Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

[Phil Lilley]

For Immediate Release:

November 9, 2006

A service of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

News Contacts: Micah Holmes or Kristen Gillman (405) 521-3856

Web site: www.wildlifedepartment.com

Trout fishing opportunities expanded in southeast Oklahoma

Biologists complete "one of the most ambitious streams restoration project ever undertaken in Oklahoma"

Whooping crane population hatches record number of chicks

Upcoming Hunter Education Classes

Outdoor Calendar

Fishing Report

Trout fishing opportunities expanded in southeast Oklahoma

Not only has the trout fishing been improved in southeast Oklahoma, there is also a brand new area to try your luck. Fisheries personnel with the Wildlife Department told the Wildlife Conservation Commission at their November meeting about ¾ of a mile of trout stream which has been added or improved at the Lower Mountain Fork River.

With bulldozers, backhoes and a good deal of imagination, streams biologists created a brand new ¼-mile trout stream, dubbed Lost Creek. Water was diverted into an ancient stream channel through dense woods and boulders creating a unique area for anglers to try to fool wary trout.

A separate ½-mile stretch of the Lower Mountain Fork River, known as the Evening Hole, once had a poor reputation among trout anglers. The warm, slow-moving, muddy water in the area was not favored by the rainbow and brown trout stocked by the Wildlife Department.

However, streams biologists saw the potential in the area and felt if they could narrow the channel and provide more habitat, the trout, followed by trout anglers, would quickly begin using the area. Biologists used 600 dump truck loads of gravel to narrow the river channel, causing the water to remain cooler and move through the Evening Hole faster. With the addition of large rocks, logs and islands, fisheries personnel transformed once sub-par trout habitat into a first class fishing area.

The Commission voted to establish special trout fishing regulations on the Evening Hole and Lost Creek areas. Upon gubernatorial approval, anglers must use only artificial lures with barbless hooks and may harvest only one rainbow trout and one brown trout 20-inches or longer per day. When the proposed regulations were opened to public input recently, the Department received overwhelming support of the new regulations which are geared toward providing a high quality trout fishery.

In other business, the Commission heard a report on the progress of the Quail Habitat Restoration Initiative. Through the Natural Resources Conservation Service, $500,000 in cost-share and incentive payments is available to landowners willing to restore and manage quail habitat this year.

"This is a departure from the approach we have used in the past to improve quail habitat. In years past, we have waited for landowners to come to us, but with this new initiative we are going to them. We have identified five different areas of the state where we feel like we can get the most bang for our buck when it comes to quail habitat," said Mike Sams, private lands biologist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.

Also at the meeting, the Commission heard about an innovative concept to turn a commodity that is typically thrown away by anglers into dollars that can be used for conservation. The idea involves collecting, processing and selling paddlefish eggs as caviar on the international market.

Historically, caviar has come from sturgeon in the Caspian Sea, however that fishery has essentially collapsed and will not be able to produce sturgeon caviar for at least 25 years. Caviar made from paddlefish eggs has proven to be a comparable, if not equal, substitute for sturgeon caviar. As the supply of caviar has decreased, the demand, and price, for a caviar substitute has increased.

Paddlefish are found in several river drainages in the state, but the population in the Grand River system has been studied for the past 25 years. Each spring thousands of paddlefish move upstream to spawn. This fishery, arguably the healthiest paddlefish population in the United States, draws anglers from across the state and the nation for the chance to reel in one of the huge fish, which can exceed 100 pounds.

Many of these anglers choose to clean their fish and take home the meat, however, the eggs are often discarded. The Wildlife Department proposed to the Commission that the eggs be voluntarily collected from sport anglers so they could be sold to fund paddlefish research, management and law enforcement. Similar operations have been in place in Montana and North Dakota since 1989.

After discussion the Commission voted to finance a feasibility study and business plan for the project to determine if the proposal would be financially feasible in Oklahoma.

In other business, Commissioners received a report from Finley and Cook, PLLC, the company that performed the Department's 2006 annual financial audit. According to Traci Keel with Finley and Cook, the audit went smoothly and no irregularities were found. According to Keel, the Wildlife Department demonstrated "excellent internal control" over their financial matters.

Also at the November meeting, Commissioners heard a report regarding the current status of the Department employee retirement plan. The plan remains relatively well funded at over 80 percent, according to Buck Consultants, the company that performed the actuarial valuation report. The Commission voted to increase the Department's annual retirement contribution by $500,000 to ensure the plan remains solid and well funded.

The Wildlife Conservation Commission is the eight-member governing board of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. The Wildlife Commission establishes state hunting and fishing regulations, sets policy for the Wildlife Department, and indirectly oversees all state fish and wildlife conservation activities. Commission members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.

The next scheduled Commission meeting is December 4 at the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation headquarters (auditorium), at the southwest corner of 18th and North Lincoln, Oklahoma City at 9:00 a.m.

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Biologists complete "one of the most ambitious streams restoration project ever undertaken in Oklahoma"

It's not everyday that biologists can create a brand new trout stream, but fisheries personnel with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation recently did just that.

"When we showed people where we were thinking about building this new creek, I think people thought we were a little crazy," said James Vincent, southeast region fisheries biologist for the Wildlife Department. "The area looked like it would make much better squirrel habitat than trout habitat."

In Beaver's Bend State Park along the Lower Mountain Fork River, fisheries personnel transformed an ancient stream channel into a brand new ¼-mile trout stream, dubbed Lost Creek. While the area was still dry, fisheries personnel used bulldozers and backhoes to clear the channel to create a series of riffles, runs and pools that would become first-class trout habitat when water was directed into the new stream.

"We used a huge, 20-ton water control structure to divert a small amount of water into Lost Creek. The channel winds through woods and eventually dumps back into the Lower Mountain Fork River," Vincent said. "Not only is this going to become a great trout fishing area, it is also just a beautiful place to take a walk."

Streams biologists did not stop there. Just down stream from the start of Lost Creek, fisheries personnel turned their focus on a ½-mile stretch of the Lower Mountain Fork River, known as the Evening Hole.

"The fishing wasn't as good as it could have been in this particular area of the river," Vincent said. "The Evening Hole had three problems - the water was too warm; it moved too slowly; and there was a good amount of silt in the area. None of these conditions are good for trout or for trout anglers."

Vincent and his colleagues came up with a plan to make the area more desirable for trout.

"After we received all the necessary work permits, we dumped about 600 loads of gravel along the banks of the river to narrow the channel. This caused the water to move faster through the area which will keep the water temperature from rising too quickly and help to move the dirt and muck on downstream," Vincent said. "We also recycled every big rock and log we could find and placed them in and around the Evening Hole and created a good number of places for trout to hide and to find food."

The Wildlife Conservation Commission recently voted to establish special trout fishing regulations on the Evening Hole and Lost Creek areas. Upon gubernatorial approval, anglers will be required to use only artificial flies and lures with barbless hooks and may harvest only one rainbow trout and one brown trout 20-inches or longer per day. When the proposed regulations were opened to public input recently, the Department received overwhelming support of the new regulations.

"This is certainly one of the most ambitious streams restoration project that has ever been undertaken in the state. We can't wait for people to come down and see it for themselves," Vincent said. "This is a great example of what we can accomplish when we work together. We certainly couldn't have done this without the strong partnership and support from a wide range of public and private organizations like the Lower Mountain Fork River Foundation, the 89er Chapter of the Trout Unlimited, the Oklahoma Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Oklahoma State Parks and Resorts and the Tulsa District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to name a few."

For more information about trout fishing in Oklahoma or these two restoration projects log on to wildlifedepartment.com.

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*****Photo*****

Editor's note: Below is a link for accompanying photo and intended for newspaper publication. The ending link is .jpg for the photo. The photo will open in your browser. If you have a pc you should be able to right click, save picture as, choose the file type you want to save as and click save. The other way is on file in toolbar, save picture as, choosing the file type you want to save as and click save. Images can be viewed with the article at http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/wl_news.htm.

http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/newsrele...eningbefore.jpg

http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/newsrele...veningafter.jpg

Caption: Biologists used 600 dump truck loads of gravel to narrow the river channel, causing the water to remain cooler and move through the Evening Hole faster. With the addition of large rocks, logs and islands, fisheries personnel transformed once sub-par trout habitat into a first class fishing area.

http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/newsrele...creekbefore.jpg

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Caption: Wildlife Department fisheries biologists used bulldozers and a good deal of imagination to transform an ancient stream channel into a new trout stream called Lost Creek.

Whooping crane population hatches record number of chicks

For two years straight, one of the rarest birds in North America hatched a record number of whooping crane chicks, and the entire population is currently migrating through Oklahoma. As they do each year, the endangered birds travel from their breeding grounds in Canada to wintering grounds along the Texas Coast. This annual route takes them through the central one-third of the state.

"The cranes we see are part of the last remaining, self-sustaining population in the world," said Mark Howery, biologist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.

The population was down to 15 birds in 1941. All cranes that exist today are descendent from that small migratory population. Today's population surpasses 230 birds, after the 2006 breeding season fledged 47 new whooping crane chicks.

Oklahoma's Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge is a good place to catch a glimpse of the endangered species. The refuge is designated critical habitat for the whooping crane. Reports indicate 18 adults and six juveniles, including one set of twins, have passed through the refuge in the past two weeks.

"A record seven sets of twins fledged this spring, so the refuge's report confirms that one of those sets is close to completing a successful migration. That bodes well for the population," Howery said.

No one's sure how long the birds will hang around the refuge before continuing south, but they typically hang around for one to two days. Kelvin Schoonover keeps a lookout in southwestern Oklahoma's Tillman County. Schoonover is the wildlife biologist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation at the Hackberry Flat Wildlife Management Area near Frederick.

"They can show up anytime now, and hunters need to be very cautious," Schoonover said.

Sandhill cranes and snow geese migrate to Hackberry Flat around the same time as the whooping crane, and they can look a lot like the endangered bird.

"Two adult whoopers rested a few hours at Hackberry Flat one day last year, but they've hung around for as long as three weeks in the past," Schoonover said.

The Wildlife Department collects whooping crane sightings as part of a federal tracking program led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

"Oklahoma's sportsmen account for over one-third of the state's whooping crane reports," Howery said.

Report any sightings to the Department of Wildlife Conservation at (405) 521-4616. Please note date, location, number of birds, behavior (walking, flying), habitat, and physical description.

With a standing height of more than five feet, whooping cranes are the tallest birds in North America. They are mostly white in appearance, and they have black wing tips at the end of a seven-foot wingspan. Each bird has a red facial mask and a long olive-drab bill.

Whooping cranes may be seen in wet agricultural fields or along river bottoms in small groups of two to six birds. They roost at night on mudflats and are often seen with flocks of sandhill cranes.

*****Photo*****

Editor's note: Below is a link for accompanying photo and intended for newspaper publication. The ending link is .jpg for the photo. The photo will open in your browser. If you have a pc you should be able to right click, save picture as, choose the file type you want to save as and click save. The other way is on file in toolbar, save picture as, choosing the file type you want to save as and click save. Images can be viewed with the article at http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/wl_news.htm. Photo Credit for both photos: US Fish and Wildlife Service

http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/newsrele...flightlarge.jpg

http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/newsrele...opingcrane1.jpg

Caption: The endangered whooping crane migrates through Oklahoma every fall as it travels southward towards wintering grounds along the Texas Coast at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.

UPCOMING HUNTER EDUCATION CLASSES

Course locations are listed by date, followed by course location, town and time. If a phone number is listed, pre-registration required. Courses are a minimum of eight hours and are free. Students must pass an exam with a score of 70 percent. For updated information on upcoming courses, check our Web site at www.wildlifedepartment.com/hunted.htm

NOVEMBER

13, 14, 16: Hunter Education: Bass Pro, Broken Arrow; 6 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.; (918) 299-2334. Must attend all three nights.

15: Hunter Education: Zoo Education Center, OKC; 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; (405) 521-4636.

16: Hunter Education Home Study, Sportsman's Warehouse, OKC; 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. (405) 302-4800.

16: Hunter Education Home Study, Bass Pro, OKC; 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. (405) 218-5200

16: Hunter Education: Tulsa Tech Center, Riverside Campus, Jenks; 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; (918) 299-2334.

20: Hunter Education Home Study, Bass Pro, OKC; 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. (405) 218-5200

21: Hunter Education Home Study, Sportsman's Warehouse, OKC; 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. (405) 302-4800.

21: Hunter Education Home Study, Bass Pro, OKC; 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. (405) 218-5200

27: Hunter Education Home Study, Bass Pro, OKC; 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. (405) 218-5200

OUTDOOR CALENDAR

NOVEMBER

17 & 18: Project WILD for college credit at Northeastern State University, Tahlequah. Class runs from 2 p.m. - 9 p.m. on Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. For more information or to enroll call Dr. Kay Frank at (918) 456-0116.

18: Basic WILD at Southwestern State University, Weatherford. Class runs from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. For more information or to enroll call Dr. Robbie McCarty at (580) 774-3265.

18: A waterfowl identification workshop will be held at the Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge for inexperienced birders. The workshop will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and only 30 slots are available. Cost is $10 per person, which includes lunch. The workshop includes a field trip on the refuge to observe waterfowl. To register, call Shane Kesson at the refuge, (580) 371-2402, or email Shane_Kesson@fws.gov.

18: Dutch Oven Cooking for Beginners at Crow's Secret Nature Center at Lake Thunderbird State Park, Norman. Join the naturalist at the nature center to learn how to cook outdoors in a Dutch oven just like the pioneers did in the old west. There is an $8 fee per person and you must be registered by Nov. 15. Class runs from 9 a.m. 1 p.m. Contact Julie Tarver at (405) 321-4633 for registration and entry fees.

18- Dec. 5: Deer - Gun Season. Antlerless days vary by zone. Be sure to consult the "2006-2007 Oklahoma Hunting Guide."

18: Gourd Carving at Crow's Secret Nature Center at Lake Thunderbird State Park, Norman. This gourd decorating class will be specifically to learn the art of carving with a Dremel tool. It is not necessary for you to own one to participate. If you bring your own gourds there is no fee, if you need a gourd we have some for sale in various price ranges. Class runs from 2 p.m. 4 p.m. For more information contact Julie Tarver at (405) 321-4633.

Boater education certification is a six hour class presented by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. The course covers navigation rules, equipment requirements, boating law and boating safety. For more information or to register contact call 877-253-2820. Classes are being held at the following locations:

13 & 14: Indian Capital Tech Center, Muskogee. The class runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. must attend both nights.

14 & 16: Greenwoods, Skiatook. The class runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. must attend both nights.

16 & 17: Lawton Boat Club, Lawton. The class runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. must attend both nights.

18: Eufaula VFW, Eufaula. The class runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

18: Bass Pro Shops, Broken Arrow. The class runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

18: American Legion Building, Vinita. The class runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

18: Pontotoc Tech Center, Ada. The class runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a break for lunch.

18: Northeast Tech Center, Kansas. The class runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

18: Wagoner City Library, Wagoner. The class runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

A wide variety of early fall nature programs and classes are being held at Tulsa Parks Oxley Nature Center in north Mohawk Park.

18: Fall Leaf Journal program for ages 3-5 years at 10:00 a.m. What wonderful colors Autumn leaves have! Let's find some to create some rubbings we can color. Meet at Oxley Nature Center.

18: They're Leafing - Goodbye program for ages 6-8 years, at 10:00 a.m. Leaves are still falling from the trees. Let's find out why they drop off and what is left behind.

19: Unnatural Trail program is for all ages at 1:30 p.m. What's wrong with this picture? Let's see if we can discover some things that don't belong along the trail we explore at Oxley. We'll use our senses to find what is out of place.

Most Nature Center programs require a small fee, and registration. For more information or to register contact the Nature Center at (918) 669-6644.

For a complete listing of upcoming outdoor activities and events, go to wildlifedepartment.com and check out the Outdoor Calendar.

FISHING REPORT FOR NOVEMBER 8, 2006

CENTRAL

Wes Watkins: Elevation 6 /1/2 ft-7 ft. below normal, water 66-69 and murky. Catfish fair to good on chicken liver, minnows, fresh cut bait, shrimp and dead minnows in deeper water of the main lake channel and in feeder creeks and around dam tower. White bass fair on diving crankbaits at 10-12 ft. and chrome color slabs. Crappie fair to good on jigs and smaller sized minnows around dam tower and around structures at 8-12 ft. Largemouth bass fair on assorted darker colored soft plastics and good on Carolina rigging around the fish market roadbed area just north of the south boat ramp and with some action on lighter colored spinnerbaits around weed bed and mossy areas. Report submitted M. M. Fowler at St. Gregory.

Wes Watkins: Elevation 6 1/2 ft. below normal, water 56. Bass slow on plastic worms around structure at 10-12 ft. Channel catfish slow on cut bait at 10-12 ft. Crappie slow on minnows around structure and dam at 10-16 ft. White bass slow on medium diving crankbaits off points. Report submitted by Ronnie Arganbright, game warden stationed in Pottawatomie County.

NORTHEAST

Birch: Elevation 1 1/2 ft. below normal, water in the upper 60s and clear. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs around deep brush over 20 ft. deep. Report submitted by Paul Welch, game warden stationed in Osage County.

Carl Blackwell: Elevation 5 ft. below normal, water 58 and murky. Saugeye fair on minnows and jigs. Report submitted by Jon Cunningham, game warden stationed in Payne County.

Eucha: Elevation 10 ft. below normal, water 54 and murky. Crappie fair on jigs and minnows around brush and structure. Largemouth bass fair on plastic worms. Catfish fair using cut shad. Report submitted by Dwight Moore, City of Tulsa Fisheries.

Grand: Elevation below normal and rising. Channel catfish fair to good in river channels on cut and whole shad. Blue catfish fair on juglines baited with shad at 20 ft. Report submitted by Jim Littlefield, game warden stationed in Delaware County.

Greenleaf: Elevation normal and clear. Largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits and crankbaits along the shoreline. Channel catfish fair on stinkbait and cut bait on bottom. Crappie fair around brush structure. Report submitted by Lark Wilson, game warden stationed in Muskogee County.

Kaw: Elevation 1/2 ft. below normal and clear. Blue catfish fair to good on juglines at 15-25 ft. on shad. White bass good on windy days on riprap areas and points in the Kaw City area on crankbaits and inline spinners. Crappie fair over sunken brush using jigs at 12-20 ft. Report submitted by Tracy Daniel, game warden stationed in Kay County.

Keystone: Elevation 4 ft. below normal, water 60 and clear to murky. Largemouth bass good on spinnerbaits and plastics at 3-6 ft. in creeks and coves. Smallmouth bass fair on crankbaits and jig and chunk at 5-10 ft. in mouths of deep coves. Spotted bass good on crankbait6s and spinnerbaits at 4-8 ft. off main lake points. White bass good on rooster tails and chrome spoons at 3-6 ft. off windy main lake points. Striped bass below the dam are fair on live shad and topwaters from the surface to 3 ft. around deep holes. Striped bass in the lake fair on shad and swim baits at 6-12 ft. off main lake points. Channel catfish good on worms and stinkbaits at 4-8 ft. in creeks and coves. Blue catfish good on shad and punch baits at 6-12 ft. in the flats along the river channel. Flathead catfish fair on goldfish and live shad at 6-12 ft. in the mouth of coves. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 8-14 ft. around brush piles and dock areas. Report submitted by Larry Sellers, Woody's Bait and Tackle.

Oologah: Elevation 2 ft. below normal, water in the mid 60's and clear. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs around brush piles at 15 ft. Report submitted by Brek Henry, game warden stationed in Rogers County.

Skiatook: Elevation 11 1/2 ft. below normal, water 58 and clear. Smallmouth bass fair on jigs and crankbaits, off points at 5-10 ft. Largemouth bass fair at 5-10 ft. on jig and chunk. Catfish fair on cut baits and large minnows, near dam. Crappie fair on small to medium minnows at 15-25 ft. around docks, bridges and other structures. No reports on striped bass hybrids. Report submitted by Greenwood Fishing Center.

Sooner: White bass and striped bass hybrids fair in the lake on live bait in deep water and in the discharge channel on sassy shad and topwater lures. Catfish fair on live bait in channels. Report submitted by Doug Gottschalk, game warden stationed in Noble County.

Spavinaw: Elevation 6 ft. below normal, water 63 and clear. Crappie fair on jigs and minnows around dam area. Largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits. Report submitted by Dwight Moore, City of Tulsa Fisheries.

Tenkiller: Elevation 6 ft. below normal, water 64 and clear. Smallmouth bass fair around brush at 10-20 ft. on soft plastic bass jigs. Crappie fair in brush at 10-20 ft. on tube jigs and fair around docks at 10-20 ft. on tube jigs or minnows. Sunfish good around docks at 10-20 ft. on worms. Report by Monte Brooks, Cookson Village Resort.

Webbers Falls: Elevation normal and murky. Largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits along riprap. Channel catfish good on bottom on cut bait. Crappie fair in minnows and jigs at 12-15 ft. around brush structure. Report submitted by Lark Wilson, game warden stationed in Muskogee County.

SOUTHEAST

Arbuckle: Elevation 5 ft. below normal, water 56 and clear. Crappie good on minnows and jigs. White bass good in creek drop-offs and bends on spoons. Bass good to fair on Carolina-rigged, seven-inch, blue fleck power worm and crankbaits good off points. Report submitted by Jack Melton.

Blue River: Elevation slightly above normal, water 56 and muddy. Largemouth bass slow on minnows and flies. Catfish fair on liver and worms. Trout fair on power baits, rooster tails and super dupers. Report submitted by Charles Baker, technician at Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area.

Broken Bow: Water murky. Bass good off points on salt craws, jig heads and soft plastics. Catfish good on trotlines and juglines bait with cut bait or sunfish. Report submitted by Dru Polk, game warden stationed in McCurtain County.

Eufaula: Elevation 4 ft. below normal and clear. Largemouth bass good on plastic baits at 4-10 ft. in creek channels. White bass fair on crankbaits at 2-6 ft. off windy points. Blue catfish slow. Crappie good on minnows or jigs at 8-20ft. around boat docks. Report submitted Ed Rodebush, game warden stationed in McIntosh County.

Hugo: Elevation 1/6 ft. above normal, water 67 and murky. Largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits. Crappie fair on minnows. Blue catfish fair on liver and stinkbait. Report submitted by Wendell Smalling, game warden stationed in Choctaw County.

Konawa: Elevation 1 1/2 ft. below normal, water 63 and clear. Largemouth bass good on crankbaits along points and in the discharge channel at 5-15 ft. Channel catfish fair on chicken liver in the discharge channel at 15 ft. Report submitted by Daryl Howser, game warden stationed in Seminole County.

McGee Creek: Elevation 3 ft. below normal, water 66 and clear. Largemouth bass fair on soft plastics at 6-20 ft. Crappie fair on minnows around cedar brush at 12-25 ft. Report submitted by Larry Luman, game warden stationed in Atoka County.

Lower Mountain Fork River: Trout fair on dry flies, tiny midges, emergers and various streamers. Report submitted by Sid Ingram, Beavers Bend Fly Shop.

Pine Creek: Elevation normal and murky. Bass and Crappie fishing have both slowed. Catfish fair on cut bait when trotlined at 12-18 ft. Report submitted by Mark Hannah, game warden stationed in McCurtain County.

Robert S. Kerr: Elevation normal, water 55 and clear. Largemouth bass fair at 3-6 ft on crankbaits and plastic bait fishing the rock and weed cover. Crappie fair at 10 ft on minnows fishing the old creek channels. White bass fair at 5-10 ft. using jigs fishing below the dams. Blue catfish good at 5-10 ft. using fresh cut bait, worms and minnows fishing the fresh water flowing into the lake from the recent rain. Flathead catfish fair at 15-20 ft. using live bait using trotlines and juglines. Report submitted by Rick Olzawski, game warden stationed in Haskell County.

Sardis Lake: Crappie good along structure on minnows and jigs and off bridges. Largemouth bass fair on shallow running crankbaits and spinnerbaits running shallow. Report submitted by Allen Couch, game warden stationed in Pushmataha County.

Texoma: Elevation 3 ft. below normal, water 64 and the water is clear south and murky north. Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass fair on plastic baits at 5-15 ft. around underwater structure. Striped and white bass fair to good on live bait, sassy shad and slabs at 10-20 ft. around islands. Channel and blue catfish fair on stinkbait and cut shad at 10-20 ft. in the Washita River arm and Little Glasses Creek. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 5-15 ft. in Kansas and Widow Moore creeks. Report submitted by Danny Clubb, game warden stationed in Bryan County.

Wister: Elevation 1 1/2 ft. below normal and murky. Largemouth bass fair on plastic baits and salt craws shallow. Crappie fair on minnows around structure and brush piles. Catfish fair on trotlines and juglines. Report submitted by Randy Fennell, game warden stationed in LeFlore County.

SOUTHWEST

Foss: Elevation 4 ft. below normal. White bass and hybrid bass fair. Crappie fair around the fishing house. Walleye fair on slabs. Catfish fair. Bass slow. Report submitted by Eric Puyear, B & K Bait House.