Kaw Lake in Kay County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Kaw Lake stands in Kay County, Oklahoma. Everything around it is rolling hill. At 25.3 sq miles you are fishing a fraction of it whatever you do. Its outline wanders a long way for the area it covers, which puts more edge in play. Among the waters listed for Kay County, none is wider. McCord at 11 miles is the nearest place to stop. Newkirk is 12 miles and Ponca City 12 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Kaw Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Survey and observation records for Kay County include orangespotted sunfish, gizzard shad, flathead catfish and channel catfish. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Kaw Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 33°F in January up to 81°F in July. The swings are modest, so patterns change slowly. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. Expect Kaw Lake to follow that timing. Late summer often means an early start or nothing at all.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Oknoname 071020 Reservoir, 6.8 miles out. For Kaw Lake in particular, ask before you travel.