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Trout Fishing Cranks Up in November

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An angler has success fishing for trout on the Lower Mountain Fork River. (@nickreelz via Instagram)
@nickreelz via Instagram
 An angler has success fishing for trout on the Lower Mountain Fork River. (@nickreelz via Instagram)

Many anglers in Oklahoma look forward to the cooler months for some rewarding seasonal trout fishing. Going after some rainbows and browns is one way to enjoy some angling at a time when traditional fishing might be slower than normal.

New this year is a three-trout daily harvest limit statewide except for Blue River, Lower Illinois River and Lower Mountain Fork River, which have some specific area regulations in various sections and times of the year. The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation stocks trout year-round in the Lower Illinois River and Lower Mountain Fork River, where the streams remain cold enough for trout to survive even during summertime.

Beginning in November, ODWC’s Fisheries Division stocks trout at seasonal sites across the state. They are Perry CCC/Lake Perry Park, Robbers Cave State Park, Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area, Boecher Lake at Roman Nose State Park, Medicine Creek near Lawton, and Sunset Lake in Guymon. Regular stocking will continue at these sites until March 15 or March 31, 2022. For more details, go to www.wildlifedepartment.com/fishing/trout-information.

Trout are not native to Oklahoma, and ODWC must buy and haul trout from distant hatcheries to stock them in local waters. This year, the trout supplier has reported delays in having trout ready for Oklahoma’s normal Nov. 1 date to begin stocking. Trout anglers should expect trout to begin arriving at the seasonal sites several days later than normal.

The new daily harvest limits are in effect in 2021: three trout per day of any size. But anglers may catch and release as many trout as they wish each day. Also, residents of the state’s two largest urban areas can try some trout fishing at some Close to Home Fishing locations. Veterans Park Pond in Jenks is a trout stocking site. And new this year, Edwards Park and Route 66 Park are trout stocking sites in the Oklahoma City area. These Close to Home Fishing areas will be stocked from Dec. 1, 2021, to Feb. 28, 2022.

Trout anglers must carry a resident or nonresident fishing license while fishing. In addition, trout anglers at the Oklahoma City Close to Home sites must have an Oklahoma City fishing permit, and municipal permits may be required at other seasonal sites.

Trout fishing regulations, including daily and size limits, restricted areas and site maps, can be found in the current Oklahoma Fishing and Hunting Regulations online at www.wildlifedepartment.com, on the Go Outdoors Oklahoma free mobile app, or in print across the state wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold.