Crater Lake near Cache: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Crater Lake is one of the Comanche County listings for Oklahoma. This is oak and grass ground. It covers about 9 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Nearest place of any size is Cache, 5.3 miles away. Wichita Falls sits 55 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Crater Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Fish documented in Comanche County include largemouth bass, green sunfish and Rio Grande longear sunfish. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. On Crater Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 82°F at the top of summer and 38°F at the bottom of winter. Fishing runs all year, with summer the awkward season. October and November give a second good stretch as it cools. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. That is the shape of the year on Crater Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. There is recorded parking some half a mile off. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. If the gate is shut, Quanah Parker Lake at 1 mile is the nearest alternative. Confirm access to Crater Lake locally before you travel.