Fishing in Payne County, Oklahoma
County seat: Stillwater. Population 81,646.
- 3lake pages
- 0Corps ramps
- 1river pages
Pick for white bassPiscifun Viper X spinning reel50% OFFSale $39.99 Photo of Lake Carl Blackwell: Warren Brown, CC BY 2.0
Sizing up the creeks and lakes of Payne County
With Stillwater as its seat, Payne County reported 81,646 residents to the 2020 Census. For ODWC purposes, the county's listed lakes sit in the ODWC Northeast Region.
The county counts 3 lake guides; Lake Carl Blackwell spreads widest. The county appears in 7 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 Payne 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 Payne County
| Lake | Acres (source) | Max depth (ODWC) | Kind | Corps ramps | Fish named |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Carl Blackwell | 3,194 (NHD outline) | reservoir (Oklahoma State University) | 0 | largemouth bass, white bass, striped hybrid bass | |
| Cushing Lake | 591 (ODWC) | 34.4 ft | reservoir | 0 | |
| Boomer Lake | 275 (ODWC) | 23 ft | reservoir | 0 | channel catfish, flathead catfish, largemouth bass |
Shortest drives from Stillwater to lake pages outside Payne County.
| Lake | From Stillwater | Acres (source) | Max depth (ODWC) | Kind | Corps ramps | Fish named |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake McMurtry | 7 miles northwest | 1,155 (ODWC) | 43.6 ft | reservoir (Lake McMurtry Friends Nonprofit Organization) | 0 | largemouth bass, white bass, flathead catfish |
| Perry Lake | 17 miles northwest | 557 (ODWC) | 39.9 ft | reservoir | 0 | |
| Langston Lake | 19 miles southwest | 282 (ODWC) | 47.9 ft | reservoir (City of Langston) | 0 | white bass, channel catfish, saugeye cross |
| Sooner Lake | 20 miles north | 5,400 (ODWC) | 73.5 ft | reservoir (OG+E) | 0 | largemouth bass, striped hybrid bass, saugeye |
| Pawnee Lake | 22 miles northeast | 310 (ODWC) | 24.3 ft | reservoir | 0 | channel catfish, largemouth bass, bluegill |
| Highland Park | 25 miles southwest | 1 (ODWC) | Close to Home water | 0 | bluegill, channel catfish |
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 white bass herePiscifun AlumiX spinning reel46% OFFSale $64.99 Species tallied on water near Payne County
Out to 50 miles from Stillwater, 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.
Other named impoundments across Payne County
1 smaller named lakes sit in Payne County, shown by size where known.
| Water | Acres (source) | Nearest place |
|---|---|---|
| Stillwater Creek Site 46 Reservoir | 109 (NHD outline) | Stillwater |
ODWC Where To Fish pages and USGS NHD outlines, read November 3, 2026.
Rivers crossing Payne County
- Cimarron River5 USGS gauges
USGS stream stations planted in Payne County
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Cimarron River Near Ripley, Ok | 431 cfs, 7.55 ft gage height | Nov 13 2:00 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 lines for Payne County waters
| Year | Water | Species (as printed) | Number | Size (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Lake Carl Blackwell | Hybrid Striped Bass | 51,721 | 2 |
| 2025 | Lake Carl Blackwell | Saugeye | 67,600 | 1.5 |
| 2025 | Lone Chimney Lake | Florida LMB | 220 | Varies |
| 2025 | Lake Carl Blackwell | Rainbow Trout | 3,849 | 9-13 |
| 2025 | Lake Carl Blackwell | Rainbow Trout | 209 | 14-25 |
| 2024 | Lake Carl Blackwell | Saugeye | 135,683 | 1.5 |
| 2024 | Lone Chimney Lake | Florida LMB | 136 | Varies |
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 Payne County anglers
Waters of Payne 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 Payne County (3)
| Area | Limits | Methods and restrictions |
|---|---|---|
| Boomer Lake | All crappie: no limit. | – |
| Lake Carl Blackwell | Walleye, sauger and saugeye: six combined per day/18-inch minimum. | Prohibited Methods: Noodling. |
| Lone Chimney | statewide limits | Allowed methods: up to two rods and reels per person, bowfishing. |
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 Payne County
No ODWC record traces to Payne 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 |
| Flathead Catfish | rod and reel | 78 lbs 8.00 ozs | El Reno Lake | 05/11/2010 |
ODWC state record fish list (keeper: Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation), read November 3, 2026.
Spending tackle money inside Payne County
Shops listed in Payne County
- Cowboy Corner at Lake Carl Blackwellbait and tackle shop, Stillwater
- Lake McMurtry West Bait Shopbait and tackle shop, Stillwater
- Old House Bait Shopbait and tackle shop, Ripley
- R.C. Bait and Tacklebait and tackle shop, Perkins
- Tackle Shackbait and tackle shop, Stillwater
- Academy Sports + Outdoors Stillwatersporting goods store, Stillwater
Licensed guides near Payne County
- Hayes Guide Servicefishing guide, (991)869-8663
- Hybrid Patrol Fishing Guide Servicefishing guide, (918)509-0883
- Oakley Guide Servicefishing guide, (405)626-3779
- Ozark River Guidesfishing guide, (918)645-8050
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 Payne County
Main streets of Payne County with water nearby
- Stillwaterpop. 48,394
- Cushingpop. 8,327
- Perkinspop. 3,205
- Yalepop. 1,059
Just over the county road from Payne County
- Pawnee County22 miles northeast
- Noble County26 miles northwest
- Lincoln County27 miles south
- Logan County29 miles southwest
Piscifun reels and a lip grip packed for Payne County
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Fish to know on sight before Payne County
Photo: schizoform, CC BY 2.0
Photo: ted_rocket, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: USFWS Pacific Southwest Region, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Fish and Aquatic Conservation, Public domain
Sooner anglers ask about Payne County water
Which ramps in Payne County show up in USACE data?
The Corps layer lists none here.
Which impoundment in Payne County spreads over the most ground?
Lake Carl Blackwell, at 3,194 acres on its NHD outline.
What should an angler visiting Payne 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 Payne County?
Cowboy Corner at Lake Carl Blackwell leads a list of 6.
Are there licensed guides for Payne County water?
4 guides name its water on the ODWC list.
Which town is the Payne County county seat?
Stillwater holds the courthouse.
Which fishing license fits Payne County?
ODWC prices the annual Oklahoma fishing license at $31 for residents and $81 for nonresidents.
What county is closest to Payne County?
Closest by centre point: Pawnee County, Noble County and Lincoln County.
Which ODWC area rules reach Payne County?
ODWC prints 3 special regulations for areas in or by this county, starting with Boomer Lake; the table above shows each.
Has ODWC released fish into Payne County water?
The 2024 and 2025 reports carry 7 rows; the newest lists 51,721 Hybrid Striped Bass at 2 in (2025) in Carl Blackwell.
Plan a Saturday on Payne County water
Lake pages carry ramps, species and ODWC area rules.