Oklahoma Weekly Fishing Report for March 20, 2013
Cedar Lake in southeast Oklahoma has produced its second state record largemouth bass in less than one year. The new record was caught Wednesday, March 13 by Dale Miller of Panama, Okla., and weighed 14 lbs. 13.7 oz.
CENTRAL
Arcadia: March 17. Elevation normal. Channel catfish slow to fair various baits. Crappie slow on jigs off docks. Report by Chance Whiteley, game warden stationed in Oklahoma County.
Arcadia: March 18. Elevation normal, water 46 and murky. All fishing fair. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 8-12 ft. along shorelines and docks early morning. Bass fair. Catfish fair on cut bait. Report submitted by Sheila Hutton, gate attendant.
Hefner: March 19. Elevation below normal, water 46-50 and murky. Largemouth bass good on crankbaits and jigs at 4-10 ft. along rocky shorelines. Smallmouth bass fair on crankbaits and jigs at 4-10 ft. along rocky shorelines. White bass and striped bass hybrids fair to good on grubs and gay blades at 4-8 ft.at the water intake and the dam. Channel catfish fair on cut bait and punch bait at the dam. Blue catfish good on cut bait and punch bait at the dam. Crappie fair on minnows, jigs and grubs at 12-20 ft. at the dam. Walleye good on grubs and jerk baits at 2-6 ft. at the dam early and late. Report submitted by Lucky Lure Tackle.
Overholser: March 18. Elevation below normal, water murky. Catfish fair on night crawlers off the fishing dock. Striped bass hybrids good on red worms, chicken liver and night crawlers all around the lake. Report submitted by David Rempe, game warden stationed in Oklahoma County.
Thunderbird: March 17. Elevation 7 1/3 ft. below normal, water murky. Crappie fair on minnows and small jigs at 8-10 ft. around structure. Bass fair on spinnerbaits around structure. Report by Tony Woodruff, game warden stationed in Cleveland County.
NORTHEAST
Bell Cow: March 17. Elevation below normal, water 49 and muddy. Bass good on crankbaits at 6-10 ft. Crappie good on minnows. Report submitted by Gary Emmons, game warden stationed in Lincoln County.
Chandler: March 17. Elevation below normal, water 50 and muddy. Bass fair on crankbaits and jigs. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs. Report submitted by Gary Emmons, game warden stationed in Lincoln County.
Copan: March 18. Elevation 1 1/2 ft. below normal, water clearing. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 5-8 ft. in Copan Point. Report submitted by Joe Alexander, game warden stationed in Washington County.
Eucha: March 19. Elevation 1 3/4 ft. below normal, water 48 and clear. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 14-16 ft. around brush and structure. Largemouth bass good on jerk baits and spinnerbaits. Report submitted by Dwight Moore, City of Tulsa.
Ft. Gibson: March 16. Elevation 1 ft. above normal, water 49 and clear. Paddlefish being caught in the main river in the Mission Bend area. White bass haven’t started their spawning run but are staging below Chouteau Bend and should start moving up in the coming weeks. Largemouth bass fair on crankbaits and spinnerbaits at 5-15 ft. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 10-15 ft. Catfish good on whole shad Carolina-rigged in the main river. Report submitted by Rick Stafford of Wagoner.
Hudson: March 19. Elevation 1/2 ft. above normal. Largemouth bass good on crankbaits and plastic baits. White bass fair to good on small jigs, lures and sassy shad in pearl white and chartreuse. Blue catfish good on cut shad. Paddlefish fair to good in the upper end of the lake below Pensacola. Report submitted by Steve Loveland, game warden stationed in Rogers and Mayes counties.
Hulah: March 18. Elevation 4 ft. below normal, water clearing. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 5-8 ft. in Skull Creek. Report submitted by Joe Alexander, game warden stationed in Washington County.
Kaw: March 18. Elevation normal, water 50. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 10-12 ft. around Sarge Creek. Blue catfish fair on juglines. Channel catfish good on fresh cut shad north on the Arkansas River. Largemouth and spotted bass good on the south end of the lake. Report submitted by Emily Long, game warden stationed in Kay and Grant counties.
Keystone: March 19. Elevation normal, water 49. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish fair on cut bait. White bass good on spinnerbaits and jigs. Report submitted by Karlin Bailey, game warden stationed in Creek County.
Lower Illinois: March 18. Elevation normal, water 43 and clear. Largemouth bass slow on crankbaits at 2-3 ft. along coves and bridges. White bass slow on jigs at 2-3 ft. at the mouth of the river. Striped bass slow on shad at 3 ft. at the mouth of the river. Channel catfish good on cut bait on bottom all along the river. Crappie slow on spinnerbaits and jigs at 1-3 ft. Trout excellent on flies at the surface, on rooster tails at 1-2 ft. and on Power Bait on bottom from the dam to Gore Landing. Report submitted by D. Tracy, Town of Gore.
Lower Illinois: March 19. Stocked 2,329 rainbow trout. The Corps of Engineers will be doing turbine inspections on Tenkiller Dam during March and April and the turbines will be out of use for 4-6 weeks. Report submitted by Josh Johnston, biologist stationed in the east central region.
Oologah: March 17. Elevation 2 3/4 ft. below normal, water upper 40s to lower 50s and clear. Crappie fair at 10-15 ft. around brush piles. Blue catfish fair on worms and shad at 10-15 ft. on flats. White bass fair on jigs in the river above the lake. Report submitted by Brek Henry, game warden stationed in Rogers County.
Skiatook: March 18. Elevation 12 3/4 ft. below normal, water clear. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 5-15 ft. around structure. Report submitted by Paul Welch, game warden stationed in Osage County.
Sooner: March 19. Elevation normal. White bass and striped bass hybrids good on live shad, sassy shad and topwater lures in the discharge. Fishing fair on shad, cut bait and live bait at the north end of the dam. Report submitted by Doug Gottschalk, game warden stationed in Noble County.
Spavinaw: March 19. Elevation slightly below normal, water 48 and dingy. Crappie good on minnows and jigs around the dam. Largemouth bass fair on jerk baits and spinnerbaits. Report submitted by Dwight Moore, City of Tulsa.
Tenkiller: March 18. Elevation 1 ft. below normal, water 52 and clear. Largemouth bass slow on deep running crankbaits around the main lake points. White bass fair trolling deep running crankbaits. Report submitted by Monte Brooks of Cookson.
NORTHWEST
Canton: March 16. Elevation 15 ft. below normal, water clear. No useable boat ramps on the lake at this time due to low water levels. Channel catfish fair on shad and stinkbait in the river channel near Canadian campground. Walleye slow on jigs and crankbaits along the dam after dark. Report submitted by Mark Walker, game warden stationed Blaine County.
Ft. Supply: March 18. Elevation 2 ft. below normal. White bass good on Kastmaster lures, minnows, jigs and Bret Bates spinnerbaits along the dam. Walleye fair trolling minnows and spinnerbaits along the dam. Report submitted by Mark Reichenberger, game warden stationed in Woodward County.
SOUTHEAST
Arbuckle: March 16. Elevation 6 ft. below normal, water 54 and clear except in far upper ends of creek. All fish are moving from deep water to shallow but not there yet. Crappie slow around docks and scattered around the lake at 25-30 ft. around brush piles. White bass are in the upper creek arms and off ledges of creek channels at 25 ft. Bass slow on crankbaits, jerk baits, jigs and Alabama rigs. Report submitted by Jack Melton.
Eufaula: March 17. Elevation 2 1/2 ft. below normal, water clear in the east and murky in the west. Largemouth bass good on jerk baits and plastic baits along deeper rocky areas. White bass fair below the dam when running water. Blue catfish good on shad along flats. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 8-12 ft. below docks and along riprap areas. Report submitted by Ed Rodebush, game warden stationed in McIntosh County.
Hugo: March 17. Elevation 5 ft. above normal, water 51 and murky. Crappie fair on minnows along the river channel. Report submitted by Jay Harvey, game warden stationed in Choctaw and Bryan counties.
Konawa: March 11. Elevation normal, water 56 and clear. Largemouth bass fair on plastic worms and spinnerbaits at 4-8 ft. along the cattails. White bass and striped bass hybrids good on shad and jigs at 15 ft. in the discharge canal. Report submitted by Daryl Howser, game warden stationed in Seminole County.
McGee Creek: March 17. Elevation 5 1/3 ft. below normal, water 52 and clear. Largemouth bass fair on soft plastic bait at 15-25 ft. Crappie fair on minnows at 12-28 ft. over cedar brush in creek channels. Report submitted by Larry Luman, game warden stationed in Atoka County.
Pine Creek: March 17. Elevation normal. Bass fair on plastic baits and spinnerbaits. Crappie good on minnows moving into the creek channels. Report submitted by Mark Hannah, game warden stationed in McCurtain County.
Robert S. Kerr: March 19. March 5. Bass fair on crankbaits and stick baits off points, along creek channels and in coves up river. White and spotted bass excellent up the Canadian River; look for concentrations of gulls. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 2-4 ft. up Big San Bois Creek and in strip pits; look for improvement with warmer days. Channel and blue catfish excellent on trotlines and juglines baited with cut bait at 12-20 ft. close to creek and river channels. Report submitted by Allen Couch, game warden stationed in Haskell County.
Sardis Lake: March 15. Elevation normal, water 54. Largemouth bass fair to good on spinnerbaits, plastic worms and jigs at 2-14 ft. Channel and blue catfish good on cut bait and dead minnows at 9-16 ft. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 9-12 ft. Walleye fair trolling at 9-12 ft. Report submitted by Dane Polk, game warden stationed in Pushmataha County.
Texoma: March 17. Elevation 4 ft. below normal, water 50 and clear. Largemouth and smallmouth bass fair to good on plastic combination baits and large deep diving crankbaits at 10-20 ft. in creek channels. Striped and white bass fair to good on sassy shad, live bait and slabs at 10-30 ft. from Burns Run to the islands. Channel and blue catfish fair to good on live bait, cut shad and stinkbait at 10-20 ft. from Alberta Creek to the Washita River. Crappie fair to good on minnows and jigs at 5-15 ft. around rocky shorelines and underwater brush piles. Sunfish fair to good on small tube jigs and worms at 5-15 ft. around fish attractors. Report submitted by Danny Clubb, game warden stationed in Bryan County.
Wister: March 17. Elevation 1 ft. above normal, water murky. Largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Crappie good on minnows and fair on white grubs at 10-12 ft. around brushy cover. Catfish fair on juglines and trotlines baited with cut bait and dead minnows at 10-15 ft. Report submitted by Randy Fennell, game warden stationed in LeFlore County.
SOUTHWEST
Altus-Lugert: March 17. Elevation 26 3/4 ft. below normal and steady. Overall fishing is very slow. Walleye slow to fair on minnows. Report submitted by Sue Hokanson, Quartz Mountain Nature Park.
Ellsworth: March 17. Elevation 12 ft. below normal, water murky. Blue catfish fair on cut bait off rocky points. Crappie good on minnows and jigs around boathouses at Ralph’s Resort. Saugeye fair to good on spinnerbaits off the rocks by the dam. Report submitted by Mike Carroll, game warden stationed in Comanche County.
Foss: March 14. Elevation 12 ft. below normal with gates closed, water mid-50s and clear. Striped bass hybrids good on slabs and eyeballs in deep water. Walleye good on live bait around the marina. Report submitted by Eric Puyear, B & K Bait House.
Ft. Cobb: March 19. Elevation 7 1/2 ft. below normal, water 52. Channel and blue catfish good on cut bait. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 6-8 ft. Report submitted by Tyler Howser, game warden stationed in Caddo County.
Lawtonka: March 17. Elevation 3 ft. below normal, water clear. Crappie fair on jigs. Catfish fair on cut bait at the dam. Report submitted by Mike Carroll, game warden stationed in Comanche County.
Tom Steed: March 18. Elevation 9 ft. below normal, water 45 and murky. Crappie fair on minnows at 15 ft. near the dam. Catfish slow on juglines baited with cut bait. Report submitted by David Smith, game warden stationed in Kiowa County.
Waurika: March 19. Elevation 11 ft. below normal, water murky. Striped bass hybrids excellent on 3-4 inch sassy shad along the dam. Blue catfish good on cut shad at 25-30 ft. Crappie slow on minnows in flooded timber. Report submitted by Ted Hasty, game warden stationed in Jefferson County.
