Is Arbuckle or Grand the best bass fishing lake in Oklahoma?

Arbuckle Lake frequently has been producing trophy bass in recent years, leading to more tournaments and fishing pressure. Anglers who had never before heard of Arbuckle Lake several years ago are now making it a fishing destination. But is it now the undisputed king of Oklahoma bass fishing?

“It's debatable,” said Gene Gilliland, assistant chief of fisheries for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. “It depends on what you are looking for. If I am fishing for a 10-pounder, I am going to Arbuckle. If I am looking for a boatload of 2, 3, 4 or 5-pounders, I am going to Grand.”

Arbuckle has been on an incredible run of late, but it hasn't always been a good bass fishing destination. Historically, Arbuckle was dominated by small, slow-growing bass, Gilliland said.

About 10 years ago, the Wildlife Department reintroduced the Florida-strain of largemouth bass in the 2,300-acre lake and those fish have matured.

“The fish that we stocked, or the offspring of those stocked fish, are now turning into these trophy bass that are being caught on a pretty regular basis for the past three years,” Gilliland said. “You have good genetics from the stocking program, good habitat and good forage.