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Fishing Pawhuska Lake: what the data says
104-acre reservoir near Oklahoma. The lake tops out around 40 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.
Bluegill fishing at Pawhuska Lake
Spring bluegill on Pawhuska Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 25 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Pawhuska Lake
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 40 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| 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 |
Crappie fishing at Pawhuska Lake
Spring crappie on Pawhuska Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 40 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| 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 |
Flathead Catfish fishing at Pawhuska Lake
Start shallow in spring: flathead catfish sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 12 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 40 ft of water that rates prime for flathead catfish in winter. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| 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 | 12 to 40 ft | midday |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Pawhuska Lake
Spring largemouth bass on Pawhuska Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| 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 |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 40 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 24 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 12 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 12 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Pawhuska Lake?
Pawhuska Lake is about 40 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 Pawhuska Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, flathead catfish on Pawhuska Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Pawhuska Lake?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Pawhuska Lake?
For bluegill, 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
Bluestem Lake · Hulah Lake · Pawnee Lake · Shell Lake · Lone Chimney Lake · Lake Ponca
See how Pawhuska Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Oklahoma · best crappie lakes in Oklahoma · best bluegill 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.