Atoka Reservoir Fishing Guides
A southeastern Oklahoma water supply lake north of Atoka, timbered and lightly developed, with a long-standing reputation for largemouth bass and crappie around its standing timber.
Guides on the Atoka Reservoir
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About the Atoka Reservoir
Atoka Reservoir impounds North Boggy Creek in the timbered hills of Atoka County in southeastern Oklahoma, a few miles north of the town of Atoka near Stringtown. It was built as a municipal water supply for Oklahoma City, which is more than a hundred miles away, and that purpose shapes everything about how the lake looks and fishes. Development around the shoreline is minimal, there is no dense ring of docks and houses, and large areas of standing timber were left in place when the lake filled. The result is a quiet reservoir that looks considerably older and wilder than its function suggests.
The standing timber is the fishery. Largemouth bass relate to it year round, and Atoka has a long local reputation as a bass lake where patience with flooded wood pays better than covering water quickly. Crappie, both white and black, stack on the same timber and on any brush pile, and the crappie fishing is what draws most of the boats in spring and again in autumn. Channel, blue and flathead catfish are all present and well distributed, with the flatheads in particular using the heavy wood. White bass move up the creek arms on a spring run, and bluegill fill the shallows through summer. Most fishing here is done from bass boats and small aluminum craft, and the lake sees far less traffic than Oklahoma’s marquee reservoirs.
The gauge near Stringtown reports lake elevation, storage and water temperature in Fahrenheit rather than a discharge figure, which suits a supply reservoir whose level is managed rather than simply weather-driven. Elevation here reflects Oklahoma City’s draw as well as rainfall over southeastern Oklahoma, so the pool can fall during a wet season and recover at odd times relative to what local weather would suggest. That matters most for navigating the timber: a lower pool exposes wood that was submerged and safely passable at full pool, and running unfamiliar water at speed is a poor idea on this lake at any level.
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The photo at the top of this page is not Atoka 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
- Storage96,540 acre-ft
Reading taken 35 min ago at USGS 07333010, Atoka Reservoir near Stringtown, OK. Elevation is the surface of the lake above the survey datum, not depth. Source.
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Access
Atoka - the county seat south of the lake, with lodging, fuel, tackle and full services.
Stringtown - the small town at the gauge, closest to the dam and the eastern shore.
McGee Creek Reservoir - a larger lake to the east, often fished on the same trip.
Atoka Wildlife Management Area - public land around the reservoir with bank access and hunting.
North Boggy Creek - the main inflow at the upper end, where the lake narrows to creek channel.
Tushka - a community south of Atoka along the highway.
Durant - the larger city southeast, with the nearest broad range of services.
Seasons
Spring: the best fishing of the year, with bass moving into the timber and crappie spawning on the shallow wood.
Summer: catfish and bluegill carry the lake, and bass fishing concentrates on deeper timber early and late in the day.
Fall: crappie return to the brush and bass feed hard on shad, making this the second strong season.
Winter: slow, quiet fishing with crappie and catfish holding deep, and the pool often at its working low.
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Questions
What species can you catch on the Atoka Reservoir?
Anglers target Black Crappie, Blue Catfish, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Largemouth Bass, White Bass, White Crappie on the Atoka Reservoir in Oklahoma.
Where can you access the Atoka Reservoir?
Atoka - the county seat south of the lake, with lodging, fuel, tackle and full services. Stringtown - the small town at the gauge, closest to the dam and the eastern shore. McGee Creek Reservoir - a larger lake to the east, often fished on the same trip. Atoka Wildlife Management Area - public land around the reservoir with bank access and hunting. North Boggy Creek - the main inflow at the upper end, where the lake narrows to creek channel. Tushka - a community south of Atoka along the highway. Durant - the larger city southeast, with the nearest broad range of services.
When is the best time to fish the Atoka Reservoir?
Spring: the best fishing of the year, with bass moving into the timber and crappie spawning on the shallow wood. Summer: catfish and bluegill carry the lake, and bass fishing concentrates on deeper timber early and late in the day. Fall: crappie return to the brush and bass feed hard on shad, making this the second strong season. Winter: slow, quiet fishing with crappie and catfish holding deep, and the pool often at its working low.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Atoka Reservoir?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Oklahoma agency site: https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/fishing/regulations