Fishing in Le Flore County, Oklahoma
County seat: Poteau. Population 48,129.
- 2lake pages
- 10Corps ramps
- 2river pages
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Fishing Le Flore County in numbers
Census 2020 found 48,129 residents in Le Flore County; the county offices are in Poteau. The ODWC Southeast Region is the ODWC office named on most of the county's waters.
Of 2 lakes with a full guide here, Wister Lake covers the most acres. The Tulsa District Corps inventory places 10 Corps-listed ramps in 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.
Red dirt roads to every Le Flore County put-in, mapped
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.
Lake guides filed under Le Flore County
| Lake | Acres (source) | Max depth (ODWC) | Kind | Corps ramps | Fish named |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wister Lake | 6,289 (NHD outline) | reservoir (U.S. Corps of Engineers) | 4 | largemouth bass, spotted bass, white bass | |
| New Spiro Lake | 250 (ODWC) | 22.7 ft | reservoir | 0 |
Lakes with a page just outside Le Flore County, ranked by miles from Poteau.
| Lake | From Poteau | Acres (source) | Max depth (ODWC) | Kind | Corps ramps | Fish named |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert S. Kerr Reservoir | 23 miles northwest | 43,800 (ODWC) | 52.5 ft | reservoir (U.S. Corps of Engineers) | 16 | blue catfish, flathead catfish, channel catfish |
| John Wells Lake | 29 miles northwest | 194 (ODWC) | 39.7 ft | reservoir | 0 | |
| Carl Albert Lake | 33 miles southwest | 162 (NHD outline) | reservoir | 0 | ||
| Wayne Wallace Lake | 42 miles west | 94 (ODWC) | 45.2 ft | reservoir (Oklahoma State Parks) | 0 | largemouth bass, spotted bass, channel catfish |
| Carlton Lake | 43 miles west | 46 (ODWC) | reservoir (Oklahoma State Parks) | 0 | largemouth bass, spotted bass, channel catfish | |
| Lloyd Church Lake | 43 miles west | 154 (ODWC) | 47.9 ft | reservoir | 0 |
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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Each bar counts lake pages within 50 miles of Poteau that list the fish; bluegill is listed most.
ODWC Fish Species of Interest, stocking reports and state records, counted per lake page within 50 miles; not a survey of fish numbers.
River guides filed under Le Flore County
- Kiamichi RiverODWC Where To Fish page, 3 USGS gauges
- Poteau River2 USGS gauges
Creeks and rivers of Le Flore County without a page (1)
- Lost Poteau Riverriver
What the Le Flore County gauges are reading
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Poteau River Near Panama, Ok | 69 cfs, 5.70 ft gage height | Nov 12 11:30 pm |
| Poteau River At Loving, Ok | 18 cfs, 8.93 ft gage height | Nov 12 11:30 pm |
| Black Fork Below Big Creek Nr Page, Ok | 0 cfs, 3.74 ft gage height | Nov 13 12:00 am |
| Kiamichi River Near Big Cedar, Ok | 0 cfs, 1.97 ft gage height | Nov 12 11:30 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 13, 2026 12:34 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.
Public launch lanes inside Le Flore County
- Damsite Boat Ramp on Robert S. Kerr ReservoirRobert S. Kerr Reservoir, 1 lane, concrete
- Potts Mountain Boat Ramp on Wister LakeWister Lake, 2 lanes, concrete
- Quarry Isle Boat Ramp on Wister LakeWister Lake, 1 lane, concrete, courtesy dock
- Short Mountain Cove Boat Ramp on Robert S. Kerr ReservoirRobert S. Kerr Reservoir, 2 lanes, concrete, USACE use fee
- Victor Landing Boat Ramp on Wister LakeWister Lake, 1 lane, concrete, USACE use fee
- Wards Landing Boat Ramp on Wister LakeWister Lake, 2 lanes, concrete, courtesy dock, USACE use fee
- Arkoma Park Boat RampCorps site, 1 lane, concrete
- Conser Landing Boat RampCorps site, 1 lane, concrete
- Damsite Boat RampCorps site, 1 lane, concrete
- Leflore Landing Boat RampCorps site, 1 lane, concrete
City, state park, GRDA and ODWC ramps outside the Corps inventory are not shown here.
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.
Where Le Flore County reservoirs stood in the morning report
| Lake | Pool elevation | Previous reading | Top of conservation pool | Reading time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wister Lake | 474.17 ft | 474.08 ft | 478.0 ft | 03 NOV 2026 @ 08:00 CDT |
The Corps report gives one morning figure per lake; it is dated and lists 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).
Statewide daily and length rules across Le Flore County
Start with the statewide limits for Le Flore County, then check the area rules for the water you pick. Expect $31 (resident) or $81 (nonresident) at the license counter for an annual.
| 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.
Area rules across Le Flore County (6)
| Area | Limits | Methods and restrictions |
|---|---|---|
| Carl Albert | statewide limits | Allowed Methods: Rod and reel only. |
| Kiamichi River | statewide limits | Trotlines, throwlines, snagging, bowfishing, and noodling prohibited from Hugo Dam downstream to first railroad bridge. (Also see “Tailwaters” regulations; and shad restrictions on Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS)). |
| Lower Poteau River | statewide limits | Downstream from Wister Dam to ¼ mile past confluence of old and new channels. Prohibited methods: trotlines and throwlines. (Also see “Tailwaters” regulations.) |
| Ouachita WMA | Channel and/or blue catfish: six combined per day. | Allowed methods: rod and reel only. |
| Upper Poteau River and Fourche Maline River and Tributaries | statewide limits | Prohibited methods: gigs, spears, and spearguns. |
| W.D. Mayo | (Includes oxbows, cutoffs, and below dam to state line) Walleye, sauger and saugeye: six combined per day/16-inch minimum. | – |
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.
ODWC record catches tied to Le Flore County
| Species | Division | Weight | Water | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bass, Hybrid Yellow | rod and reel | 2 lbs 5.00 ozs | Kiamichi River | 03/26/1991 |
| Flathead Catfish | unrestricted | 106 lbs | Wister Lake | 04/05/1977 |
ODWC state record fish list (keeper: Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation), read November 3, 2026.
Gear stops in Le Flore County
Le Flore County bait shops
- D&J Bait N Grubbait and tackle shop, Wister
Le Flore County fishing guides
- All Smiles Fishingfishing guide, (918)315-5976
- Dtf Guide Service Llcfishing guide, (918)500-3456
- Get The Net Guide Servicefishing guide, (918)706-4717
- Okie Boys Adventuresfishing guide, (918)360-5296
- Sethros Slab Servicefishing guide, (918)413-6367
- Tomcat Guiding Servicesfishing guide, (580)775-7860
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.
Down the highway from Le Flore County
Town pages across Le Flore County
- Poteaupop. 8,807
- Pocolapop. 4,255
- Heavenerpop. 2,985
- Spiropop. 2,102
- Arkomapop. 1,806
- Panamapop. 1,269
- Wisterpop. 1,031
Counties ringing Le Flore County
- Haskell County32 miles northwest
- Latimer County33 miles west
- Sequoyah County42 miles north
- McCurtain County54 miles south
A Piscifun spinning reel for the run to Le Flore County
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
A field guide in photos for Le Flore County fish
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: USFWS Fish and Aquatic Conservation, Public domain
Fishing inside Le Flore County: what people ask
Can I trailer a boat onto water in Le Flore County?
USACE lists 10 ramps; try Damsite Boat Ramp on Robert S. Kerr Reservoir.
What is the broadest sheet of water in Le Flore County?
Wister Lake, at 6,289 acres on its NHD outline.
What species are listed for lakes around Le Flore County?
Bluegill top the count of lake pages within 50 miles, followed by channel catfish, largemouth bass and white crappie.
Where does a Le Flore County angler pick up shad, worms or jigs?
Try D&J Bait N Grub; 1 are listed.
How many fishing guides list Le Flore County water?
6 guides list waters in or by the county.
Where does Le Flore County hold court?
The seat is Poteau.
How much does a nonresident spend on a license for Le Flore County?
Expect $31 (resident) or $81 (nonresident) at the license counter for an annual.
Which Oklahoma counties are a short drive from Le Flore County?
Try Haskell County, Latimer County and Sequoyah County.
Where do Le Flore County limits differ from the statewide table?
ODWC prints 6 special regulations for areas in or by this county, starting with Carl Albert; the table above shows each.
What ODWC record weights list Le Flore County water?
Bass, Hybrid Yellow, 2 lbs 5.00 ozs (rod and reel), from Kiamichi River (03/26/1991).
Make a weekend of Le Flore County fishing
River pages show live USGS readings.