Sport Fish Of Oklahoma

Sunfish Family (Centrarchidae) Contains Three Black Bass Species

Largemouth, Smallmouth, and Spotted Three Sunfish

Bluegill, Redear, and Green Sunfish Two Crappie Species

Black and White Crappie

Largemouth Bass (Micropterus Salmonoides) Most sought after game fish in N.A. Description

Mouth Hinges Behind the Eye State Record 14 lbs. 12.3 ozs.

Habitat Found near cover at different depths dependent on time of year

Food Source Crustaceans, insects, crayfish, frogs and fish

Spawning Start when water temp. is about 65oF Male builds nest Female deposits eggs between 2,000 and 7,000 per pound the male drives the female and any other intruders from the nest until the

eggs hatch and the fry leave. Fry swim in schools until reaching a length of approximately 1 inch.

Small Mouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu) Description

Mouth hinges in front of eye State record 8 lbs. 7 ozs.

Habitat Clean clear water with rocky substrate, weedy areas along shoreline, etc.

Food Source Crayfish, aquatic and terrestrial insects, worms, small fish, etc.

Spawning Water temp between 60 to 75O F Males build nests along gravel bars Males drive multiple females onto nests Females lay between 2,000 to 7,000 per pound Little to no parental care after hatching

Spotted Bass (Micropterus punctulatus) Description

Mouth hinges with back edge of eye Rough tongue patch State record 8 lbs. 3 ozs.

Habitat Flowing streams, Deep water in lakes with rock substrate and along bluffs

Food Source Crayfish and immature insects, some small fish

Spawning Water temp from 63 to 68oF Males build nest on gravel or rock bottom Same as Largemouth

Bluegill (Lepomis machrochirus) Important forage species

Description small mouth, black opercular (ear) flap, and a black spot at the rear base of the

dorsal fin State record 2 lbs. 6 ozs.

Habitat Shallow weedy areas morning and evening: deeper during day

Food Source Insects, crustaceans, snails, sometimes aquatic plants

Spawning Very prolific After water temp. 75oF Colony nesters Males excavate nest in sand or gravel 1 to 3 feet deep Females lay eggs (average 40,000 per season) Males drive away females and guard nest until a few days after hatch

Redear Sunfish (Lepomis michrolophis) Description

Bright red spot on opercula flap State record 2 lbs. 1 oz.

Habitat Usually clear vegetated water

Food Source Insects, crustaceans, snails

Spawning Similar to bluegill Water temp around 66 to 70oF Not as prolific

Green sunfish (Lepomis Cyanellus) Description

Elongated body Large mouth State record 2 lbs. 7 ozs.

Habitat Rocky areas with lots of cover Well adapted to fluctuating conditions

Food Source Insects, crustaceans, snails

Spawning Same as other sunfish

White Crappie (Poxomis annularis) Description

Distinct vertical bands 5 to 6 bony spines along dorsal fin State record 4 lbs. 15 ozs.

Habitat Standing timber and brush Shallow in spring deep in winter

Food Source Minnows, shad, crayfish, mollusks, and insects

Spawning Very prolific Similar to other sunfish (deeper water) Water temp around 65o Females lay 3,000 to 15,000 eggs

Black Crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus) Description

No vertical bars 7 to 8 bony spines on dorsal fin State record 4 lbs. 10 ozs.

Habitat food source and spawning same as white

Catfish Family (Ictaluridae) Blue, Channel, and Flathead Catfish Spawning

Cavity nesters (under rocks logs holes in bank etc. Water temp. around 75o Males fan out nest Females lay about 10,000 eggs Males guard nest and fry

Food Source Blues and channels are omnivorous ( feed on anything Flatheads primarily on live fish and crayfish

Blue Catfish (Ictalus furcatus) Description

Straight anal fin and forked Tail State record 118 lbs 8oz

Habitat Found in large rivers and major reservoirs, blue catfish generally

prefer areas with sand, gravel or rock bottoms Found state wide

Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctuatus) Description

Rounded anal fin forked tail State record 35 lbs 15 ozs

Habitat Found in deep holes and all depths Found state wide

Flathead catfish (Pylodictus olivaris) Description

Obvious flat head and an unforked tail State Record 106 lbs

Habitat Flatheads are found near cover in deep holes

Temperate Bass Family

Percichthyidae

White Bass (Morone chrysops) State fish Description

Arched back and unbroken vertical lines State record 5 lbs 4 ozs.

Habitat Adults prefer open water over sandy shoals during the day and shallows

at night. Food Source

Shad, minnows crustaceans, and insects Spawning

Prefer upstream migration (release eggs into current) Water temp 50 to 55oF At random over weeds and rocks so eggs don’t settle in mud No Parental Care

Striped Bass (Morone Saxatilis) Description

Back not arched strong unbroken lines

State Record 47 lbs 8 ozs. Habitat

Cruise in large schools in open water

Food Source Insects, shad and minnows

Spawning Water temp ranges from 55 to

70oF Females may have up to 5 million

eggs Eggs are semi-bouyant Require moving unobstructed river

for eggs remain viable Males and females release eggs at

same time in current

Stripers were originally a marine or estuarine species. An anadromous spawner (ascends freshwater streams to spawn), striped bass became landlocked in an artificial impoundment near the Atlantic coast. They adapted so well to that environment that many states, including Oklahoma, began transplanting stripers. Striped bass can reach weights of 40 pounds or more.

Striped Bass Hybrid(Morone chryops x Morone Saxatilis)

Description Back slightly arched and has broken

lines also shape of tongue patch 23 lbs 4 ozs.

Habitat Prefer similar areas as Striped and

White Bass

Spawning Cross between male white bass and

female Striped bass Striped bass female because of egg

capacity

The first Oklahoma stocking of striped bass hybrids was in Sooner Lake in 1977. Subsequent stockings have been made in lakes statewide including Konawa, Optima, Ft. Supply, Tom Steed, Altus-Lugert, Overholser, Grand, Heyburn, Atoka, Ft. Cobb, Salt Plains, Waurika and Ellsworth.

Perch Family(Percidae)

Walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) Description

No scales on cheek patch no spots on dorsa

State Record 12 lbs. 13 oz. Habitat

near the bottom on sand bars or near ledges and drop-offs

Food Source Insects, larvae, nightcrawlers, crayfish,

snails and small fish. Spawning

Water temps 45 to 50oF 25,000 to 50,000 eggs per pound of

body weight Males and females spawn

simultaneously Eggs fall between rip rap and crevices to

hatch

Distribution originated from introductions made during the early 1950s in Canton and Tenkiller lakes. Since that time, adult walleye have been trapped (primarily from Canton Lake), their eggs taken by hand stripping, fertilized and hatched in state fish hatcheries. Most major lakes in Oklahoma have been stocked. Best populations are in the western half of the state.

Sauger(Sander canadensis)

Description Dark spots on dorsal fin, cheek covered in scales, dark blotches on

body State Record 5 lbs. 5 oz.

Habitat river and stream fish preferring the clear eastern river.

Food Source Adults feed largely on fish, the young mainly taking invertebrates and

small fish. Spawning

Similar to Walleye (done only at night) Found in the Poteau, Illinois, Red and Neosho rivers in Oklahoma

and in several lakes and reservoirs around the state.

Saugeye (male sauger x female walleye) Description

State record 10 lbs. 10 oz. Habitat

congregate near the bottom on sand bars or near ledges and drop-offs. Food Source

eat fish, almost exclusively, from the time they are stocked. The first saugeye stocking in Oklahoma was in Lake Thunderbird

during May 1985. Since this initial stocking many other state lakes have been stocked with saugeye, including Burtschi, Carl Blackwell, Ellsworth, Fort Cobb, Foss, Great Salt Plains, Hall, Holdenville, Lawtonka, Pine Creek, Shawnee Lakes, Sooner, Tom Steed, Vanderwork, and Waurika.

Salmon Family(Salmonidae)

Rainbow Trout(Oncorhynchus myKiss) State Record 10 lbs. 4 oz. Habitat

In streams around riffles eddies, exposed obsructions Food Source

Aquatic insects Spawning

Water temp 40 to 45oF on gravel bottoms Swim up stream to traditional spawning grounds Incubation takes 50 days at 50oF Has been some recent documentation of Natural Reproduction

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.

Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) State Record 17 lbs. 4.6 ozs. Habitat

In shade of bank or overhanging vegetation during day Food Source

Aquatic insects, mollusks, and small fish Spawning

Water temp. 44 to 48oF in the fall Run up tributaries to spawn Incubation takes 48 to 52 days at 51oF

Originally from Europe in the Danube River. Introduced in the US in 1865

Paddle fish (Polyodon spathula) State record 125 lbs. 7 ozs. They can live up to 30-35 years ranging throughout the U.S. In

Oklahoma, they are found mainly in the Grand, Neosho and Arkansas River systems

Food Source One of Oklahoma’s largest fish, the paddlefish feeds on tiny

zooplankton (microscopic insects) and, like a shark, it has a completely cartilaginous skeletal system.

The rostrum is used as a electro sensory organ to detect zooplankton Spawning

Male paddlefish are old enough to spawn when they are four to nine years. Females spawn when they are 6-12 years old. Spawning season is from March through June, when spring rains raise the water levels of rivers and water temperatures reach 50-60 degrees. Males and females gather in schools and release their eggs over gravel or sandbars. This is

called "broadcast spawning."

Alligator Gar (Atractosteus spatula) Description –

A potentially very large gar (world record over 300 pounds, not from Oklahoma) but has short, broad snout with two rows of teeth on the upper jaw. Small alligator gar may be distinguished from other gar by the blackish band along the midside and a narrow, white stripe along midline of back.

State record 192 lbs. 1oz Habitat

warm water and large sluggish rivers such as the Red River that flows into Lake Texoma.

Food Sources primarily on fish but is known to eat ducks and other water birds

Spawning Although complete life history information is lacking, it is believed that

alligator gar spawn in early May in Oklahoma, probably in a manner similar to other gar.