Skip to main content
Oklahoma

Fishing

Fishing

Oklahoma › Fishing › Statewide Daily & Size Limits

Statewide Daily & Size Limits

Species

Daily Limit

(for areas without special regulations)

Size Limit

(for areas without special regulations)

Largemouth and/or Smallmouth Bass (A)

6 (combined)

1 (one) over 16 inches

Spotted Bass (A)

None

None

Channel and/or Blue Catfish (B)

15 (combined)

Only 1 Blue Catfish over 30 inches

Flathead Catfish (B)

5

None

White and/or Black Crappie

37 (combined)

None

Striped Bass (C)

5 (except Lake Texoma)

None

Striped Bass Hybrids (C)

20

Only 5 fish over 20 inches

White Bass

None

None

Trout (C)

See Trout regulations on pages 17-20

Walleye, Sauger and/or Saugeye

6 (combined)

14 inch minimum

Paddlefish (C,D)

See Paddlefish regulations

None

Alligator Gar (D,E)

1

None

(All species not listed, except shad and species of special concern I and/or II (E), have no daily or minimum size limits) (F)

A. 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.

B. For noodling limits, see Statewide Daily & Size Limits.

C. Release of paddlefish, trout, striped bass and/or striped bass hybrids caught and placed on a stringer, in a livewell, or otherwise held in possession is prohibited statewide (no culling).

D. Harvest of alligator gar and paddlefish must be reported within 24 hours via E-Check at wildlifedepartment.com. For any other fish species of special concern in category I or II such as black buffalo and shovelnose sturgeon (see Title 800:25-19-6) there is a daily limit of 1 and harvest must be reported. Harvest must be reported to the Wildlife Department’s Fisheries Division at (918) 683-1031.

E. Alligator gar may be caught by use of rod and reel, trotline, and throwline. Alligator gar taken by bow and arrow, gigs, spears, or spearguns cannot be released. The attempt to take or harvest alligator gar is prohibited statewide May 1-31.

F. It is unlawful to take or possess more than 25 nongame bait fish in rivers or streams, except for shad, of which 200 may be taken or possessed.

Some areas have different regulations. See “Public Fishing Waters” special regulations for daily and size limits
on specific areas. No daily or size limits exist for any fish species fished from privately owned ponds and lakes.

Black Bass (Largemouth, Smallmouth & Spotted Bass)

Statewide Daily Limit:

  • Largemouth & Smallmouth – 6 (combined)
  • Spotted – None

Statewide Minimum Size Limit:

  • Largemouth & Smallmouth – 1 (one) over 16 inches
  • Spotted – None

Check "Public Fishing Waters" special regulations for areas with additional daily and size limits.

Largemouth Bass

  • Mouth hinge well behind eye
  • State record: 14 lbs., 13.7 oz.

Smallmouth Bass

  • Mouth hinge in front of eye
  • State record: 8 lbs., 7 oz.

Spotted Bass

  • Mouth hinge even with back edge of eye
  • State record: 8 lbs., 2 oz.

Tooth Patch: Another way to distinguish black bass is the presence or absence of a tooth patch on the tongue. The majority of largemouth bass have no tooth patch on the tongue, while smallmouth and spotted bass do have a tooth patch on the tongue.

Most largemouth bass have no tooth patch on the tongue.

Smallmouth and spotted bass display a tooth patch on the tongue.

Catfish

Statewide Daily Limit:

  • Channel and/or Blue Catfish combined – 15
  • Flathead Catfish – 5

Statewide Size Limit:

  • Channel Catfish – None
  • Blue Catfish – Only 1 over 30 inches
  • Flathead Catfish – None

Check "Public Fishing Waters" special regulations for areas with additional daily and size limits. Noodling size and daily limits are the same as statewide limits for all methods.

Channel Catfish

  • Curved anal fin
  • State record: 35 lbs., 15 oz.

Blue Catfish

  • Straight anal fin
  • State record: 98 lbs.

Flathead Catfish

  • Tail not forked
  • State record: 78 lbs., 8 oz.

Crappie

Statewide Daily Limit:

  • 37 (combined White and/or Black crappie)

Statewide Minimum Size Limit:

  • None

Check "Public Fishing Waters" special regulations for areas with additional daily and size limits.

Black Crappie

  • No true pattern to black spots
  • 7-8 bony spines in dorsal fin
  • State record: 4 lbs., 10 oz.

White Crappie

  • Distinct vertical bands of blue/gray spots
  • 5-6 bony spines in dorsal fin
  • State record: 4 lbs., 15 oz.

Measuring Fish

When mea­sur­ing fish, total length is mea­sured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail, with fish laid flat on a ruler, mouth closed and tail fin lobes pressed together.

Walleye, Sauger & Saugeye

Statewide Daily Limit:

  • 6 (combined)

Statewide Minimum Size Limit:

  • 14 inch minimum

Check "Public Fishing Waters" special regulations for areas with additional daily and size limits.

Walleye

  • State Record: 12 lbs., 13 oz.
  • No spots on spiny dorsal fin

Sauger

  • State Record: 5 lbs., 5 oz.
  • Distinct spots on spiny dorsal fin

Saugeye

  • State Record: 10 lbs.
  • Spiny dorsal fin with distinct spots and bars in webbing

Paddlefish

Statewide Daily Limit:

  • 1

Statewide Minimum Size Limit:

  • None

Statewide Annual Limit:

  • 2

Harvest must be reported within 24 hours via E-Check at wildlifedepartment.com.

Check Paddlefish regulations for additional paddlefish regulations.

Culling of paddlefish is prohibited.
  • Distinctive rounded,
    protruding blade in front.
  • State Record: 164 lbs.

Alligator Gar

Statewide Daily Limit:

  • 1

Statewide Minimum Size Limit:

  • None

Harvest must be reported within 24 hours via E-Check at wildlifedepartment.com.

Check "Public Fishing Waters" special regulations for areas with additional daily and
size limits. The attempt to take or harvest alligator gar is prohibited statewide May 1-31.
  • State Record: 254 lbs., 12 oz.

Oklahoma waters boast many catchable nongame fishes in addition to the game fishes featured here. They come in all shapes and sizes, including this massive smallmouth buffalo (a native sucker often mistaken for a carp). See https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/outdoorok/ooj/fifty-fish-factoids for more info about Oklahoma's many nongame species and their valuable roles in our aquatic communities.

Striped Bass, White Bass & Hybrids

Statewide Daily Limit:

  • Striped Bass - 5 (except Lake Texoma)
  • Striped Bass Hybrids - 20
  • White Bass - None

Statewide Size Limit:

  • Striped Bass - None
  • Striped Bass Hybrids - No more than 5 fish over 20 inches
  • White Bass - None

Check "Public Fishing Waters" special regulations for areas with additional daily and size limits.

Culling of striped bass and/or striped bass hybrids is prohibited.

Striped Bass

  • Back not arched
  • State record: 47 lbs., 8 oz.

White Bass

  • Arched back
  • State record: 5 lbs., 1 oz.

Striped Bass Hybrid

  • Back slightly arched
  • State record: 23 lbs., 3.7 oz.

Trout (Rainbow & Brown)

Statewide Daily Limit:

  • Rainbow Trout & Brown Trout - 3 Combined

Statewide Minimum Size Limit:

  • None

Check Trout Area Information for areas with additional daily and size limits.

Culling of trout is prohibited.

Rainbow Trout

  • State record: 11 lbs., 4.3 oz.
  • Black spots on tail

Brown Trout

  • State record: 17 lbs., 4.6 oz.
  • Few or no black spots on tail
Oklahoma
Fishing Hunting