Rain and runoff entering waterways stimulates blues in the cold months as much as in the spring and fall. During summer, big blues suspend over deep, cool water and feed primarily at night. The Department stocks channel catfish in waters throughout the state, but some of the best are the lakes owned by the Department. They are Lakes American Horse, Burtschi, Dahlgren, Lake Elmer, Hall, Ozzie Cobb, Raymond Gary, Schooler, Vanderwork, Vincent and Watonga. Blue catfish are known to grow larger than 85 pounds in Oklahoma.
Flathead catfish are among the most desirable species by trophy catfish anglers.
Tips for handling summer bass Bass tournaments are an important part of Oklahoma's summer fishing scene, but anglers must take special care to ensure the health of the fish they catch. During August and early September, scorching hot air temperatures elevate water temperatures to create lethal conditions for largemouth bass in a captive environment. A study conducted by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation has shown that an average 28 percent of bass caught during summer tournaments die within six days of their release. Gene Gilliland, a fisheries biologist with the Wildlife Department, said that most tournament anglers are very concientious about protecting bass resources, but many are not equipped to deal with summer heat. That's something they've tried to be very careful about over the years, and for the most part they've been successful, but summer fishing presents some unique conditions that can cause a potentially lethal amount of stress on fish.