Oklahoma Trout Fishing

Yes! Oklahoma has two introduced species of trout — rainbows and browns, with rainbow trout being far more abundant. Rainbows are stocked approximately every two weeks at all eight of the state’s trout areas during the designated trout seasons.
Over 10,000 additional trout are removed from the rearing pens and released in Zone II twice a year. This improves fishing and opportunities for all of us.
The rearing stations are important to the fishermen who fish in the trophy water (Zone II).
Almost 40,000 trout ranging in size from 7-11 inches are placed in the pens throughout the year. The trout are allowed to grow larger giving them a better chance of survival.
Three to four months later, or after they have reached adequate size, the trout are released into Zone II

Rainbow Trout
Rainbow trout is one of the most colorful sport fish in Oklahoma. Although originally a cold-water fish from the pacific drainage of the Rocky Mountains, rainbow trout do well in Oklahoma where water temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen are within their tolerance levels.
The key to putting rainbows on the stringer is light tackle. An ultra-light rod and reel spooled with six-pound or lighter line will produce more strikes and provide exciting action. Like all trout, rainbows have definite feeding periods which may begin and end suddenly. Early morning and late afternoon are favored times and most trout are caught during these periods. On streams, larger fish are likely to be found in deep pools while smaller rainbows feed in shallow riffles. Trout face upstream to wait for mayflies, caddis flies, stoneflies, dobsonflies and dragonflies to appear above them.

Brown Trout
Brown trout have a natural ability to withstand warmer water temperatures and higher turbidity than rainbows. In a typical trout stream, rainbows tend to occupy faster moving water while browns can tolerate the more slack stretches. Even though they are hardier than rainbows, browns still require and prefer clear cold waters, and most actively feed when water temperatures range from 50 to 60 degrees.
Because the brown trout feeds a great deal on the surface they have become very popular with flyfishermen. The stocky brown is a bulldog fighter when hooked, occasionally leaping out of the water. Fishing for browns is best on overcast days, in early morning before the sun is up, and at night. On bright days fish are more often found in the shade of undercut banks or overhanging vegetation.
Browns commonly feed on mayfly and caddisfly nymphs, grasshoppers, worms, crayfish and minnows. The brown’s varied diet enables anglers to employ some of the same methods used to catch rainbows. However, at Oklahoma’s Mountain Fork River designated trout area, fishing in some areas is restricted to artificial flies and lures with barbless hooks only.

The best locations to observe fly fisherman are:
Below the spillway (Hwy 259A – Dam access road)
Low water bridges located below the dam (1st exit prior to the dam)
Fly fisherman love to have an audience. Take your camera.