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Fishing Lake Hefner: what the data says
2,521.5-acre reservoir near Oklahoma City. The lake tops out around 70 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Walleye fishing at Lake Hefner
Spring walleye on Lake Hefner hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 15 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
White Bass & Hybrids fishing at Lake Hefner
Spring white bass & hybrids on Lake Hefner hold shallow, usually 3 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Creek inflow: a inflow / creek mouth around 7 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
Blue Catfish fishing at Lake Hefner
Start shallow in spring: blue catfish sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 40 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 50 ft. The spot to know is Old creek channel, a creek channel in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for blue catfish in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday |
Flathead Catfish fishing at Lake Hefner
Start shallow in spring: flathead catfish sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Old creek channel: a creek channel around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday |
Channel Catfish fishing at Lake Hefner
Spring channel catfish on Lake Hefner hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in spring. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday |
White Bass fishing at Lake Hefner
In spring, white bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 40 ft. Creek inflow is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for spring white bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | see map |
Lake Hefner also holds crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), largemouth bass (8 to 20 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 70 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 23 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 20 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 10 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 7 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 6 ft
- Marina / dock area: dock line, around 6 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 5 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 5 ft
Common questions
How deep is Lake Hefner?
Lake Hefner is about 70 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Lake Hefner?
Anglers target largemouth bass, walleye, white bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, white bass & hybrids, flathead catfish, blue catfish on Lake Hefner.
Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Hefner?
Creek inflow is the top-rated area: a inflow / creek mouth in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Lake Hefner?
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Lake Overholser · Arcadia Lake · Lake Stanley Draper · Lake Thunderbird · Perry Lake · Lone Chimney Lake
See how Lake Hefner stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Oklahoma · best walleye lakes in Oklahoma · best white bass lakes in Oklahoma · best crappie lakes in Oklahoma
Browse all Oklahoma fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.