Oklahoma Sport Fishing

Sport fishing is fishing for enjoyment. In Oklahoma, more than 1 million residents and non-residents go fishing each year. Some people fish for fun, while others fish to provide food for themselves or their families. Anglers play an important role in fishery management because their actions can affect fish populations and habitats. When anglers are well informed and educated, they are better able to help protect and conserve fish and waterways. The Oklahoma Fishing in the Schools program was created to introduce new anglers to the sport of fishing. The program also teaches students how to be responsible anglers and helps them understand the important role they play in conserving and managing Oklahoma’s fisheries. History of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation 

1895 - Rainbow trout first stocked in Oklahoma by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

1907 – Wildlife Department created. First game warden appointed.

1925 – First fishing licenses established.

1929 – Byron fish hatchery opens.

1934 – Holdenville fish hatchery opens.

1945 –“Oklahoma Game and Fish News” (“Outdoor Oklahoma”) began publication.

1947 – Cooperative Fisheries Experimental Station established at the University of Oklahoma. (Now exists as the Oklahoma Fishery Research Lab.)

1948 – First private pond stocking policy adopted.

1950 – First walleye stocking in Canton Reservoir and Tenkiller Reservoir.

1959 – Lake Carl Etling wintertime trout stocking program begins.

1967 –Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area land purchased.

1969 – The first lifetime combination license was sold for $150.

1970 – First successful natural reproduction by striped bass in Lake Keystone.

1974 – First natural reproduction by striped bass in Lake Texoma.

1977 – Striped bass hybrids first stocked in Oklahoma (Sooner Lake).

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1976 – “Outdoor Oklahoma” television show began.

1979 – Operation Game Thief established.

1980 – Lower Mountain Fork River year-round trout stocking program begins.

1983 – Fish habitat development program initiated.

1985 – Saugeye first stocked in the state (Lake Thunderbird).

1986 – Lake Watonga wintertime trout stocking program begins.

1988 – Aquatic Resources Education Program established.

1991 – Brown trout introduced to the tailwaters below Broken Bow Reservoir.

1993 – Durant Hatchery was renovated, increasing annual production by 1.7 million fish. Department fish hatcheries stocked almost 30 million fish over the course of two years.

1994 – Robbers Cave State Park wintertime trout stocking begins.

1998 – Stream management program begins.

2003 – Hunting and fishing licenses available online.

2005 – First Wildlife EXPO.

2007 – Paddlefish Research & Processing Center established.

2008 – Lake Record Fish Program established to recognize Oklahoma anglers and fish.

2011 – Oklahoma Fishing in the Schools Program established.

2014 – Oklahoma Fishing in the Schools Program reaches 200 schools across the state.

2016 – Oklahoma Fishing in the Schools Program reaches 300 schools across the state.

2020 –“The Dock” was created for anglers to show off their catch. Submit your photo here.

2024 – Boating access coordinator hired by ODWC to increase fishing access over Oklahoma

2025 – Oklahoma Fishing in the Schools Program reaches more than 400 schools across the state
 

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation is the agency responsible for managing Oklahoma’s fisheries. 

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This content originally appeared in the Wildlife Department’s "Fishing in the Schools Manual." The full PDF manual can be viewed here.