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Fishing Broken Bow Lake: what the data says
14,172-acre reservoir near Broken Bow. The lake tops out around 183 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
On the chart, Broken Bow Lake draws 14,259 acres inside 213.4 miles of shoreline, with 38 islands in the mix. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 12.8) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Roughly 13% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Broken Bow Lake
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (17 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (17 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (17 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Broken Bow Lake
The spring pattern is a shallow one: smallmouth bass in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 20 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: Offshore hump, a offshore hump in the 22-ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (22 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (17 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Sharp break (17 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spotted Bass fishing at Broken Bow Lake
Early season spotted bass use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Summer is a 15 to 40 ft game here, winter a 25 to 50 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shoreline point — point, 17 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot over brush or a underspin + fluke (schoolers) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (17 ft) | Ned rig on gravel points, Shaky head |
| Summer | 15 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (32 ft) | Drop shot over brush, Underspin + fluke (schoolers) |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (17 ft) | Walking topwater, Underspin |
| Winter | 25 to 50 ft | midday | Main-lake point (46 ft) | Damiki/hover rig, Jigging spoon |
White Bass fishing at Broken Bow Lake
Early season white bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 12 ft. Summer is a 8 to 25 ft game here, winter a 15 to 40 ft one. The chart's best answer is Offshore hump — offshore hump, 22 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (22 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (17 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Offshore hump (32 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
White Bass & Hybrids fishing at Broken Bow Lake
The spring pattern is a shallow one: white bass & hybrids in 3 to 15 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 20 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Offshore hump, a offshore hump in the 22-ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (17 ft) | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (22 ft) | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (17 ft) | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Offshore hump (32 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
Walleye fishing at Broken Bow Lake
When the water first warms, walleye slide up into 4 to 15 ft. Summer is a 15 to 35 ft game here, winter a 20 to 40 ft one. Start at Offshore hump. It's a offshore hump holding about 32 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. Keep a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Shoreline point (17 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Offshore hump (32 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Sharp break (17 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Offshore hump (32 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Broken Bow Lake also holds crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), channel catfish (8 to 25 ft in summer), flathead catfish (8 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 156 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 92 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 82 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 46 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 46 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 32 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 32 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 22 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 22 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 17 ft
- Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 17 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 17 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Broken Bow Lake fishing regulations
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Oklahoma waters are set by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation — and special regulations can apply to Broken Bow Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Oklahoma fishing regulations →
Common questions
How deep is Broken Bow Lake?
Broken Bow Lake is about 183 ft (56 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Broken Bow Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, white bass & hybrids, flathead catfish, spotted bass on Broken Bow Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Broken Bow Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
When is the best time to fish Broken Bow Lake?
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
What are the fishing regulations for Broken Bow Lake?
Fishing on Broken Bow Lake is regulated by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Check the official Oklahoma regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Nearby waters
Mountain Fork (Lower) 11 mi · Cedar Lake 36 mi · Lake Ozzie Cobb 40 mi · Schooler Lake 41 mi · Carl Albert Lake 42 mi · Lake Nanih Waiya 44 mi · Hugo Lake 44 mi · Wister Lake 47 mi · Sardis Lake 50 mi · Lake Greeson 53 mi, AR · Millwood Lake 53 mi, AR · Lloyd Church Lake 57 mi
See how Broken Bow Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Oklahoma · best smallmouth bass lakes in Oklahoma · best walleye lakes in Oklahoma · best white bass lakes in Oklahoma
Browse all Oklahoma fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.