This is directly from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, and is about the Lower Illinois River trout fishery. I have yet to fish it, but have heard a lot of good things about this location.

Trout stockings resume at Lower Illinois River as Wildlife Department seeks fix for water shortages

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation has resumed trout stockings at the Lower Illinois River due to water levels improving in Tenkiller Lake, and officials with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation say they continue to seek a lasting solution to water shortage issues at the river.

The stockings resume after a temporary discontinuation had been in effect because of water shortages that caused two significant fish kills at the Lower Illinois this year. Recent rainfalls have improved water levels, but officials say the biggest water shortage concerns at the fishery have not been resolved.

At its November meeting, held Nov. 7 in Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission heard a presentation from Fisheries Chief Barry Bolton that addressed why water shortages pose an ongoing problem to the fishery at the Lower Illinois River. At the top of the list of concerns is a need for reallocation of water from Tenkiller Reservoir for the fishery, since currently all of the water storage in the lake is allocated to other users. The fishery had for years been fed by leakage in the dam that provided as much as 75 cubic feet of water per second. The leak has been repaired, leaving the Wildlife Department with access to only two hours of water or less per day for managing 7.75 miles of trout fishery. Any other water comes from sporadic releases from water storage holders.

“There are anglers who count on the river for good fishing, and there are businesses in the region that count on anglers going to the Lower Illinois River to fish,” Bolton said. “Water shortages combined with insufficient flow reduces oxygen levels to a point where trout and native species cannot survive, which means anglers don’t have fish to catch. And that means fewer customers for local businesses.”

Though water levels at the river are up now, Bolton said the fishery will likely face similar shortages again if water is not reallocated to support the fishery. Until then, he said possible short-term resolutions include more frequent releases of oxygenated water through hydropower generation, and taking steps to ensure water releases meet state water quality standards. Agreements also could be pursued that would create a temporary seasonal pool plan that provides minimum releases to maintain the fishery. Additionally, the Wildlife Department can temporarily “borrow” some water allocated to Sequoyah Fuels, who holds small percentage of storage in the lake, but that water will not always be available for fishery use.

Though there are short-term fixes, Bolton said it is a long-term solution that is needed most, such as congressional legislation to reallocate water storage for the fishery at no cost to the state. A similar problem at the Lower Mountain Fork River trout fishery below Broken Bow Lake was resolved through federal action that resulted in the allocation of water to the fishery.

Established in 1965 as mitigation for the construction of Tenkiller Dam, the Illinois River trout fishery has become a recreational and economic staple for the region. While finding a solution to water shortages in the river poses unique challenges, Bolton said the Wildlife Department is committed to the survival of the fishery and will continue to work tirelessly to ensure quality fishing for those who depend on the fishery for recreation and business.

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I will be placing a call to Scott Hood of the Oklahoma Chapter of Trout Unlimited (89er Chapter of TU), as I have it on good authority that Scott holds a special place in his heart for the Lower Illinois.

NOTE – For those readers from Oklahoma, let me take a moment to introduce the new Oklahoma Fly Report website. It was created for Oklahoma fly fishers to discuss topics just like this one, and I am confident you will find it easy to use, and add content – whether it be 2-cents-worth, or an entire dollar’s worth. The new board is at www.oklahomaflyreport.com. Feel free to talk and enjoy the free information and camaraderie Oklahoma!

Family friendly fly fishing on the Blue River in South Central Oklahoma.

Introduction – This is a story sent in by a reader who happens to be crazy about fishing as well. His daughter is pretty darn good at it too.

We went up there day after Thanksgiving, just her and me to get some father-daughter time in. Friday was great. We found an awesome camp spot, setup the pop-up camper and she was eager to get on the water so we geared up about 1:30. The great thing about Area 1 is that you can walk to the river and good locations. We were just south of the main ‘big’ hole that everybody fishes, just south of the crossover bridge. There were about three or four seperate riffles we could fish.

We put on an olive wooly with a thingamabobber and did some drifting through the riffles. Within 15 minutes, she had her first catch, but miss, and she was excited. She then went on to catch 8 that afternoon. She was able to cast, drift and hook. I would have to help her get the hook out of the trout’s mouth, but then it was up to her to keep the fish healthy, while trying to pose for a picture – so she learned the proper way to catch-and-release.

At first, she was having difficulty holding the squirming fidgeting fish, but after the three our four, she was able to cradle and show, then get back in the water quickly. She was stoked.

There was a teenage boy behind her on the riffles north to us, she was in a sort of competition with him. They would both see what the other was doing. It was cute.

We played chess, checkers and cards that evening after picking up a burger at Scotty’s and starting a roaring camp fire (burn ban is off) and found out our furnace would not be usable due to a leaky hose on the front of the camper. It wasn’t too cold, so we managed.

Saturday however was a different story. A cold front blew through. Fishing was tough. we did more exploring than fishing and the only fish I caught were the 2 I snagged when she got frustrated and said there weren’t any fish in that hole. I didn’t carry a rod or fish, except when she didn’t think fish were in there. So I tried to show her they were there, and there were.

We went to HWY 7 with plans to ride our bikes to C&R. However, the northern winds had a different plan for us. We fished the front area a bit, then wind whipped, packed it up, and back to camp.

I decided to go to town and try and find a propane hose, we’d need it that night. Tishomoingo has nothing to offer in that respect, so we ended up at a diner for a good lunch and to catch the end of the OU game, which all the locals were out to see.

Drove 15 minutes to Madill to an Atwoods/Walmart in search of a SAFE space heater. We found one that runs on a green propane bottle. Came back to camp, somehow started another camp fire. Later, I walked out to stoke the fire, and I’ll be damned, there’s a ringtail out there coming towards camp. How coincidental is that?

Space heater was ok. We had enough blankets to keep us warm, but our faces/heads were cold if left exposed. woke up in the morning frigid. Camping neighbors said when they walked down to the river that morning, he spooked a huge bobcat near our campsite. That was exciting. We didn’t see it or hear it, but the thought of one near camp was thrilling.

Too cold to fish, and we needed to head back.

Went to ardmore, grabbed late breakfast at IHOP. Izzy was worried about the hunter orange OSU shirt we had purchased since we were in OU country. We got that one because it’s the same hunter orange color, but not as lame as hunting clothing. It boasted a college, and one that has a great veterinarian school. She covered it up with a sweater. There were a few OU fans in there, and they wouldn’t have given her any crap, but she thought that was funny, the rivalry.

All in all, one of my best trips with her. Good one on one time, good conversation, good teaching and learning times. She really picked up stream fishing and can’t wait to go back.

Just Added – Image from today at the Blue River. Released this one, but it had better than average color for a synthetic.

This great fly fishing weather that has set in in North Texas finally has everyone thinking trout – rainbow trout in this case.

The review of “An Entirely Synthetic Fish,” withstanding, and still outstanding (yet to be written), it’s time to get to some slabby catch-and-release only stocker rainbow trout. And if you are in North Texas, and just have to go north, it’s a little less than 90-miles from my door to the Blue River catch-and-release (CNR) area outside Tishomingo, Oklahoma.

As opposed to the catch-and-kill area of the Blue River, the CNR area offers a unique experience. It has relatively few people fishing there – often no one during weekdays, and once you’ve reached the prime areas, it’s quite easy for young, old, athletic and non-athletic people to move around, get to spots with clear backcasts, and have a shot at catching rainbow trout that have had time to gain some weight, and regain some instincts. Sure, virtually all have tell-tale tales, and other characteristics of stockers, but anemic they aren’t.

I am a much bigger fan of the Guadalupe River in Central Texas, but the trip to and from the Blue River is all in a single day’s work. The next time I go, I will be sure to finally make some images of the landmark, Scotty’s, as well as the catch and kill park and CNR area. I am sure not a lot has changed since previous posts on the Blue River, but it often helps to see things are still where they were the last time we were there, right?

Tomorrow – A father-daughter story from their trip to the Blue River