OK. BREAKING FLY FISHING NEWS NOW
Oklahoma ODWC Goes Big Brother
If you fly fish in Oklahoma, and live in Texas, the rules have changed for Texans. And they have changed for anyone from out-of-State Oklahoma who hunts, fishes or even goes into almost all areas the State has under the purview of Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC). This new rule also applies to Oklahoma residents.
A SIDE NOTE FIRST: I immediately reached out to OWDC to ask a couple of key questions: 1) Is this a voluntary “rule?” and 2) What if an individual does not follow the new “rule?” AS SOON as I receive those answers, I will post them below in the “COMMENTS” for this article.
OKLAHOMA’S NEW POLICY FOR VISITING OKLAHOMA OUTDOORS
According to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, “New this year, nonresidents accessing certain public hunting and fishing areas for any reason must check in and out of the area. More information, including a list of required areas, is available now at wildlifedepartment.com/check-in. The new check-in rules do not apply to Oklahoma residents.”
I guess they decided to cut to the chase, and use “… must check in and out of the area,” rather than go through a more diplomatic and subtle voluntary period. I would have thought they would take it slowly … gradually, just to see how it works. Apparently not.
DID YOU KNOW: If you are 65 or older, and a Texas resident? YOU DO NOT NEED a fishing license in Oklahoma. IF you are 65 or older and have an Oklahoma fishing license? You do not need a Texas license. That’s what it says! I guess I am getting CLOSE! Because I am starting to pay attention to these loopholes.
-FROM THEIR DIGITAL NEWS RELEASE-
Nonresidents
The Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission adopted new rules in 2025 that require nonresidents accessing certain Oklahoma public hunting and fishing areas to check in and check out of the area. By checking in and checking out of these areas, hunters, anglers, shooters, birdwatchers, hikers and any other users can help the Wildlife Department better understand how the areas are being used. There is no additional cost associated with checking in or checking out of an area. There is no limit to the number of check-ins for any individual in a year.
Users must check in and check out through GoOutdoorsOklahoma.com.
Step 1: Download or open the Go Outdoors Oklahoma app, or visit GoOutdoorsOklahoma.com.
Step 2: Log in or create a customer account.
Step 3: If required, complete customer information or verify account information is correct.
Step 4: Click “WMA & OLAP Check-in” and select “Wildlife Management Area” or enter the area’s name by typing in the search bar.
Step 5: Once the WMA is selected, click “sign in” and enter date of visit, reason for visit, and other requested information.
Step 6: Select “Submit”.
Step 7: After visiting an area, return to Go Outdoors Oklahoma, find your check-in event, and click the “Sign out” button. Users may only visit one area at a time. To check in to a different area, users must first check out from their prior visit.
Who is Required to Check In?
Residents of Oklahoma
Residents are not required to check in to Wildlife Management Areas, however residents are required to check in to OLAP limited access areas.
Residents and nonresidents are required to check in to OLAP Limited Access Areas.
All nonresidents accessing the above list of areas are required to check in; this includes nonresidents of any age and nonresidents who are lifetime license holders. The only exception to the check-in requirement is when anyone is only driving through one of the listed areas on county roads.
Why is Checking In and Out a Requirement?
Oklahoma’s public lands are vital for the Wildlife Department to fulfill its conservation-minded mission. Not only do these lands provide quality habitat for native fish and wildlife species, they also provide more than 1.5 million acres for recreational use. And the hunters, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts who access these areas support conservation through their purchase of a hunting license, fishing license or conservation passport.
These license and passport funds may then be leveraged to receive federal grant dollars, often resulting in conservation funding many times greater than the original funding amount.
To better understand how public hunting and fishing areas are used, the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission is requiring nonresidents accessing certain areas to check in and check out of those areas. As a result, the Commission aims to make better-informed decisions regarding hunting and fishing regulations and future land purchases. Learn more about ODWC’s data and privacy policy here.
COMMENTARY
First glance? This is a half-baked idea. The half that was baked is because of the heat applied by the State of Oklahoma to justify the expenditures for OWDC, and line items, like the cost of stocking trout in Oklahoma waters. The heat is on OWDC to justify their budget, and this is an inexpensive, downright FREE way to show the bean counters why Oklahoma outdoors is a major attraction, and IT IS!
Let us all not forget, Oklahoma politically, is a RUBY RED State through and through. For a Republican State, on the same path as Texas? I am old enough to be shocked by this “Big Brother” overreach into our personal recreational time.
Perhaps, if they had clothed this new rule in the truth of why they need to do this, it would go down easier? We TEXANS should all go along with this new rule because it can, if we follow it, show the bean counters just how important the outdoors is to the State of Oklahoma, and their tourist revenue stream. I mean, if Oklahoma could just tap into the Indian Nation’s gambling revenue? Instead of scraping this barrel? Let the good fly fishing times ROLL! Brown trout for everybody!!
