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Oklahoma

Fishing

Fishing

Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS)

As soon as you pull your boat out of the water, remember to:

Clean.

Pressure wash your boat, trailer and equipment with hot water (140º F) and remove all zebra mussels, plant fragments and mud that are visible.

Drain.

Drain all water from your boat, motor, bilge, live wells, coolers and ballast.

Dry.

If pressure wash is not available, allow the boat, trailer and equipment to dry thoroughly for at least five days before visiting a new water body.

Image showing areas to clean drain and dry to help stop the spread of invasive species.

It's The Law!

ANS are invasive, non-native species that threaten the ecological integrity of aquatic ecosystems in Oklahoma. Boaters must remove all aquatic plant species and zebra mussels from boats, trailers and other gear prior to launching boats in state waters. If you find something you believe to be an ANS, call fisheries biologist at (918) 200-4815. For more information on ANS, go online to ProtectYourWaters.net

Shad Restriction

No person shall transport shad from the following waters. If shad are collected from these listed waters for use as bait, they may only be used in the water body from which they were collected. If you encounter an invasive carp, please immediately report it to (918) 200-4815.

  • The Red River below Lake Texoma to the Arkansas state line
  • Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees
  • The Neosho River from Grand Lake to the Kansas state line
  • The Kiamichi River below Hugo Lake to the Red River

Prohibited Species List

Importing into the state or possession of the following exotic species or their eggs in Oklahoma is illegal:

  • Alewives
  • Australian Red Claw (Crayfish)
  • Bighead Carp
  • Black Carp
  • Blueback Herring
  • Bony-Tongue Fishes
  • Electric Catfish
  • Electric Eel
  • Freshwater Stingray
  • Pike Killifish
  • Houri
  • Marbled Crayfish
  • Parasitic South American Catfish
  • Pavon or Peacock Bass
  • Piranha
  • Rainbow Smelt
  • Rudd and Rudd Hybrids
  • Silver Carp
  • Snakehead
  • Walking Catfish

For a complete list of Oklahoma aquatic invasive species and where they are located, visit the ANS webpage at wildlifedepartment.com/fishing/ans