Ames Reservoir Fishing near Mooreland, Oklahoma

• Overview

  Look for Ames Reservoir in the Woodward County part of Oklahoma. Elevation runs to 1,870 feet. The far bank is a conversation away, so keep low and quiet. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Woodward County. For a base, Mooreland sits 5.6 miles out. After that come Woodward at 15 miles and Alva at 34 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Ames Reservoir

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Open biodiversity records for Woodward County list largemouth bass, channel catfish and common carp. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Ames Reservoir the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 81°F; the cold one sits at 34°F. Spring and autumn are the strongest, but nothing is truly closed. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. That is the shape of the year on Ames Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. If the gate is shut, Cockerill Number 2 Reservoir at 0.4 miles is the nearest alternative. Confirm before you fish Ames Reservoir.