Fishing in Kay County, Oklahoma
County seat: Newkirk. Population 43,700.
- 2lake pages
- 8Corps ramps
- 1river pages
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Sizing up the creeks and lakes of Kay County
With Newkirk as its seat, Kay County reported 43,700 residents to the 2020 Census. For ODWC purposes, the county's listed lakes sit in the ODWC Northeast Region.
The county counts 2 lake guides; Kaw Lake spreads widest. Trailers can splash at 8 Corps-listed ramps from the USACE inventory. Without a boat there are 1 fishing pier or area, including 1 fishing piers. The county appears in 11 stocking rows across the 2024 and 2025 reports.
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.
Pins for each Kay County ramp, pier and lake
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.
City lakes and reservoirs of Kay County
| Lake | Acres (source) | Max depth (ODWC) | Kind | Corps ramps | Fish named |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaw Lake | 23,610 (ODWC) | 74.5 ft | reservoir (U.S. Corps of Engineers) | 14 | white bass, black crappie, white crappie |
| Lake Ponca | 778 (NHD outline) | reservoir (Ponca City) | 0 | largemouth bass, spotted bass, white crappie |
Shortest drives from Newkirk to lake pages outside Kay County.
| Lake | From Newkirk | Acres (source) | Max depth (ODWC) | Kind | Corps ramps | Fish named |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax City Lake | 26 miles southeast | 111 (ODWC) | 34.8 ft | reservoir | 0 | |
| Sooner Lake | 32 miles south | 5,400 (ODWC) | 73.5 ft | reservoir (OG+E) | 0 | largemouth bass, striped hybrid bass, saugeye |
| Bluestem Lake | 37 miles east | 865 (ODWC) | 57.4 ft | reservoir (City of Pawhuska) | 0 | largemouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish |
| Pawnee Lake | 38 miles south | 310 (ODWC) | 24.3 ft | reservoir | 0 | channel catfish, largemouth bass, bluegill |
| Pawhuska Lake | 40 miles southeast | 103 (ODWC) | 44.2 ft | reservoir (City of Pawhuska) | 0 | bluegill, redear sunfish, green sunfish |
| Sunset Lake | 46 miles east | 10 (ODWC) | reservoir | 0 | channel catfish, largemouth bass, rainbow trout |
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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Out to 50 miles from Newkirk, channel catfish shows up on more lake pages than anything else.
ODWC Fish Species of Interest, stocking reports and state records, counted per lake page within 50 miles; not a survey of fish numbers.
Rivers crossing Kay County
- Salt Fork Arkansas River2 USGS gauges
Other named streams of Kay County (1)
- Chikaskia River1 USGS gauge
USGS stream stations planted in Kay County
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Chikaskia River Near Blackwell, Ok | 176 cfs, 2.68 ft gage height | Nov 12 10:30 pm |
| Salt Fork Arkansas River At Tonkawa, Ok | 34 cfs, 2.77 ft gage height | Nov 12 10:30 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 12, 2026 11:32 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.
Putting a boat in around Kay County
- Bear Creek Cove Boat Ramp on Kaw LakeKaw Lake, 1 lane, concrete, USACE use fee
- Coon Creek Boat Ramp on Kaw LakeKaw Lake, 2 lanes, concrete, USACE use fee
- Mcfadden Cove Campground Boat Ramp on Kaw LakeKaw Lake, 1 lane, concrete, courtesy dock, USACE use fee
- Noc Cove Boat Ramp on Kaw LakeKaw Lake, 1 lane, concrete, USACE use fee
- Pioneer Park Northern Boat Ramp on Kaw LakeKaw Lake, 1 lane, concrete
- Pioneer Park Southern Boat Ramp on Kaw LakeKaw Lake, 3 lanes, concrete
- Traders Bend Boat Ramp on Kaw LakeKaw Lake, 1 lane, concrete
- Washuhga Bay Boat Ramp on Kaw LakeKaw Lake, 1 lane, concrete, courtesy dock, USACE use fee
This list is the Corps inventory; launches run by cities or the GRDA come on top.
Walk-up fishing in Kay County
- Fishermens Bend Fishing Pier on Kaw Lakefishing pier
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.
Lake elevations reported for Kay County
| Lake | Pool elevation | Previous reading | Top of conservation pool | Reading time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaw Lake | 1011.26 ft | 1011.04 ft | 1010.0 ft | 03 NOV 2026 @ 08:00 CDT |
One reading per lake, as printed in the dated Corps morning report (datum not given).
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).
Stocking report lines for Kay County waters
| Year | Water | Species (as printed) | Number | Size (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Kaw Lake | Hybrid Striped Bass | 154,432 | 2 |
| 2025 | Kaw Lake | Walleye | 112,608 | 1.5 |
| 2025 | Marland Mansion | Hybrid Sunfish | 220 | 7+ |
| 2025 | Lake Ponca | Hybrid Sunfish | 220 | 7+ |
| 2025 | Lake Ponca | Saugeye | 16,100 | 1.5 |
| 2025 | Willow Springs | Hybrid Sunfish | 220 | 7+ |
| 2024 | Camp McFadden Pond | Hybrid Sunfish | 146 | 7 |
| 2024 | Kaw Lake | Walleye | 85,459 | 1.5 |
| 2024 | Lake Ponca | Hybrid Sunfish | 146 | 7 |
| 2024 | Lake Ponca | Saugeye | 16,162 | 1.2 |
| 2024 | Lake Ponca | Hybrid Sunfish | 146 | 7 |
ODWC Fisheries Division Public Stocking Reports 2024 and 2025 (2025 report, 2024 report), species abbreviations as printed (LMB = largemouth bass), read November 3, 2026.
The 2026-27 statewide rows for Kay County anglers
Waters of Kay County without their own ODWC rule use these statewide limits. ODWC prices the annual Oklahoma fishing license at $31 for residents and $81 for nonresidents.
| 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 special regulations inside Kay County (1)
| Area | Limits | Methods and restrictions |
|---|---|---|
| Ponca, Lake | Walleye, sauger and saugeye: six combined per day/18-inch minimum. | Allowed methods: rod and reel only. |
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.
Heavy fish on the ODWC list from around Kay County
No ODWC record traces to Kay County water, so the nearest record waters within 70 miles are listed.
| Species | Division | Weight | Water | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paddlefish | rod and reel | 164 lbs | Keystone Lake | 06/22/2021 |
ODWC state record fish list (keeper: Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation), read November 3, 2026.
Spending tackle money inside Kay County
Shops listed in Kay County
- Black Jacks Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Newkirk
- Bubba's Outdoor Sportsbait and tackle shop, Blackwell
- Lakeview Campground, Boat Storage, Bait Shop & Storebait and tackle shop, Ponca City
- Sharkey's bait shopbait and tackle shop, Ponca City
- Boat Housemarina, Ponca City
- McFadden Cove Marinamarina, Ponca City
- Pioneer Cove Marinamarina, Kaw City
Licensed guides near Kay County
- B-Rad’s Guide Servicefishing guide, (580)362-6564
- Kaff Charters Llcfishing guide, (972)214-6142
- Kaw Lake Fishing Guide Servicefishing guide, (580)327-7796
- Keystone Lake Paddlefish Chartersfishing guide, (918)798-6425
- Lance's Guide Servicefishing guide, (918)607-7357
- Lucky Catz Fishingfishing guide, (405)679-8646
- Paul Tennies Guide Servicefishing guide, (405)408-3474
- Paul’s Guide Servicefishing guide, (918)338-9106
- Perriers Guide Servicefishing guide, (918)638-6221
- Reel Adventures Guide Servicefishing guide, (580)554-3474
- Reel Good Time Guide Servicefishing guide, (918)440-0541
- Reel Good Time Guide Servicefishing guide, (918)695-0291
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.
Near Kay County
Main streets of Kay County with water nearby
- Ponca Citypop. 24,424
- Blackwellpop. 6,085
- Tonkawapop. 3,015
- Newkirkpop. 2,172
Just over the county road from Kay County
- Noble County30 miles south
- Grant County36 miles west
- Pawnee County43 miles southeast
- Osage County43 miles east
Piscifun reels and a lip grip packed for Kay County
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The lakes and creeks around Kay County, photographed
Photo: Michael Stano, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: usacetulsa, CC BY 2.0
Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Tulsa District, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Warren Brown, CC BY 2.0
Sooner anglers ask about Kay County water
Which ramps in Kay County show up in USACE data?
8 ramps in the Corps data; Bear Creek Cove Boat Ramp on Kaw Lake is one.
Which impoundment in Kay County spreads over the most ground?
Kaw Lake, at 23,610 acres by ODWC's figure.
What should an angler visiting Kay County go after?
Channel catfish top the count of lake pages within 50 miles, followed by largemouth bass, white crappie and black crappie.
Is there a bait and tackle shop in Kay County?
Black Jacks Bait & Tackle leads a list of 7.
Are there licensed guides for Kay County water?
12 guides name its water on the ODWC list.
Which town is the Kay County county seat?
Newkirk holds the courthouse.
Which fishing license fits Kay County?
ODWC prices the annual Oklahoma fishing license at $31 for residents and $81 for nonresidents.
What county is closest to Kay County?
Closest by centre point: Noble County, Grant County and Pawnee County.
Which ODWC area rules reach Kay County?
ODWC prints 1 special regulation for areas in or by this county, starting with Ponca, Lake; the table above shows each.
Has ODWC released fish into Kay County water?
The 2024 and 2025 reports carry 11 rows; the newest lists 154,432 Hybrid Striped Bass at 2 in (2025) in Kaw.
Plan a Saturday on Kay County water
Lake pages carry ramps, species and ODWC area rules.