something good to offer!
Bait and Tackle
If you want a quick and easy list of bait and tackle to purchase, here are some of our favorites:
If you like to shop local, there is a great locally owned fishing shop that will provide great prices and service.
Lucky Lure - Great for bass fishing. Have rods, reels, bait, and even great advice.
When to Fish What Baits?
This is always the question. What bait should I use? This is a large part of what makes a good fisherman. It is essential you know what bait to use depending on weather conditions, water clarity, vegetation, structure, time of year, water depth, etc. Here we will try to focus on summer time bass fishing and how you can maximize your fishing by selecting the right lure.
Senko - This is a great bait to use for kind of an all purpose approach. You want to fish Senkos in more shallow waters and ideally off of a structure. There is little finesse required with these baits as typically the fish will hit the Senko as they sink to the bottom. There is a variety of ways to rig a Senko, but using a Texas Rig is the most common. If I am unsure what I want to start throwing when I get on the water, the Senko is a solid go to.
Spinner Bait - If you find yourself fishing on a windy or cloudy day, a spinner bait is a wonderful choice. The colors we like are usually white or chartreuse. This is a great lure because it is more engaging and can start landing your fish if they're aggressive. Reaction bites are common as well as you're constantly reeling the spinner bait and have a good chance of dragging it past a waiting largemouth.
Jig - This is the bait that will make you fall in love chasing those big bites. These baits are super versatile as well and can be used year-round. Color and weight are the main variables here but the other cool thing about this bait is that you can put your trailer onto the hook to make it even more unique. Jigs are wonderful to use if you're flipping your bait into heavy timber or structures.
These are just some very basic tips and advice on how to be successful when bass fishing in Oklahoma. We've had a lot of success over the years and learned a lot. I've gone from having my pole ripped out of my hands when I was 4, to hauling in tanks. Bass fishing is one of my favorite things to do in the outdoors. Whether we are catching fish or catching tree limbs cause we can’t cast to save our lives, it’s always a good time to get out and get away from the trials and tribulations of everyday life. It’s calm and peaceful, at least until your buddy sets the hook, his rod bends, then you see the bass jump out of the water and realize it’s a huge and he’s gonna need help. I hope these tips can serve you well.
Remember, if you need any gear, use our cabelas link to help support Yellow Hat! We really appreciate it.