YOUR GRAND LAKE FISHING GUIDE

This lake is known for many great adventures in the area, and the Cherokee Queen is one of them. The "Cherokee Queen" is a massively large twin deck paddlewheel riverboat that calls Grand Lake home. It's an excellent choice for sightseeing on Grand Lake or renting it out as a private charter.

Grand Lake O' the Cherokees is also famous for big bass, catfish, and pre-historic Paddlefish often referred to as "Spoonbill." Grand Lake is known for producing monsters and claims the state record at 134 pounds, that's just 10 pounds shy of the 144-pound world record. Simply put, this is the fishing spot to book a Spoonbill guide service on Grand Lake O' the Cherokees.

While these fish are epic to catch, they are heavily protected and in some areas of the country, are in danger of being extinct. Therefore, it's essential to follow all rules and regulations when fishing for these fantastic fossils of the water.

This lake must follow the state-wide rules and regulations laid out by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. However, specific Grand Lake fishing regulations do exist.

• Crappie must be 10 inches in length before being kept, and only a combined 15 Black Crappie and White Crappie may be harvested per day per angler. Permits free to purchase for anglers but are required when fishing for Paddlefish.
• A strict daily bag limit of 1 and an annual limit of 2 Spoonbill per angler is enforced.

Some state-wide daily limits and size limits to know are the following:

• Only a combined 6 Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass may be kept per angler per day, and each fish must at least be 14 inches in length.
• A combined 15 Channel Catfish and Blue Catfish can be kept per angler per day. Only 1 Blue Catfish is allowed to be over 30 inches.
• Flathead Catfish have a daily limit of five and do not have a length constraint.

For more information, you can view our Oklahoma Fishing page or ask your Grand Lake Fishing Guide.

The types of fishing will depend on the fish species you are targetting.

For Largemouth Bass target the shallow cover and brush piles, with shallow running crankbaits. Depending on the time of year, bluffs can be an active place to cast a plastic worm or topwater. During the post-spawn season, target the rocky points with a topwater frog, buzz bait, or crankbait.

There are many effective techniques for catching White Bass on Grand Lake. If you spot some White Bass on your fish finder in deep water, try jigging some silver spoons. For the upper portions of the lake, near Elk River and Spring River, a light-colored jig or a rooster tail can be highly effective. When summer days are coming to a close, toss a silver spoon amongst the schooling White Bass targetting bait fish at the surface.

Channel Catfish can be caught by the fryer full! During the spawn, use chicken liver or stink bait and let it sit in the breakwater fills or near the Twin Bridges.

The best time of year for catching Spoonbill is during the colder months in Late December through January. If you don't want to brave the cold, you can schedule a trip for one of the spring months and try snagging your Paddlefish back in the river area. Spoonbill fishing guides on Grand Lake might also recommend Lake Eufaula, depending on how the Spoonbill are moving.

March is the best month to catch Channel Catfish using cut bait or artificial stink baits purchased from one of the local outdoor sporting goods stores.

If you arent sure what to cast for and find yourself on the lake in the summer or one of the other months casting for Black Bass or trying some Crappie fishing during the summer will keep your rod bent and your lines tight.