Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at Okemah Lake
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing Okemah Lake: what the data says
677.7-acre reservoir near Okemah. The lake tops out around 45 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Okemah Lake
Spring largemouth bass on Okemah Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Back-bay flat, a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
White Bass fishing at Okemah Lake
Spring white bass on Okemah Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Buckeye Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for white bass in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening.
| 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 |
Crappie fishing at Okemah Lake
Spring crappie on Okemah Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Old creek channel, a creek channel in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Okemah Lake
Spring channel catfish on Okemah Lake 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 3 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 |
Flathead Catfish fishing at Okemah Lake
Spring flathead catfish on Okemah Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 45 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 44 ft of water that rates prime for flathead catfish in winter. 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 |
Blue Catfish fishing at Okemah Lake
In spring, blue catfish run shallow here, mostly 5 to 25 ft. They move out to 10 to 40 ft in summer and finish the year down in 14 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Old creek channel: a creek channel around 14 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening.
| 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 | 14 to 45 ft | midday |
Okemah Lake also holds common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer), freshwater drum (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 44 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 30 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 20 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 15 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 14 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 11 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 5 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Buckeye Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Okemah Lake?
Okemah Lake is about 45 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 Okemah Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, white bass, crappie, channel catfish, flathead catfish, blue catfish, freshwater drum, common carp on Okemah Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Okemah Lake?
Back-bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Okemah 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.
Nearby waters
Okmulgee Lake · Heyburn Lake · Shell Lake · Lone Chimney Lake · Lake Thunderbird · Lake Stanley Draper
See how Okemah Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Oklahoma · best white bass lakes in Oklahoma · best crappie lakes in Oklahoma · best channel catfish 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.