Foss Reservoir Fishing Guides
Western Oklahoma's big plains reservoir on the Washita River, known for walleye, saugeye and hybrid striped bass, with a state park and wide open water that answers hard to wind.
Guides on the Foss Reservoir
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About the Foss Reservoir
Foss Reservoir impounds the Washita River in Custer County, on the short-grass plains of western Oklahoma between Clinton and Elk City. It is the largest body of water in this part of the state by a wide margin, and in a landscape of wheat fields and rangeland it functions as the regional fishery, water supply and recreation area all at once. The lake is broad and comparatively open, with long shorelines of red clay and sandstone, rocky points, flooded brush in the upper arms and very little natural shade. Foss State Park sits on the north shore and provides the main developed access.
The fishing reputation rests on the cool-water and hybrid species rather than on largemouth bass. Walleye and saugeye are the headline fish and are stocked and managed actively, taken along the rocky points and creek channels in spring and over deeper structure through the summer. Hybrid striped bass and white bass provide the open-water fishing that western Oklahoma anglers travel for, chasing shad schools and frequently surfacing in the afternoon. Channel and blue catfish are abundant and are the most consistent target in hot weather, and crappie hold on the brush and the standing timber in the upper end. Largemouth bass are present in reasonable numbers but are not the reason most boats are on the water.
The USGS station near Foss reports lake elevation, storage and precipitation rather than discharge, which is exactly the right set of readings for a plains reservoir. Elevation is the number that governs a trip here. Western Oklahoma runs dry for long stretches, and Foss has been drawn down severely in drought years, which strands ramps, exposes flats and concentrates fish into a fraction of the lake. In a full year the same water spreads across flooded brush and fishes completely differently. Check the elevation and the storage figure before planning a launch, because which ramps are usable is a question the gauge answers directly.
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The photo at the top of this page is not Foss Reservoir.
It is a regional stand-in, honestly captioned but generic — we will not put a name to a river we cannot prove. Send us a photograph you took here and it replaces the stand-in, with your credit on it.
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Pool right now
- Storage142,300 acre-ft
Reading taken 1h ago at USGS 07324300, Foss Reservoir near Foss, OK. Elevation is the surface of the lake above the survey datum, not depth. Source.
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Access
Foss State Park - the main developed access on the north shore, with ramps, camping and cabins.
Clinton - the nearest city east, with lodging, fuel and full services.
Elk City - the larger town west along the interstate, with additional lodging.
Foss - the small town south of the dam that gives the reservoir its name.
Washita River - the inflow at the upper end, where the reservoir narrows into river channel.
Sandy Beach - a north shore recreation area and secondary launch.
Mouse Creek - an arm on the south side with additional bank access.
Seasons
Spring: the strongest season, with walleye and saugeye on the rocky points and white bass running up the Washita arm.
Summer: hybrids and white bass school in open water and surface in the afternoons, while catfish fishing stays reliable through the heat.
Fall: cooling water brings walleye and bass back shallow, and the lake is at its most pleasant with light recreational traffic.
Winter: slow and windy, with crappie and walleye holding deep and access dictated by how far the pool has fallen.
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Questions
What species can you catch on the Foss Reservoir?
Anglers target Black Crappie, Blue Catfish, Channel Catfish, Hybrid Striped Bass, Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Walleye, White Bass on the Foss Reservoir in Oklahoma.
Where can you access the Foss Reservoir?
Foss State Park - the main developed access on the north shore, with ramps, camping and cabins. Clinton - the nearest city east, with lodging, fuel and full services. Elk City - the larger town west along the interstate, with additional lodging. Foss - the small town south of the dam that gives the reservoir its name. Washita River - the inflow at the upper end, where the reservoir narrows into river channel. Sandy Beach - a north shore recreation area and secondary launch. Mouse Creek - an arm on the south side with additional bank access.
When is the best time to fish the Foss Reservoir?
Spring: the strongest season, with walleye and saugeye on the rocky points and white bass running up the Washita arm. Summer: hybrids and white bass school in open water and surface in the afternoons, while catfish fishing stays reliable through the heat. Fall: cooling water brings walleye and bass back shallow, and the lake is at its most pleasant with light recreational traffic. Winter: slow and windy, with crappie and walleye holding deep and access dictated by how far the pool has fallen.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Foss Reservoir?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Oklahoma agency site: https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/fishing/regulations