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Oklahoma lakes and reservoirs

Cushing Lake Fishing

ODWC-sized 591-acre reservoir spread over Payne County.

Get driving directions All Payne County spots

Pick for smallmouthPiscifun Chaos Pro CNC baitcasting reel25% OFFSale $97.99 ~~$129.99~~

Photo of Lake Carl Blackwell: Warren Brown, CC BY 2.0

Payne County

Cushing Lake in numbers

Spread across Payne County, Cushing Lake carries 591 surface acres by the ODWC count. Maximum depth on the ODWC page: 34 feet. ODWC counts 8 shoreline miles and 3,044 acre-feet of volume. Count on roughly 2 miles to reach Ripley.

The ODWC Central Region manages its fishery.

591acres (ODWC)

34ft max depth (ODWC)

8miles of shoreline

0Corps boat ramps

Acres, depth, shoreline and volume as printed on the ODWC Where To Fish page. ODWC Where To Fish page, wildlifedepartment.com, read November 3, 2026. Census 2023 places.

Directions to Cushing Lake ODWC page

ODWC

What ODWC says about Cushing Lake

Location (ODWC)Cushing Lake is located in Payne County 9 miles west of Cushing.
Campgrounds ODWC listsChandler Lake, OSU Lake Carl Blackwell, Lake McMurtry
Lake map: Water Resources Board lake map, PDFOklahoma Water Resources Board

Location, facilities and campgrounds for Cushing Lake follow the ODWC listing word for word.

ODWC Where To Fish page, wildlifedepartment.com, read November 3, 2026. OWRB lake map PDF.

Access

Public launch lanes around Cushing Lake

Mapped ramps skip Cushing Lake, so check with the operator or use a nearby launch.

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 boat ramps

Limits

Limits anglers follow on Cushing Lake

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

Unless ODWC posts an area rule for Cushing Lake, the statewide rows decide your stringer.

Anglers 18 and older carry an Oklahoma fishing license ($31 annual for residents, $81 for nonresidents in 2026).

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. ODWC License Options and Fees, read November 3, 2026.

Oklahoma licenses and limits

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Compare

Sizing Cushing Lake against other lakes

On acreage, Lake McMurtry heads the nearby list at some 1,155 acres.

Lake	Distance	Acres	Max depth (ft)
Cushing Lake		591	34
Boomer Lake	15 miles northwest	275	23
Chandler Lake	18 miles south	178	26
Bell Cow Lake	19 miles south	1,153	39
Stroud Lake	20 miles southeast	600	47
Lake McMurtry	21 miles northwest	1,155	44

ODWC Where To Fish pages (acres, depth) or NHD outlines; USACE Tulsa District ramp and fishing layers; read November 3, 2026.

Nearby

Down the highway from Cushing Lake

Reservoirs for the day after Cushing Lake

Boomer Lake15 miles northwest
Chandler Lake18 miles south
Bell Cow Lake19 miles south
Stroud Lake20 miles southeast
Lake McMurtry21 miles northwest

Tackle stores named on the ODWC page for Cushing Lake

R.C. Bait and Tackle11608 Fairgrounds Rd, Perkins, OK 74059, (405) 880-5522
Academy (Stillwater)2409 N Perkins Rd, Stillwater, OK 74075, (405) 742-6010
Walmart Supercenter (Stillwater)4545 W 6th Ave, Stillwater, OK 74074, (405) 707-0744
Walmart Supercenter (Chandler)3100 E 1st St, Chandler, OK 74834, (405) 258-0541
Cowboy Corner at Lake Carl Blackwell11000 Oklahoma 51 West, Stillwater, OK 74074, (405) 743-1977
Lake McMurtry West Bait Shop30285 Bronco Curve, Stillwater, OK 74075, (405) 747-8085
Bait ShopMannford, OK 74044, (918) 865-3335
Magic Bait Co700 E Industrial Rd, Guthrie, OK 73044, (405) 282-8040

Bait counters on the road to Cushing Lake

R.C. Bait and Tacklebait and tackle shop, Perkins, 7 miles
Tackle Shackbait and tackle shop, Stillwater, 13 miles
Academy Sports + Outdoors Stillwatersporting goods store, Stillwater, 14 miles
Old House Bait Shopbait and tackle shop, Ripley
Cowboy Corner at Lake Carl Blackwellbait and tackle shop, Stillwater
Lake McMurtry West Bait Shopbait and tackle shop, Stillwater

Overnight stops for a trip to Cushing Lake

Cushing7 miles
Perkins9 miles
Yale13 miles

Every county Cushing Lake touches, linked

Payne Countyseat: Stillwater

Bait & Tackle Nearby on the ODWC page, wildlifedepartment.com, read November 3, 2026.

Piscifun

A Piscifun spinning reel for the run to Cushing Lake

Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.

Photos

Reservoirs and river bends close to Cushing Lake, in pictures

Keystone Lake, Oklahoma — Keystone Lake 35 mi
Photo: Pattie, CC BY-SA 2.0

Payne County, Oklahoma — Payne County 14 mi
Photo: City of Stillwater (Oklahoma), Public domain

Lake Carl Blackwell, Oklahoma — Lake Carl Blackwell 22 mi
Photo: Warren Brown, CC BY 2.0

Logan County, Oklahoma — Logan County 31 mi
Photo: Serge Melki, CC BY 2.0

Answers

Things worth checking on Cushing Lake

Which Census town sits handiest to Cushing Lake?

Cushing Lake is located in Payne County 9 miles west of Cushing. Head to Payne County, about 2 miles from Ripley.

What surface area does ODWC list for Cushing Lake?

Roughly 591 acres on the ODWC count, with a maximum depth of 34 feet.

Which ramps put a boat on Cushing Lake?

Nothing on the ramp layer is close.

What fish live in Cushing Lake?

ODWC sources leave its species blank.

What may ride home from Cushing Lake?

Largemouth and/or Smallmouth Bass: 6 (combined) a day; size rule 1 (one) over 16 inches.

What should a Cushing Lake angler buy from ODWC?