Wadable For Memorial Weekend? Other Options?

[sjacks12]

I dont know much about the water generation and flow rates aside from the good info ive read in the most recent posts here. So, I'm looking to draw on the experience of others.

I've been keeping an eye on the flows and river levels at the LIR this past month or two and havent seen any wadable water in that time. The flow rate has recently dropped to 2000 cfs which is still high compared to average, but low compared to what we've been seeing. My brother is coming in this weekend from CO and we'd like to wade fish the LIR, anyone think the lake level will get to 632/the river flows will decrease to wadable levels by then?

If not, are they're any other places within about 2-3 hours of OKC suitable to wade or bank fish (trout not necessary)?

Thanks,

Steve

[benalt]

I've been watching this, too. Looks like the lake's been loosing about losing about a .1 - .25 inches per day, and that they've pretty much been running the dam at full capacity. Even so I would guess that it's not going to be really wadable by memorial day, which is a bummer. Just my guess, tho - I'm not able to see beyond the numbers online.

It might be really crowded, especially memorial day weekend, but the Lower Mountain Fork might be your best bet if you've got trout on the brain. The Blue River has some really nice river fishing, though I wouldn't bet on getting any trout at this time of year, mostly bass and sunfish from what I've caught/heard. I've done it as a day trip from OKC, but there's also some really great camping right on the river that you might want to check out. There's a yahoo group that has some good maps and info about the various sections, if you're interested.

[okiebug]

I wouldn't count on it being fishable. Looks like rain this evening and tomorrow in the forcast and that will probobly bump the inflo of water into lake tenkiller up even more. Even if the schedule say's they wont be releasing water this weekend I would be suprised if they actually stuck to that. I wish they would take a couple of days and just blow it out, I'm having serious LIR withdrawal!

[sjacks12]

I was afraid of that answer, but thats what I expected to hear. Thanks guys.

Benalt thanks for the tip on the blue river, we may head that way.

[Nick Williams]

Might not hurt to check the Upper....? I don't know enough about the flows, nor have I actually fished it enough to know, but there's supposed to be some semi-quality smallie fishing in there. If anyone else on here knows those flows better, they could definitely weigh in. But that might be an option?

[DaddyO]

The Upper will be blown out from all of the rain. You want it to be below 5ft on the gauges for wade water.

[benalt]

It looks like the blue is pretty high and murky with the rain, too

[Nick Williams]

Rain=blah

[OKFlyFisher44]

Let it rain. I hope it does this all summer. We NEED it bad. It will do nothing but help our rivers and streams. Flush out the algae, give the river a face lift, and give our fish a buffet of food. It sucks now but it will be great later. Fish grow fast in this high water and it gives our young wild fish (trout or smallmouth) places to hide from predators. When we had the big floods a few years back, it sucked for a while but the fishing was amazing the following season on most fisheries.

Let it rain...

[BFTMASTER]

Big water is when I start chunking big stick baits, for spinning I prefer heavy clean flows. Caught some really nice fish a couple of years ago when the river was running all spring long. I have always done well nymph fishing the eddy lines, got to use plenty of shot to get down.