Family-Outdoors

Oklahoma City and Tulsa area trout fishing seasons will wrap up Feb. 29, but anglers will still be able to fish for rainbows and browns for a few more weeks at the six seasonal Wildlife Department trout fisheries found statewide.     Dolese Youth Park Pond in Oklahoma City and Veterans Park Pond in Jenks are stocked with trout annually in December, January and February. These " Close to Home Fishing " sites require anglers to have a state fishing license, and the limit is six trout per day. Anglers fishing at the Dolese pond also are required to have an Oklahoma City fishing permit.     Anglers at both metro sites may still catch and keep trout after the stocking season closes on Feb. 29, as long as trout remain in the water.     Trout stocking will continue into March and April at the Wildlife Department's six winter trout fishing areas statewide. The areas are: Robbers Cave: In Robbers Cave State Park, the Robbers Cave trout fishery is in the Fourch...

 Trout stocking has resumed in the Lower Illinois River after being suspended in late July because of unfavorable river conditions. About 10,000 trout have been stocked in the past two weeks.     Oklahoma's two Close-To-Home Fishing program trout ponds will be stocked the first week of December. The Dolese Youth Park Pond in Oklahoma City will open for trout fishing on Dec. 1. Veterans Pond in Jenks will open for trout fishing Dec. 4. Trout season at both of these urban ponds will run through Feb. 29, 2016.     Trout stocking continues as usual at the state's other year-round trout fishery in the Lower Mountain Fork River below Broken Bow dam, and at the six seasonal trout fishing areas: Medicine Creek, Perry CCC Lake, Carl Etling, Watonga, Robber's Cave and Blue River.      For complete trout fishing regulations, refer to the " Oklahoma Fishing " regulations guide, available online at  wildlifedepartment.com  or in print where huntin...

Harry Fasching of Edmond holds a stringer of rainbow trout he caught at Perry CCC Lake during the 2014-15 season.  Trout stocking season will begin Nov. 1 at most designated trout areas statewide. (Don P. Brown/ODWC) The arrival of cooler weather might prompt many fishermen to store away their rods and reels until next spring. But don't be so quick -- plenty of exciting angling can be found throughout the winter months in Oklahoma's designated trout fishing areas.    The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation operates two year-round trout fisheries in the Lower Mountain Fork River below Broken Bow dam and in the Lower Illinois River below Tenkiller Ferry Dam. Trout are normally stocked in those areas every week or two. However, stocking in the Lower Illinois River has been temporarily suspended due to high water temperatures. Stocking will resume when water quality returns to a level suitable for sustaining a healthy trout population.    ...

Anglers interested in fly fishing can learn the sport Feb. 8-9 at the Illinois River Fly Fishing School. The clinic will be based out of Tenkiller State Park and will feature instructional sessions as well as hands-on practice on the banks of the Illinois River. Long-time instructor Mark Patton says the clinic lays a good foundation for both amateur and experienced anglers. While he "starts from the ground up," Patton said even those familiar with fly fishing can benefit from the instruction. The clinic will offer in depth information on equipment, tackle assembly, knots, flies, casting, and tactics and will include on-stream fishing instruction. According to Patton, participants will leave with a better understanding of fly fishing by learning how the equipment works and why it performs the way it does when operated properly. Upon completion of the Illinois River Fly Fishing School, Patton said participants will be ready to begin fishing by themselves. "A guide rig...