Fishing in Johnston County, Oklahoma
County seat: Tishomingo. Population 10,272.
- 1lake pages
- 2Corps ramps
- 2river pages
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Fishing Johnston County on one screen
Johnston County has Tishomingo as its seat and recorded 10,272 residents in 2020. County waters on the ODWC pages carry the ODWC Southeast Region label. Lake Texoma counts as a border water.
Lake Texoma heads a list of 1 paged lakes inside the county line. Corps recreation data shows 2 Corps-listed ramps inside county lines. Recent ODWC stocking tables hold 6 stocking rows for the county.
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.
Corps ramps and lakes of Johnston County on one 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.
Picking a lake in Johnston County
| Lake | Acres (source) | Max depth (ODWC) | Kind | Corps ramps | Fish named |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Texoma | 88,000 (ODWC) | 142 ft | reservoir (U.S. Corps of Engineers) | 23 | striped bass, white bass, blue catfish |
The next paged lakes for Johnston County sit over the line; distances run from Tishomingo.
| Lake | From Tishomingo | Acres (source) | Max depth (ODWC) | Kind | Corps ramps | Fish named |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carter Lake | 10 miles southwest | 85 (ODWC) | 26.9 ft | reservoir | 0 | |
| Veterans Lake | 24 miles northwest | 64 (NHD outline) | reservoir | 0 | hybrid black bass | |
| Lake Murray | 25 miles southwest | 5,930 (ODWC) | 102.8 ft | reservoir (Oklahoma State Parks) | 0 | largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass |
| Lake of the Arbuckles | 25 miles northwest | 2,350 (ODWC) | 82 ft | reservoir (Bureau of Reclamation) | 0 | largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass |
| Ardmore City Lake | 28 miles west | 159 (ODWC) | 31.7 ft | reservoir (City of Ardmore) | 0 | largemouth bass, black crappie, white crappie |
| Coalgate Lake | 35 miles northeast | 346 (ODWC) | 30 ft | reservoir | 0 | northern lmb |
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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Lake pages within 50 miles of Tishomingo were tallied by species, and black crappie comes first.
ODWC Fish Species of Interest, stocking reports and state records, counted per lake page within 50 miles; not a survey of fish numbers.
Creek fishing in Johnston County
- Blue RiverODWC trout area, ODWC Where To Fish page, 2 USGS gauges
- Washita River10 USGS gauges
River gauges inside Johnston County
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Blue River Near Connerville, Ok | 41 cfs, 5.61 ft gage height | Nov 11 10:45 pm |
| Pennington Creek Near Reagan, Ok | 21 cfs, 10.85 ft gage height | Nov 11 10:30 pm |
| Mill Creek Near Mill Creek, Ok | 22 cfs, 6.47 ft gage height | Nov 11 10:30 pm |
| Spring Creek Abv Pennington Ck Nr Mill Creek, Ok | 7 cfs, 5.41 ft gage height | Nov 11 10:30 pm |
| Delaware Cr Blw Del Cr Site 9 Rsvr Nr Bromide, Ok | 3 cfs, 4.82 ft gage height | Nov 11 10:30 pm |
| Pennington Creek East Of Mill Creek, Ok | 3 cfs, 2.51 ft gage height | Nov 18 2:45 pm Not updated since Nov 18, 2025. |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 11, 2026 11:33 pm 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.
Corps and park ramps in Johnston County
- Butcher Pen Boat RampCorps site, 1 lane, concrete
- Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge Boat RampCorps site, 1 lane, concrete, USACE use fee
Only ramps in the USACE Tulsa District layer appear; parks and towns run others.
USACE Tulsa District recreation features (boat ramp layer, inventory year 2021), read November 3, 2026. USACE Tulsa District recreation features (fishing feature layer), read November 3, 2026.
Tulsa District pool figures for Johnston County
| Lake | Pool elevation | Previous reading | Top of conservation pool | Reading time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Texoma | 617.28 ft | 617.13 ft | 618.5 ft | 03 NOV 2026 @ 08:00 CDT |
Treat these as dated report values: the Corps morning report states no datum.
USACE Tulsa District Daily Morning Reservoir Report, reading of 03 NOV 2026 @ 08:00 CDT (one dated reading, not live; feet as printed, datum not printed).
Where ODWC hatchery fish landed in Johnston County
| Year | Water | Species (as printed) | Number | Size (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Blue River | Channel Catfish | 2,774 | 12 |
| 2025 | Blue River | Rainbow Trout | 50,909 | 9-13 |
| 2025 | Blue River | Rainbow Trout | 982 | 14-25 |
| 2024 | Blue River | Channel Catfish | 4,251 | 12 |
| 2024 | Blue River | Rainbow Trout | 39,377 | 9-14 |
| 2024 | Blue River | Rainbow Trout | 877 | 14-24 |
ODWC Fisheries Division Public Stocking Reports 2024 and 2025 (2025 report, 2024 report), species abbreviations as printed (LMB = largemouth bass), read November 3, 2026.
Oklahoma keeper rules as they stand in Johnston County
In Johnston County, the statewide table holds except where ODWC prints a rule for a named area. An annual license from ODWC runs $31 for Oklahomans and $81 for visiting anglers. Lake Texoma also sells its own $12 license good on both sides of the state line.
| 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.
Exceptions to statewide limits in Johnston County (2)
| Area | Limits | Methods and restrictions |
|---|---|---|
| Blue River PFHA | Channel and/or blue catfish: six combined per day. All crappie: six combined per day, no size limit. | Allowed methods: one rod and reel per person during trout season (other times up to two rods and reels per person). Note: For more trout regulations, see Trout Regulations. |
| Texoma | Note: Fishing regulations may differ between Oklahoma and Texas portions of Lake Texoma. Check the Texas Fishing Guide for details. Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass: five combined per day/14-inch minimum for largemouth and smallmouth bass. Striped bass and/or striped bass hybrids: 10 combined | – |
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-book weights near Johnston County
| Species | Division | Weight | Water | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alligator Gar | rod and reel | 254 lbs 12.00 ozs | Lake Texoma | 04/23/2015 |
| Blue Catfish | rod and reel | 98 lbs | Lake Texoma | 11/11/2004 |
| Gar, Spotted | rod and reel | 10 lbs 8.96 ozs | Lake Texoma | 10/10/2025 |
| Blue Catfish | unrestricted | 118 lbs 8.00 ozs | Lake Texoma | 05/04/1988 |
ODWC state record fish list (keeper: Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation), read November 3, 2026.
Shops and guide services in Johnston County
Buying bait in Johnston County
- Scotty's Blue River One Stopbait and tackle shop, Tishomingo
Guide services around Johnston County
- 1 Louie's Lures Guide Service Lake Texomafishing guide, (816)294-7771
- Action Guide Servicefishing guide, (806)570-4179
- Adventure Texomafishing guide, (903)744-6169
- Adventure Texoma Outdoorsfishing guide, (903)814-5566
- Air Force One Fishingfishing guide, (405)226-5863
- Aj's Guide Servicefishing guide, (806)663-0464
- Alley Outdoorsfishing guide, (620)253-8306
- Anthony's Guide Servicefishing guide, (405)204-6808
- Aquatic Assault Guide Servicefishing guide, (580)630-1414
- Aspen Guidefishing guide, (405)434-0528
- Avion Artsfishing guide, (972)832-1244
- Barbers Guide Servicefishing guide, (580)916-6533
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.
Close to the Johnston County shoreline
Towns in Johnston County with a bed and a diner
- Tishomingopop. 3,101
Counties sharing a fence line with Johnston County
- Marshall County21 miles south
- Murray County27 miles northwest
- Coal County28 miles northeast
- Pontotoc County28 miles north
Reels from Piscifun lined up for a trip to Johnston County
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Sorting out the Johnston County fish by photo
Photo: schizoform, CC BY 2.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: ted_rocket, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Questions on the ponds and lakes of Johnston County
How many boat ramps does Johnston County have on the Corps list?
The Tulsa District layer shows 2 ramps, starting with Butcher Pen Boat Ramp.
What is the widest reservoir reaching into Johnston County?
Lake Texoma, at 88,000 acres by ODWC's figure.
Which fish do lake pages near Johnston County name most?
Black crappie top the count of lake pages within 50 miles, followed by white crappie, largemouth bass and channel catfish.
Which Johnston County stores sell fishing tackle?
1 shop, starting with Scotty's Blue River One Stop.
Is there an ODWC-licensed guide working Johnston County lakes?
There are 12 guides tied to its lakes.
In which town does the Johnston County courthouse stand?
It is Tishomingo.
Is an Oklahoma license required on Johnston County lakes and ponds?
An annual license from ODWC runs $31 for Oklahomans and $81 for visiting anglers. Lake Texoma also sells its own $12 license good on both sides of the state line.
Which counties touch Johnston County?
Start with Marshall County, Murray County and Coal County.
Which Johnston County areas have rules of their own?
ODWC prints 2 special regulations for areas in or by this county, starting with Blue River PFHA; the table above shows each.
What do the stocking reports show for Johnston County?
The 2024 and 2025 reports carry 6 rows; the newest lists 2,774 Channel Catfish at 12 in (2025) in Blue River.
Has a Johnston County lake put a fish in the ODWC record book?
Alligator Gar, 254 lbs 12.00 ozs (rod and reel), from Texoma (04/23/2015).
Choose a lake or creek in Johnston County
Every ramp page starts with directions.