Fishing in Adair County, Oklahoma
County seat: Stilwell. Population 19,495.
- 0piers and fishing areas
- 0Corps ramps
- 1river pages
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Adair County fishing, the short version
Adair County keeps its courthouse in Stilwell, and the 2020 Census counted 19,495 people across the county. Stocking and Where To Fish entries here point to the ODWC Northeast Region.
1 stocking row in the last two stocking reports name county water.
Census 2020 population; ODWC Where To Fish pages and NHD lake outlines; USACE Tulsa District recreation features; ODWC stocking reports 2024 and 2025; read November 3, 2026.
Adair County launch points laid out on a map
USACE Tulsa District ramp and fishing feature points; GNIS and NHD lake points; river points as noted on each river page; read November 3, 2026.
Lakes in Adair County
Beyond Adair County, these lake pages come first on the road out of Stilwell.
| Lake | From Stilwell | Acres (source) | Max depth (ODWC) | Kind | Corps ramps | Fish named |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenkiller Ferry Lake | 20 miles west | 12,900 (ODWC) | 132.7 ft | reservoir (U.S. Corps of Engineers) | 38 | largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass |
| Greenleaf Lake | 32 miles southwest | 920 (ODWC) | 42.3 ft | reservoir (Oklahoma State Parks) | 0 | largemouth bass, channel catfish, black crappie |
| Robert S. Kerr Reservoir | 35 miles south | 43,800 (ODWC) | 52.5 ft | reservoir (U.S. Corps of Engineers) | 16 | blue catfish, flathead catfish, channel catfish |
| Webbers Falls Reservoir | 36 miles west | 11,600 (ODWC) | 54.1 ft | reservoir (U.S. Corps of Engineers) | 7 | blue catfish, flathead catfish, largemouth bass |
| Fort Gibson Lake | 37 miles west | 19,896 (ODWC) | 60.2 ft | reservoir (U.S. Corps of Engineers) | 34 | largemouth bass, black crappie, white crappie |
| W.R. Holway Reservoir (Chimney Rock Lake) | 40 miles northwest | 750 (NHD outline) | reservoir | 0 | largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, black crappie |
Acres, depth, shoreline and volume as printed on the ODWC Where To Fish page. NHD outline acreage where ODWC prints none; ramps from the USACE Tulsa District layer; read November 3, 2026.
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Counting nearby lake pages out to 50 miles from Stilwell, black crappie leads the list.
ODWC Fish Species of Interest, stocking reports and state records, counted per lake page within 50 miles; not a survey of fish numbers.
Smaller named water around Adair County
2 more named lakes in Adair County have too few published facts for a page yet.
| Water | Acres (source) | Nearest place |
|---|---|---|
| Adair Park | 7 (ODWC) | |
| Stilwell City Lake | Lyons Switch |
ODWC Where To Fish pages and USGS NHD outlines, read November 3, 2026.
Rivers and branches running through Adair County
- Upper Illinois RiverODWC Where To Fish page, 4 USGS gauges
USGS flow in Adair County
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois River At Chewey, Ok | 230 cfs, 2.49 ft gage height | Nov 13 2:15 am |
| Illinois River Near Watts, Ok | 171 cfs, 2.00 ft gage height | Nov 13 1:30 am |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 13, 2026 2:33 am ET. Provisional readings can be revised.
ODWC Where To Fish river pages, USGS GNIS names, USACE ramps and USGS gauges (live readings); read November 3, 2026.
Stocking report rows for Adair County
| Year | Water | Species (as printed) | Number | Size (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Adair County Park | Channel Catfish | 1,005 | 12 |
ODWC Fisheries Division Public Stocking Reports 2024 and 2025 (2025 report, 2024 report), species abbreviations as printed (LMB = largemouth bass), read November 3, 2026.
Shops a county over from Adair County
- Caney Ridge Marinamarina, Welling, 15 miles
- Pettit Bay Marinamarina, Park Hill, 18 miles
- Snake Creek Marine We Fix Itbait and tackle shop, Cookson, 22 miles
- Strayhorn Marina Incmarina, Gore, 28 miles
- Applegate Cove Marina LLCmarina, Sallisaw, 33 miles
Yellow Pages listings and ODWC Bait & Tackle Nearby lists; straight-line miles from Stilwell.
What a Adair County stringer may hold
Area rules override the statewide rows below on the Adair County waters ODWC names. Sooner residents pay $31 for a year of fishing; out-of-state anglers pay $81.
| Species | Daily limit | Size limit |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth and/or Smallmouth Bass | 6 (combined) | 1 (one) over 16 inches |
| Spotted Bass | no daily limit | no size limit |
| Channel and/or Blue Catfish | 15 (combined) | Only 1 Blue Catfish over 30 inches |
| Flathead Catfish | 5 | no size limit |
| White and/or Black Crappie | 37 (combined) | no size limit |
| Striped Bass | 5 (except Lake Texoma) | no size limit |
| Striped Bass Hybrids | 20 | Only 5 fish over 20 inches |
| White Bass | no daily limit | no size limit |
| Trout | See trout regulations | no size limit |
| Walleye, Sauger and/or Saugeye | 6 (combined) | 14 inch minimum |
| Paddlefish | See paddlefish regulation | no size limit |
| Alligator Gar | 1 | no size limit |
In rivers and streams: black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted): six combined per day, only one of which may be a smallmouth bass. Largemouth and smallmouth bass must be 14 inches or longer. No size limit on spotted bass.
ODWC area rules touching Adair County (4)
| Area | Limits | Methods and restrictions |
|---|---|---|
| Adair Park | statewide limits | Allowed Methods: One rod and reel per person. |
| Barren Fork WMA | Channel and/or blue catfish: six combined per day. | up to two rods and reels per person. |
| Barren Fork Creek | Channel and/or blue catfish: six combined per day. | Allowed methods: up to two rods and reels per person. |
| Upper Illinois River & Tributaries | Illinois River upstream from Horseshoe Bend boat ramp, Barren Fork Creek and Flint Creek; black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted): six combined per day, only one of which may be a smallmouth bass. Largemouth and smallmouth bass must be 14 inches or longer. No size limit on spotted bass. | Prohibited methods: snagging and noodling. Bowfishing, speargunning, and gigging are prohibited, except for the following methods/seasons: Upstream from the Horseshoe Bend boat ramp to State Highway 51/U.S. 62 bridge: Gigging is permitted from Dec. 1 to March 1. Speargunning is permitted from Dec. 1 |
Limits as printed on the ODWC statewide daily and size limits page (2026-2027 Oklahoma Fishing and Hunting Regulations (ODWC); PDF), read November 3, 2026. Special regulations as printed on the ODWC Public Fishing Areas Special Regulations pages, read November 3, 2026.
Record entries closest to Adair County
The ODWC list names no Adair County water; these record waters lie within 70 miles.
| Species | Division | Weight | Water | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drum, Freshwater | rod and reel | 38 lbs | Tenkiller Ferry Lake | 05/23/1976 |
| Buffalo, Black | unrestricted | 57 lbs 12.00 ozs | Tenkiller Ferry Lake | 06/30/1984 |
| Buffalo, Bigmouth | rod and reel | 59 lbs 15.00 ozs | Greenleaf Lake | 11/12/1988 |
| Buffalo, Bigmouth | unrestricted | 66 lbs 4.00 ozs | Greenleaf Lake | 04/15/2020 |
ODWC state record fish list (keeper: Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation), read November 3, 2026.
Where Adair County sells hooks and hires guides
Adair County guide listings
- Beavers Bend Fly Shopfishing guide, (918)808-3730
- Check Ur Fly Guide Servicefishing guide, (918)809-4629
- Flatt Out Fishingfishing guide, (918)774-2782
Yellow Pages listings, ODWC Bait & Tackle Nearby lists and the ODWC licensed fishing guide list (guides matched by the waters they list), read November 3, 2026.
Short haul from Adair County
Home bases inside Adair County
- Stilwellpop. 3,700
- Westvillepop. 1,364
Neighbours of Adair County
- Cherokee County19 miles west
- Sequoyah County28 miles south
- Delaware County35 miles north
- Mayes County43 miles northwest
Piscifun gear a Sooner State angler might carry to Adair County
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Sorting out the Adair County fish by photo
Photo: schizoform, CC BY 2.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, CC0 1.0
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What comes up about fishing in Adair County
How many Corps ramps are there in Adair County?
No Corps ramp falls inside the county line.
Which Adair County lake is the biggest by acreage?
No lake page falls inside; Tenkiller Ferry Lake, 20 miles off, is the closest.
Which species lead around Adair County?
Black crappie top the count of lake pages within 50 miles, followed by largemouth bass, white crappie and channel catfish.
Where do I get minnows and worms in Adair County?
None in the county; neighbours appear above.
Which guide listings cover Adair County?
ODWC lists 3 guides that work here.
Where is the Adair County courthouse?
County offices are in Stilwell.
Which ODWC license should I buy for Adair County water?
Sooner residents pay $31 for a year of fishing; out-of-state anglers pay $81.
Which counties surround Adair County?
The nearest county pages are Cherokee County, Sequoyah County and Delaware County.
Do any Adair County lakes post ODWC area rules?
ODWC prints 4 special regulations for areas in or by this county, starting with Adair Park; the table above shows each.
Does ODWC stock fish in Adair County?
The 2024 and 2025 reports carry 1 row; the newest lists 1,005 Channel Catfish at 12 in (2024) in Adair County Park.
Hitch up and run the boat out to Adair County
Open a lake for its ramps and posted rules.