Fishing in Pawnee County, Oklahoma
County seat: Pawnee. Population 15,553.
- 3lake pages
- 11Corps ramps
- 2river pages
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Fishing Pawnee County on one screen
Pawnee County has Pawnee as its seat and recorded 15,553 residents in 2020. County waters on the ODWC pages carry the ODWC Northeast Region label. Arkansas River counts as a border water.
Sooner Lake heads a list of 3 paged lakes inside the county line. Corps recreation data shows 11 Corps-listed ramps inside county lines.
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 Pawnee 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 Pawnee County
| Lake | Acres (source) | Max depth (ODWC) | Kind | Corps ramps | Fish named |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sooner Lake | 5,400 (ODWC) | 73.5 ft | reservoir (OG+E) | 0 | largemouth bass, striped hybrid bass, saugeye |
| Pawnee Lake | 310 (ODWC) | 24.3 ft | reservoir | 0 | channel catfish, largemouth bass, bluegill |
| Cleveland Lake | 159 (ODWC) | 30.2 ft | reservoir | 0 |
The next paged lakes for Pawnee County sit over the line; distances run from Pawnee.
| Lake | From Pawnee | Acres (source) | Max depth (ODWC) | Kind | Corps ramps | Fish named |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax City Lake | 18 miles north | 111 (ODWC) | 34.8 ft | reservoir | 0 | |
| Boomer Lake | 20 miles southwest | 275 (ODWC) | 23 ft | reservoir | 0 | channel catfish, flathead catfish, largemouth bass |
| Hominy Municipal Lake | 21 miles east | 165 (ODWC) | 49.2 ft | reservoir | 0 | largemouth bass, white crappie, channel catfish |
| Lake McMurtry | 24 miles southwest | 1,155 (ODWC) | 43.6 ft | reservoir (Lake McMurtry Friends Nonprofit Organization) | 0 | largemouth bass, white bass, flathead catfish |
| Cushing Lake | 25 miles south | 591 (ODWC) | 34.4 ft | reservoir | 0 | |
| Lake Carl Blackwell | 28 miles southwest | 3,194 (NHD outline) | reservoir (Oklahoma State University) | 0 | largemouth bass, white bass, striped hybrid bass |
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.
For the hybrid bass herePiscifun AlumiX spinning reel46% OFFSale $64.99 Fish most often listed around Pawnee County
Lake pages within 50 miles of Pawnee were tallied by species, and channel catfish 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.
More Pawnee County lakes, listed by size
Another 1 lake in Pawnee County carry a name but not enough facts for a page.
| Water | Acres (source) | Nearest place |
|---|---|---|
| Lone Chimney Lake | 514 (ODWC) |
ODWC Where To Fish pages and USGS NHD outlines, read November 3, 2026.
Creek fishing in Pawnee County
- Arkansas RiverODWC Where To Fish page, 6 USGS gauges, border water
- Cimarron River5 USGS gauges
River gauges inside Pawnee County
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas River At Ralston, Ok | 814 cfs, 3.90 ft gage height | Nov 13 12:00 am |
| Black Bear Creek At Pawnee, Ok | 5 cfs, 1.52 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.
Corps and park ramps in Pawnee County
- Cedar Creek Northern Boat Ramp on Keystone LakeKeystone Lake, 1 lane, concrete
- Cedar Creek Southern Boat Ramp on Keystone LakeKeystone Lake, 1 lane, concrete
- Cowskin Bay North Boat Ramp on Keystone LakeKeystone Lake, 1 lane, concrete
- Cowskin Bay South Central Boat Ramp on Keystone LakeKeystone Lake, 1 lane, concrete, courtesy dock
- Cowskin Bay South Eastern Boat Ramp on Keystone LakeKeystone Lake, 1 lane, concrete
- Cowskin Bay South Western Boat Ramp on Keystone LakeKeystone Lake, 1 lane, concrete
- Feyodi Creek Boat Ramp on Keystone LakeKeystone Lake, 1 lane, concrete
- Washington Irving South Boat Ramp on Keystone LakeKeystone Lake, 1 lane, concrete, courtesy dock, USACE use fee
- Akdar Shrine Boat RampCorps site, 2 lanes, concrete
- Appalachia Bay Boat RampCorps site, 2 lanes, concrete, courtesy dock, USACE use fee
- Pawnee Cove North Wma Boat RampCorps site, 2 lanes, concrete
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.
Oklahoma keeper rules as they stand in Pawnee County
In Pawnee 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.
| 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 Pawnee County (3)
| Area | Limits | Methods and restrictions |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas River | Walleye, sauger and saugeye: six combined per day/16-inch minimum, including all reservoirs and unimpounded tributaries from Keystone Dam downstream to the Oklahoma state line. | Prohibited methods: snagging between April 15-May 15 in the Arkansas River from Zink Dam for 800 feet downstream. In the tailwaters area immediately below Webbers Falls Lock and Dam; bowfishing, gigs, spears, spearguns and snagging is prohibited in the first 1,000 feet. Trotlines, throwlines, limbli |
| Lone Chimney | statewide limits | Allowed methods: up to two rods and reels per person, bowfishing. |
| Sooner Lake | Striped bass: 5 per day, minimum length of 20 inches; walleye, sauger, saugeye: six combined per day/18-inch minimum; others must be returned to the water immediately. | Allowed methods: rod and reel, bowfishing, and noodling. Fishing is prohibited from dam, fenced area below dam, and north bank of intake channel. Fishing in the buoy-marked intake channel, discharge channel and spillway embankment is bank fishing only (no float tubes or wading). |
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 Pawnee County
| Species | Division | Weight | Water | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goldeye | rod and reel | 2 lbs 8.00 ozs | Arkansas River | 04/27/1996 |
| Sturgeon, Shovelnose | rod and reel | 1 lbs 10.00 ozs | Arkansas River | 05/07/1996 |
| Sturgeon, Shovelnose | unrestricted | 2 lbs 15.50 ozs | Arkansas River | 10/12/1997 |
ODWC state record fish list (keeper: Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation), read November 3, 2026.
Shops and guide services in Pawnee County
Buying bait in Pawnee County
- Keystone Lake Bait & Storebait and tackle shop, Cleveland
- Westport Marinamarina, Cleveland
Guide services around Pawnee County
- Adrenaline Rush Adventuresfishing guide, (918)623-6946
- Backyard Okie Noodling Llcfishing guide, (918)955-3093
- Captain Kinsey Guide Servicefishing guide, (405)314-1882
- Experience Fishing . Comfishing guide, (405)620-1022
- Fish On Guide Servicefishing guide, (918)724-6786
- Gone Fishin Guide Service Llcfishing guide, (405)714-2609
- Hayes Guide Servicefishing guide, (991)869-8663
- Hybrid Patrol Fishing Guide Servicefishing guide, (918)509-0883
- Lucky Catz Fishingfishing guide, (405)679-8646
- Oakley Guide Servicefishing guide, (405)626-3779
- Ozark River Guidesfishing guide, (918)645-8050
- Paul Tennies Guide Servicefishing guide, (405)408-3474
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 Pawnee County shoreline
Towns in Pawnee County with a bed and a diner
- Clevelandpop. 3,205
- Pawneepop. 1,936
Counties sharing a fence line with Pawnee County
- Payne County22 miles southwest
- Osage County27 miles northeast
- Noble County30 miles west
- Creek County33 miles southeast
Reels from Piscifun lined up for a trip to Pawnee County
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Fish to know on sight before Pawnee County
Photo: robposse, CC BY 2.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: ted_rocket, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: robposse, CC BY 2.0
Questions on the ponds and lakes of Pawnee County
How many boat ramps does Pawnee County have on the Corps list?
The Tulsa District layer shows 11 ramps, starting with Cedar Creek Northern Boat Ramp on Keystone Lake.
What is the widest reservoir reaching into Pawnee County?
Sooner Lake, at 5,400 acres by ODWC's figure.
Which fish do lake pages near Pawnee County name most?
Channel catfish top the count of lake pages within 50 miles, followed by largemouth bass, white crappie and black crappie.
Which Pawnee County stores sell fishing tackle?
2 shops, starting with Keystone Lake Bait & Store.
Is there an ODWC-licensed guide working Pawnee County lakes?
There are 12 guides tied to its lakes.
In which town does the Pawnee County courthouse stand?
It is Pawnee.
Is an Oklahoma license required on Pawnee County lakes and ponds?
An annual license from ODWC runs $31 for Oklahomans and $81 for visiting anglers.
Which counties touch Pawnee County?
Start with Payne County, Osage County and Noble County.
Which Pawnee County areas have rules of their own?
ODWC prints 3 special regulations for areas in or by this county, starting with Arkansas River; the table above shows each.
Has a Pawnee County lake put a fish in the ODWC record book?
Goldeye, 2 lbs 8.00 ozs (rod and reel), from Arkansas River (04/27/1996).
Choose a lake or creek in Pawnee County
Every ramp page starts with directions.