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Eufaula Lake 15 mi
Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Tulsa District, CC BY 2.0 
Sardis Lake 36 mi
Photo: Susan Ruggles, CC BY 2.0 
Pittsburg County 8.1 mi
Photo: Thomas & Dianne Jones, CC BY 2.0 
Deep Fork River 26 mi
Photo: Thomas & Dianne Jones, CC BY 2.0
Oklahoma lakes and reservoirs
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McAlester Lake Fishing
ODWC-sized 1,521-acre reservoir spread over Pittsburg County.
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Pittsburg County
Facts first on McAlester Lake
McAlester Lake is a reservoir of Pittsburg County; its ODWC page lists 1,521 surface acres. ODWC also prints a deepest point of 35 feet. The shoreline runs 21.2 miles and the pool holds 13,989 acre-feet. Allow about 7 miles on the map to Scipio.
Biologists of the ODWC Southeast Region look after it.
1,521acres (ODWC)
35ft max depth (ODWC)
21.2miles 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.
ODWC
Park and lake notes for McAlester Lake
- Location (ODWC)McAlester Lake is located in Pittsburg 13 miles northwest of McAlester.
- Campgrounds ODWC listsArrowhead Area @ Lake Eufaula State Park, Eufaula USACE, Robbers Cave State Park, Lake Eufaula State Park
- Lake map: The OWRB map of the lakeOklahoma Water Resources Board
ODWC wrote the text above for McAlester Lake; check the page before a trip in case it changes.
ODWC Where To Fish page, wildlifedepartment.com, read November 3, 2026. OWRB lake map PDF.
Access
Launching at McAlester Lake
The Corps ramp layer has nothing on McAlester Lake; city, park or ODWC launches may exist, and the nearest mapped ramps are listed.
Nearby Corps ramps to McAlester Lake
- Bugtussel Boat Ramp on Eufaula LakeEufaula Lake, 8 miles east
- Cardinal Point Boat Ramp on Eufaula LakeEufaula Lake, 9 miles east
- Crowder West Boat Ramp on Eufaula LakeEufaula Lake, 9 miles northeast
- Juniper Point -Fisherman's Cove Boat Ramp on Eufaula LakeEufaula Lake, 10 miles east
- Rock Creek Ramp on Eufaula LakeEufaula Lake, 10 miles northeast
- Rock Creek Boat Ramp on Eufaula LakeEufaula Lake, 10 miles northeast
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.
Limits
Fish that can ride home from McAlester 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 |
Start from the statewide table for McAlester Lake, then apply any area rule.
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.
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Reservoirs within a short haul of McAlester Lake
If you want room to roam, Eufaula Lake offers around 105,500 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Max depth (ft) | Corps ramps | Piers and areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McAlester Lake | 1,521 | 35 | 0 | 0 | |
| Talawanda Lakes | 5 miles southeast | 286 | 47 | 0 | 0 |
| Eufaula Lake | 15 miles northeast | 105,500 | 90 | 42 | 0 |
| Henryetta Lake | 26 miles north | 525 | 34 | 0 | 0 |
| Carlton Lake | 27 miles east | 46 | 0 | 0 | |
| Wayne Wallace Lake | 27 miles east | 94 | 45 | 0 | 0 |
ODWC Where To Fish pages (acres, depth) or NHD outlines; USACE Tulsa District ramp and fishing layers; read November 3, 2026.
Nearby
Inside the McAlester Lake orbit
More Oklahoma lakes near McAlester Lake
- Talawanda Lakes5 miles southeast
- Eufaula Lake15 miles northeast
- Henryetta Lake26 miles north
- Carlton Lake27 miles east
- Wayne Wallace Lake27 miles east
Bait shops ODWC lists by McAlester Lake
- Walmart Supercenter (McAlester)432 S George Nigh Expy, McAlester, OK 74501, (918) 423-8585
- Atwoods (McAlester)1510 S George Nigh Expy, McAlester, OK 74501, (918) 429-1000
- Lakeside One Stop201 B Ave, Crowder, OK 74430, (918) 334-6180
- Rebel Bait Shop400 Main St, Haileyville, OK 74546), (918) 297-7405
- B & B Bait & Tackle16651 OK-9, Eufaula, OK 74432, (918) 652-5117
- Eufaula Cove Marina400 Lakeshore Dr, Eufaula, OK 74432, (918) 689-7723
- Belle Starr Marina420146 E. 1158, Checotah Dr, Checotah, OK 74426, (918) 689-2132
- Lake Eufaula MarinaHC, Box 1435, 60, Checotah, OK 74426, (918) 689-7337
Stores selling tackle around McAlester Lake
- T J's Bait Shopbait and tackle shop, McAlester, 7 miles
- Academy Sports + Outdoors McAlestersporting goods store, McAlester, 10 miles
- Thomas Marine Docksidemarina, Eufaula, 23 miles
- Eufaula Cove Marinamarina, Eufaula, 23 miles
- Lakeside One Stopbait and tackle shop, Crowder
- Rebel Bait Shopbait and tackle shop, Haileyville
Pillows and diners close to McAlester Lake
- McAlester8 miles
- Krebs10 miles
- Hartshorne20 miles
Courthouse towns and county pages for McAlester Lake
- Pittsburg Countyseat: McAlester
Bait & Tackle Nearby on the ODWC page, wildlifedepartment.com, read November 3, 2026.
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Piscifun reels sized for a McAlester Lake outing
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Photos
Prairie, timber and water around McAlester Lake through a camera
Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Tulsa District, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Susan Ruggles, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Thomas & Dianne Jones, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Thomas & Dianne Jones, CC BY 2.0
Answers
Before you drive out to McAlester Lake: common questions
Where in Oklahoma is McAlester Lake?
McAlester Lake is located in Pittsburg 13 miles northwest of McAlester. Aim for Pittsburg County, about 7 miles from Scipio.
How many surface acres does ODWC give McAlester Lake?
1,521 acres, per ODWC, with a maximum depth of 35 feet.
What is the nearest boat ramp to McAlester Lake?
None on the Corps layer here; Bugtussel Boat Ramp on Eufaula Lake is about 8 miles off.
Which fish does ODWC tie to McAlester Lake?
ODWC names no species for it; statewide rows still apply.
Does ODWC hold a length line on McAlester Lake fish?
Largemouth and/or Smallmouth Bass: 6 (combined) a day; size rule 1 (one) over 16 inches.
Can a nonresident fish McAlester Lake?
Anglers 18 and older carry an Oklahoma fishing license ($31 annual for residents, $81 for nonresidents in 2026).
Does the Corps keep a fishing pier at McAlester Lake?
None appears on the Corps fishing layer.
Where are shiners and worms sold close to McAlester Lake?
Try Walmart Supercenter (McAlester), 432 S George Nigh Expy, McAlester, OK 74501, from the ODWC list.
Spend a spring morning on McAlester Lake
Buy your Oklahoma license online before leaving.