Sooner Lake

[Redneck68]

Just moved to Winfield KS for work and have been fishing Sooner Lake. Born and raised NE OK but have been fishing Lake of the Ozarks primarily for the last 20 years. I’m really struggling to figure Sooner out. I’m finding lots of fish, but not many bass. I’ve heard mixed reports - some say the lake is still good for bass, others say it the white perch have pretty much ruined it. Any thoughts or recent experiences with bass there?

[gabes1]

I don’t think the lake is near as good as it used to be. Bite can be tough and it’s hard to get out of the wind if it is blowing hard. Haven’t had any recent experience.

[Redneck68]

Thanks. Too bad, I heard it used to be pretty special

[ch]

Ever since they started spraying and killin the grass in that lake the bass fishing has went down the toilet.

[Skippy909]

No where near where it use to be! They’ve killed the grass and they keep stocking hybrids that eat everything in sight. It sucks cause I lived in Tulsa for close to 20 years and drove over a lot to fish it and loved it! Now I live in Ponca and it ain’t worth the drive out there!

[Redneck68]

Any decent lakes near Ponca? I’m about 2 hours to the nearest ks lakes, so I was really hoping Sooner would be a good option.

[SoonerFan]

If I were you, I'd start hitting either Carl Blackwell or McMurtry about 20 or so miles to the south of Sooner, off Hwy 51 & I-35. There's also Ponca Lake and Kaw Lake but I've never heard anything good about either. There's a couple of YouTube videos with guys fishing both lakes. I know Blackwell has Hybrids and Saugars so the bass population is probably so so. It has great facilities with bathrooms all around the lake and a little convenience store. I haven't fish Blackwell in a long time but did catch a few small bass and never McMurtry but is a beautiful lake. A little longer drive could get you over to Skiatook Lake or Keystone.

I usually fish Arbuckle, Okemah, Konawa, and Bell Cow depending on my mood and time of year. Any of those lakes would be an over two hour drive for you.

[Redneck68]

thanks for the details. looks like it's going to be a 2+ hour drive for me no matter what. might as well hit Grand

[Klinger N Ok]

Sooner is a shadow of its former self. There are still some decent fish in there but the numbers have nosedived the last few years. Between too many mouths to feed with the excessive hybrid and saugeye stocking, the massive amount of white perch raiding nesting areas in the spring and the relative lack of forage, it’s just become a very tough, frustrating fishery.
Another issue is how little they run the power plant. I’d bet they’ll kick it on with this cold spell but they haven’t run it at all this fall or winter yet. The lake has been just as cold as any other area lake.
Ponca and Kaw are OK but don’t expect much in size of fish. McMurtry and Blackwell are decent as well as some small municipal lakes but not sure they’d be worth the drive.

[ou1dadgumit]

Well that sucks. I hadn't fished there in about 10 years but was thinking about making a trip this spring. I actually hate that Lake anytime but the spring and somewhere around September.

[Redneck68]

Great info! I was thinking about Ponca but will look for something else based on your review