Thread: Lake Hefner

i went by Hefner today and the water was glass....boy, i can't wait till spring. But more than likely most of my fishing will be away from Hefner...Seems like there is nothing but dinks there anymore and you will be lucky to catch more than 15. What I don't get is paying money for fishing and getting my boat on the water and the only thing the money goes to is trails and parking lots for people who pay nothing to use the lake....how about a 5 dollar bike fee and using the money to bring back the fishing we had back in the 80s and early 90s?

Originally Posted by lazylakedog

i went by Hefner today and the water was glass....boy, i can't wait till spring. But more than likely most of my fishing will be away from Hefner...Seems like there is nothing but dinks there anymore and you will be lucky to catch more than 15. What I don't get is paying money for fishing and getting my boat on the water and the only thing the money goes to is trails and parking lots for people who pay nothing to use the lake....how about a 5 dollar bike fee and using the money to bring back the fishing we had back in the 80s and early 90s?

Maybe as a group we should bring that up to Mick and the rest of the gang.

i would love to see some of the money go to fishing for once....go to draper and there is a fee for everything you do there...don't get me wrong...i love there being a safe place for familes to go and enjoy the outdoors but spend some money on the actual lake for once...but i don't know if the bricktown mafia would go for something like that.

Yup, I have fish Hefner lake for over 15yrs and before Carl Jones even set up shop at Hefner. Lots have change and it is getting harder every year to catch fish at Hefner.

I would catch lots of dinks at Hefner and I would have to throw them back, some days I may get lucky and keep a few that are good size. But there are more people on the bike trails and running on the lake compare to fishing. Heck I pay the fishing permit every year and I do hope that money goes into re-stocking fish at Hefner and Overholser. The hybrids at Overholser has not been the same like 5yrs ago, it has been on the down hill.

Well, that is my complaint.. I have to go out this week sometime and try to fish Hefner and see if I get anything.

I started fishing Hefner in 1984 from the banks and docks. Back then you could drive the dirt roads completely around the lake and fish anywhere you wanted to. In 1986, my folks bought their first boat and we pretty much lived there on the weekends. Back then you could easily catch over a hundred sandies every trip and most of them a decent size, now you would be lucky to catch twenty small ones on a good day. We used to go to the dock on a Saturday and catch huge crappie all day and night. We would only keep the nice ones and throw plenty small ones back. I have not been able to do that in years. I do have to admit though, this past summer and fall was one of the best catfishing years for nice fish that I have ever had there. But, as for crappie...forget it. I would like to see where all of our donations to the lake in the form of permits go to?....I really don't see the fisheries dept doing a thing for the people who actually throw money at the lake and get no results. Would it be too much to ask to maybe start putting a few brush rows in? Those are pretty much free!...Then again that would make too much sense.

The water surface temp today was 37 degs taken @8:30 AM at the water intake tower. 1 Person fishing in his tube off the dam. I think he is a regular winter only fisherman. I seem to only see him during the winter.

hey cricket any fish actually caught?....I used to fish out at the tower in my tube a few years ago with two other guys. We used to catch twenty or so each. The funny thing about the tube is it was not actually considered a watercraft so you could tie up to it. Boats are supposed to stay 500 feet away from it. I don't know if that still applies since they make you buy a boat permit for a tube. I already pay for my boat and im not about to pay to put my tube on there too. Thanks for your updates!

LLdog - Last year when I bought my boat permit I noticed that my registration # was not asked for on the permit. My light bulb popped on and I thought geeeeeeee I can use this permit on my other boat for Hefner too. I am renewing my fishing permit today at Carl's and i will double check. Check your permit.