United States 🇺🇸 Oklahoma Lower Illinois River
09 Jun 2025
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Year-round fly fishing for multiple species
The Illinois River offers excellent fly fishing for striper, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, buffalo, catfish, and other species. The natural look of the river creates an excellent fishing environment for the occasional as well as the serious fisherman.
Many fishing records have been set on the lower Illinois including a 47.8 lb striped bass, rainbow trout, and redhorse.
Trout stocking season
The trout stocking season in the Lower Illinois River is available year-round.
Designated trout area details
A designated trout fishing area spans 7.75 miles along the Illinois River, starting from the Tenkiller Ferry Dam and extending to the U.S. 64 bridge near Gore in Sequoyah County.
Access points and facilities
The Lower Illinois River Public Fishing and Hunting Area, specifically the Simp and Helen Watts Management Unit, provides public access to nearly one mile of the trout stream and 320 acres of public hunting land (refer to the map for details). This area is located about four miles north of Gore on State Highway 100. Turn east onto county road E0990 and continue for about a mile to reach the entrance. Parking is available in designated areas, and the unit is primarily managed for walk-in access.
Additionally, there are four other public access points along the designated trout stream. Notably, there is a pool immediately below the dam, which is ideal for trout fishing even during periods of high power generation. The River Road Public Access Area, situated about six miles downstream from the dam, and the Gore Landing Public Access Area, managed by the town of Gore, offer additional facilities including camping and boat launch ramps.
Map with points of interest
Map with points of interest
Special fishing regulations
For brown trout, the daily limit is one, with a minimum length of 20 inches. For rainbow trout, the daily catch limit is six, with no minimum length requirement. In the section from the USGS stream gauge to Gravel Pit County Road, the daily limit is one trout with a minimum length of 20 inches.
Fishing regulations in the Simp and Helen Watts Management Unit
In the Lower Illinois River's Simp and Helen Watts Management Unit, extending from the USGS stream gauge to Gravel Pit County Road, fishing is restricted to artificial flies and lures only, and barbless hooks are required (refer to Trout Regulations for more details). When fishing for species other than trout, single barbed hooks of size 3/0 or larger may be used with natural bait. Additionally, artificial baits and treble hooks with barbs are permitted when using hooks of size 3/0 or larger, but only when targeting species other than trout.
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