Oklahoma
2001 Fishing Regulations

Resident Cost
Nonresident Cost
License Requirements
License Exemptions
Statewide Regulations
General Regulations
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LICENSE FEES (All annual licenses expire December31, 2002)

RESIDENT*

FEE

VALID

CODE
Fishing

$12.50

 Jan. 1 - Dec.31   RF
Combination, Fishing and Hunting $21.00 Jan. 1 - Dec. 31 CHF
Lifetime Fishing $150.00 Lifetime             
Lifetime Combination Fishing & Hunting $525.00 Lifetime             
Trout License $7.75 Jan. 1 - Dec. 31   TR
Lake Texoma License (see 1A below) $7.75 Jan. 1 - Dec. 31   LTF
Senior Citizen Fishing (Lifetime) (see 2A below) $6.00 Lifetime               
Senior Citizen Fishing and Hunting (Lifetime) (see 2A below) $10.00 Lifetime               
Disability Fishing License (see 3A below) $10.00 Five (5) Years      
*A resident is any individual who has resided in Oklahoma for a period of not less than 60 days and has the intention of making Oklahoma his or her home during this period. A driver's license or other proof of residency (i.e. utility receipt) must be provided to purchase a resident fishing or combination license.
NONRESIDENT*

FEE

VALID

CODE
Fishing (Annual) $28.50 Jan. 1 - Dec.31            NAF
Fishing (5 Day) $10.00 5 Consecutive Days   N5F
Fishing (14 Day $20.00 14 Consecutive Days N14
Lifetime Fishing $250.00 Lifetime                        
Lifetime Combination Fishing & Hunting $650.00 Lifetime                        
Trout License $7.75 Jan. 1 - Dec. 31            TR
Lake Texoma License (see 1A below) $7.75 Jan. 1 - Dec. 31            LTF
*A nonresident is any individual who is a resident of another state or who has resided in Oklahoma less than 60 days whether or not he or she intends to make Oklahoma their home during that period.

1A A Lake Texoma license allows anglers to fish the entire lake without having to purchase a resident or nonresident license. Oklahoma residents are not required to purchase this license if only fishing the Oklahoma portion of the lake.

2A Residents born on or after January 1, 1923, upon reaching age 64 (or those who turn 64 during the calendar year) are required to purchase a Senior Citizen License which is good for the rest of their lives. Anyone born before January 1, 1923, is exempt but must carry proof of age such as drivers license. Senior Citizen License applications are available through Department headquarters, field installations and license vendors. Can be purchased only through Department headquarters.

3A A Disability Fishing License shall be issued only to legal residents who have resided in this state for at least six (6) months and who are receiving Social Security disability, Supplemental Security Income benefits under the Railroad Retirement Act, 45 U.S.C.A., Sect. 231a, or postal employees receiving disability benefits under 5, U.S.C., Section 8451 (1998). This license is valid for five (5) years. Can be purchased only through Department headquarters.


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2002 Fishing Regulations,
License Requirements and Exemptions

LICENSE REQUIREMENTS

 An Oklahoma resident or nonresident fishing license is required of all persons who take, attempt to take, or possess fish or other aquatic dwelling organisms by any method in Oklahoma. A fishing license or written evidence of exemption must be carried while fishing. Persons fishing the Red River must have a valid Oklahoma fishing license unless exempt.

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LICENSE EXEMPTIONS

 The following persons are exempt from the resident or nonresident fishing license:
  • Residents under 16, and nonresidents under 16 who are residents of AL, AK, AR, CA, CT, DE, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, NH, NY, NC, ND, OH, TX, or WI.
  • Nonresidents under 14.
  • Resident owners or tenants, their spouses, parents, grandparents, children and their spouses, grandchildren and their spouses who fish in private ponds on land owned or leased by such owner or tenant.
  • Nonresidents 64 and older who are residents of Texas.
  • Resident disabled veterans with 60 percent or more disability. Call State Dept. of VA, 1-888-655-2838 for additional information.
  • Any person who fishes with pole and line, trotline or throw line in streams, natural ponds and mine pits in or forming the boundary of the county in which he is a bona fide resident, when using any bait other than commercial or artificial bait, blood, stink bait, cut fish and shrimp.
  • Oklahoma citizens in the U.S. Armed Forces serving outside Oklahoma on authorized leave and with written evidence on their person.
  • Any person legally blind or physically impaired who is unable to properly use fishing apparatus and one accompanying companion while the blind or physically impaired person is fishing.
  • Any patient of a state institution in Oklahoma established for the care and treatment of mental illness or or alcohol or drug dependency or any person developmentally disabled residing in any group home or other institution or persons developmentally disabled when accompanied by an attendant of such institution or legal guardian or when fishing on institutional property.
  • Residents having a proven disability rendering them nonambulatory and confined to wheelchairs as certified by a duly qualified physician.
  • Job Corps trainees of this state, having a proper identification card.
  • Persons under 18 who are in legal and physical custody of the State of Oklahoma or its agencies by court order.

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STATEWIDE REGULATIONS

Game Fish are largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass; black and white crappie; brown and rainbow trout; sauger, saugeye and walleye; striped bass and white bass; blue and channel catfish.
Nongame Fish are bluegill, redear and green sunfish; warmouth, rock bass, carp, buffalo, flathead catfish, drum, river carpsucker, gar, paddlefish and all other fish not listed as game fish.

No person shall tamper with the trotline, throwline, jugline or limbline of another person without permission from that person.

These methods are legal for taking both Game and Nongame Fish throughout the year, statewide, unless restricted under "Special Area Regulations."

Rod and Reel: No person may use more than five (7) rods while fishing unless restricted further under "Special Area Regulations" on page 10 of your Oklahoma 2002 Fishing Guide.

Trotline/Throwline: Trotlines/throwlines are restricted to no more than 3 lines and 100 hooks per person. A legal trotline/throwline has:

  • no glass or metallic floating device on line;
  • no metallic posts in water for attachment;
  • lines made of nonmetallic material only;
  • hooks at least 24 inches apart;
  • owner's name and address attached to each line;
  • been attended at least once every 24 hours;
  • not been set within 3 feet of surface of water at any point beyond 6 feet from either point of attachment, except at Great Salt Plains and Ft. Supply reservoirs where water is less than 3 feet deep.

Jugline: Juglines are restricted to no more than 5 hooks per line and 20 juglines per person. A jugline is a vertical line suspended from a nonmetallic or nonglass floating device, drifting free or anchored and has:

  • owner's name and address attached;
  • been attended at least once every 24 hours.

Limbline: Limblines are restricted to no more than 2 hooks per line and 20 limblines per person. A legal limbline is a line attached to a limb, branch or other natural object and has:

  • owner's name and address attached;
  • been attended at least once every 24 hours.

Yo-Yo: Yo-yo's are restricted to no more than 20 per person and shall:

  • have owner's name and address attached;
  • not be left unattended for more than 6 hours;
  • not be strung or suspended from any horizontal line across any channel or navigable waterway;
  • have no more than 10 yo-yo's attached from any one line or support;
  • not have metallic material in lines used for attachment;
  • have lines no greater than 50 feet in length and must be placed or suspended without restricting or impeding boat traffic. Lines must be visible to boats at all times, day or night.
    •

These methods are legal for taking Nongame Fish according to the following provisions, unless restricted under "Special Area Regulations."

Bow and Arrow: Bowfishing may be used to take nongame fish only, throughout the year in all waters unless restricted under "SPECIAL AREA RESTRICTIONS." The taking of paddlefish (spoonbill) by bow and arrow is permitted only from March 15 thru May 15, annually. Legal bowfishing is restricted to:

  • long bow only (any bow except a crossbow);
  • arrows having no more than three (3) points with no more than two (2) barbs on each point.

Gig, Grabhook, Spear, and Speargun: Gigs and spears are legal for taking nongame fish and white bass only.

Grabhooks (handheld pole or rope with a single hook attached) are prohibited in all state waters, except SCUBA divers in Delaware and Mayes counties (excluding tailwaters which are closed) may use grabhooks to take nongame fish only from June 15 thru July 31. Spearguns used by SCUBA divers are legal for taking nongame fish, crappie, blue and channel catfish. Gigs, spears and spearguns shall:

  • not contain more than 3 points with no more than 2 barbs on each point;
  • be lawful in all rivers and streams from Dec. 1 thru Mar. 31 and throughout the year in all reservoirs unless restricted under "SPECIAL AREA RESTRICTIONS."
  • be lawful for taking paddlefish (spoonbill) only during the period March 15 thru May 15, annually.
  • be lawful throughout the year in rivers and streams in Delaware and Mayes Counties (unless restricted under "SPECIAL AREA RESTRICTIONS."
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Snagging: Snagging, the dragging of a hook attached to a fishing line thru the water to impale fish, shall be lawful in all waters throughout the year for nongame fish only unless restricted under "SPECIAL AREA RESTRICTIONS."

Noodling: Noodling is the taking of nongame fish only by use of hands only. Possession of hooks, gaffs, spears, poles or ropes with hooks attached while in the act of noodling shall be proof of violation of the "hands only" noodling law. Noodling shall be lawful throughout the year in all waters unless restricted under "SPECIAL AREA RESTRICTIONS."

Netting (Noncommercial): Only nets defined as gill nets, trammel nets, hoop nets, or haul seines may be used to take nongame fish only. Noncommercial netting with gill nets, trammel nets, hoop nets and seines is prohibited during April and May. No fish taken by these methods may be transported from the state. No fish taken by any method can be sold. All nets must be attended at least once every 24 hours. Each license holder is limited to 300 feet of net or a total of 4 hoop nets in the water at any time. Each unattended net must have owner's name and address attached.

Legal hoop nets shall be:

  • no longer than 10 feet in length;
  • no smaller than 3-inch square mesh;
  • constructed of nonmetallic mesh only;
  • constructed with no more than 7 hoops, 3 feet in diameter or smaller.
Legal mesh size for gill or trammel or seines used in noncommercial netting shall be:
  • no smaller than 4-inch square.
The following lakes and reservoirs are closed throughout the year to all noncommercial netting for any fish:
  • all Wildlife Department Fishing Areas
  • all Corps of Engineers, State Parks, GRDA, OG&E and Bureau of Reclamation lakes
  • Lakes Atoka, Carl Albert, Carl Blackwell, Ellsworth, Eucha, Lawtonka, Lone Chimney, Spavinaw, Taft, and all waters within the Wichita Mountains NWR, and all lakes and ponds within the Ouachita National Forest.
The following rivers and streams are closed throughout the year to all noncommercial netting for any fish:
  • Baron Fork River;
  • Black Fork Creek
  • Blue River
  • Caney River
  • Deep Fork River upstream from Lake Eufaula to Arcadia Lake dam;
  • Glover River upstream from Hwy 3 and 7;
  • Illinois River;
  • Kiamichi River above and below Hugo Lake to the Red River;
  • Lee Creek;
  • Little River tributary of Lake Thunderbird above Franklin Road in Cleveland County;
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  • Little River upstream from Hwy 98 bridge;
  • Lukfata Creek;
  • McGee Creek;
  • Mountain Fork River upstream from Hwy 70 bridge;
  • Pennington Creek;
  • Poteau and Fourche Maline rivers in LeFlore County;
  • Red River from Choctaw/Bryan county line upstream to I-35 bridge;
  • Sans Bois tributary of R.S. Kerr Lake;
  • Washita River upstream to Hwy 77 bridge south of Davis;
  • all cutoffs, oxbows, side channels and tributaries of the above named rivers and streams;
  • all of the old oxbows and cutoffs of the Arkansas River in LeFlore and Sequoyah counties;
  • Canadian River from Lake Eufaula dam downstream to the confluence with R.S. Kerr;
  • Arkansas River;
  • Cimarron River and its tributaries;
  • Neosho River from Kansas border downstream to the confluence with Webbers Falls;
  • Salt Creek in Osage County;
  • Salt Fork River;
  • Spring River;
  • Verdigris River;

Seines, Cast Nets, Trawls and Dip Nets (Noncommercial): Seining, cast netting, trawling and dip netting bait for personal use is lawful in all waters throughout the year except Lakes Taft, Lone Chimney, the Wichita Mountains NWR, and in Department of Wildlife fishing areas, however cast nets may be used to take bait for personal use at Lake Carl Etling.

Any person may seine, trap or transport minnows for their own use as bait, provided the seine does not exceed 20 feet in length and 1/4-inch mesh. Cast nets, trawls and handheld dip nets are lawful for taking nongame fish only as bait for personal use. No person may take and/or export out-of-state via land based transportation more than one hundred fifty (150) nongame fish, including shad, for potential use as bait. Cast nets shall have a mesh size no greater than 3/8-inch square. Trawl nets pulled by motor driven boats may not exceed three (3) feet in diameter and 3/8-inch square mesh. A resident or nonresident fishing license is required of each person using these methods unless exempt.

TURTLE REGULATIONS:

(Noncommercial: Taking of turtles shall be lawful in all waters throughout the year with a resident or nonresident fishing license provided that:

  • no more than 6 turtles per day are taken;
  • shooting of turtles on federal reservoirs is prohibited;
  • terrestrial (land) turtles may not be sold;
  • taking of the western chicken turtle, map turtle and/or alligator snapping turtle is prohibited;
  • the Wichita Mountains NWR is closed;
  • no aquatic turtles may be sold or purchased without the proper commercial turtle harvester or buyers license.

BULLFROG REGULATIONS:

Bullfrogs may be taken with hook and line, gig, spear bow and arrow or other methods, except firearms, under a resident or nonresident fishing license. Bullfrogs taken with a firearm require a hunting license. Bullfrogs may be taken throughout the year provided that:

  • no more than 15 bullfrogs per day are taken;
  • bullfrogs may not be sold or shipped out-of-state;
  • the Wichita Mountains NWR is closed.

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GENERAL REGULATIONS

    It is Unlawful To:

  • fish without carrying a license or written evidence that you are exempt.
  • fish upon the land of another without the consent of the owner, lessee or occupant of such land.
  • fish in a State Designated Trout Area or their tributaries during trout season without first purchasing a Trout License; there are no exemptions.
  • release trout, striped bass and/or striped bass hybrids which are placed on a stringer, in a livewell or otherwise held in possession.
  • use a grabhook in all state waters, except as provided for in Delaware and Mayes counties under "STATEWIDE REGULATIONS."
  • use gaff hooks to assist in landing paddlefish(spoonbill), statewide.
  • catch fish from waters of this state and such fish are dead or die as a result of such act,
    and not remove those fish and bury or burn them, except nothing shall prevent anglers from returning fish remains to lakes and reservoirs. No person may bury or burn any dead fish where they will become exposed thru erosion or where such land is at anytime subject to overflow.
  • sell, barter, or trade fish, frogs or turtles, except under commercial license.
  • enter, swim, wade, operate a boat or float or floating device in any safety zone (that water area below any dam for a distance of fifty (50) yards from base of the dam).
  • use, operate or park vehicles not registered for use on public roadways under Vehicle Code 47 O.S. 1971, 15-101 thru 15-114 on lands owned or managed by the Department of Wildlife.
  • possess fish, or parts thereof, taken by another person without written information which includes the taker's name,
    address, license number, date taken and, number and kind of fish, plus name and address of person receiving said fish.
  • use and/or place into lakes and reservoirs of this state any container, including but not limited to drums, cans, tubs, boxes, or barrels which attract, entice or lure fish into an open cavity within the container.
  • possess, consume or use any intoxicating beverage as defined in 37 O.S., Section 163.1 or controlled and/or dangerous substance as defined in 63 O.S., Section 2-101 on any lands or waterways subject to the control of the Department of Wildlife.
  • use jet skis, jet boats and other similar no-propeller-driven watercraft in the upper Illinois River above the confluence with Baron Fork Creek.
  • tamper with the trotline, throwline, jugline or limbline of another person without permission from that person.

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