Canton lake?

[HoLeChit]

So I’ve recently been hooked on fishing the lower Illinois and a lot of the rivers around eastern Oklahoma. My biggest complaint about it is the distance. Just over 130 miles from the front door to Gore. I went out this week and tried poking around packsaddle, black kettle, and sandy sanders. Zero luck, which is my average for the area. Well, aside from tripping over hogs at sandy sanders, where I can’t shoot them.

Frustrated with my luck, and deciding to scout out a new area, I made the detour to canton lake this morning and spent most of the day admiring that nice body of water, the luxurious amenities, and ease of access to the hunting. I’ve decided that I want to start fishing Canton lake, as well as the oxbows to the north, and try figuring it out. It’s 45 minutes closer and half the mileage.

Any advice? I go after everything really, but really would like to catch a bunch of nice crappie. Haven’t pulled that off in years. I read that ODWC drops cedars in the lake occasionally, so that’s pretty nice.

Anyone fished the oxbows in the north any? Do they dry up every few years?

I’ve caught one walleye in my life. Any pointers on pulling a few of them out of the lake?

I’ll have the Jon Yacht at my disposal, so that should make life a little easier.

 

[Ready_fire_aim]

Go out and find the submerged islands, the walleye tend to hang out down there. The lake has a ton of nice sandbass and hybrids as well. I’ve had good luck just cruising along the dam too.

A buddy of mine that goes out there a lot often drift fishes across it. That lake is regularly windy.

I do agree it’s a nice lake. Really nice campsites as well.

During spring/fall whenever it has been raining and they have the gates open on the dam, the basin at the spillway turns into AMAZING bank fishing. Often times its shoulder to shoulder with fisherman though… because everybody out there knows.

Apparently the water from Canton lake goes directly to Lake Hefner. When people pull a big hybrid or walleye out of Hefner it could’ve from Canton during rains

 

[HoLeChit]

Go out and find the submerged islands, the walleye tend to hang out down there. The lake has a ton of nice sandbass and hybrids as well. I’ve had good luck just cruising along the dam too.

A buddy of mine that goes out there a lot often drift fishes across it. That lake is regularly windy.

I do agree it’s a nice lake. Really nice campsites as well.

During spring/fall whenever it has been raining and they have the gates open on the dam, the basin at the spillway turns into AMAZING bank fishing. Often times its shoulder to shoulder with fisherman though… because everybody out there knows.

Apparently the water from Canton lake goes directly to Lake Hefner. When people pull a big hybrid or walleye out of Hefner it could’ve from Canton during rains

I’m excited to hit it up. Thanks for the pointers!

 

[dennishoddy]

Upper end of the lake in the spring for hybrids I hear.

 

[Shadowrider]

There used to be a ton of big hogs on the WMA. Warden told us to "shoot them all" and that the adjoining farmers trap numbers were astounding.

 

[HoLeChit]

There used to be a ton of big hogs on the WMA. Warden told us to "shoot them all" and that the adjoining farmers trap numbers were astounding.

I believe it. I might be blind or just plain unlucky, but I can’t find hog signs there to save my life. 2 years ago I found some hoof prints and a old wallow, but that’s it.

 

[Shadowrider]

We were on the north side of the lake towards the west of it. Don’t remember the campsite number either but there was some swampy looking woods and they were thick back in the thicker parts. Warden asked us why we didn’t shoot them? We said we wasn’t about to drag them out of that mess. They had got a lot of rain a couple weeks before. He replied we could let them lay, they’d get eaten by the yotes, vultures and other hogs. He said shoot all you can because they were causing tons of damage. We didn’t know for sure the regs on hogs for that WMA as we were drawn on a deer gun hunt. Didn’t even know about hogs until we saw them.

 

[dlbleak]

If you feel the wind coming up, get outta there! I’ve had to throttle crest waves from the north end to the south end. There is nothing to stop the south wind from funneling right up the lake.

 

[Ready_fire_aim]

If you feel the wind coming up, get outta there! I’ve had to throttle crest waves from the north end to the south end. There is nothing to stop the south wind from funneling right up the lake.

Exactly! Foss lake is the same way. The wind is so bad out in Western Oklahoma. It can get nasty real quick, especially in a Jon boat lol

 

[DRC458]

If you feel the wind coming up, get outta there! I’ve had to throttle crest waves from the north end to the south end. There is nothing to stop the south wind from funneling right up the lake.

THIS! If you see any weather developing in the area, get the hell off the water! My wife grew up at Canton, and her parents owned a place up there for many years. It is very unforgiving. We helped pull many people in and get their boats off the lake!