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Lake Texoma on the Oklahoma–Texas line is famous for striped bass, and plenty of people book a guide to catch them. Guides know the lake and put you on fish, and if you can swing it, it's money well spent. But not everybody can. We haven't fished Texoma for stripers ourselves yet, so this isn't a "here's how we do it" story. It's a researched game plan for a do-it-yourself first trip, built from state regulations, local reports and Texoma anglers' own write-ups, with sources linked so you can dig deeper.
Know the license and limits first
- License. A Lake Texoma fishing license costs $12 and lets you fish both the Oklahoma and Texas sides of the lake, according to TPWD and ODWC. It's valid only on the lake itself, not below Denison Dam. A regular Oklahoma or Texas license covers only that state's side, unless you have the Texoma license.
- Below the dam. TPWD's border waters rules say you need a Texas license to fish from the Texas bank from Denison Dam to Shawnee Creek, and an Oklahoma license to wade or fish from a boat in those waters.
- Striper limits. TPWD's Texoma regulations list a daily bag of 10 striped and hybrid striped bass, a possession limit of 20, and only 2 fish 20 inches or longer per day. Culling is prohibited, so once a fish goes in the box, it counts.
- Zebra mussels. Texoma has zebra mussels. Texas law requires you to drain water from your boat and onboard receptacles when leaving or approaching public fresh water.
Striper talk, quick version
- Linesides: stripers and their cousins. Sandies are white (sand) bass, which often school with stripers on Texoma.
- Fishing the birds: following diving gulls to schools feeding on shad.
- Boils: fish busting bait on top.
- Slabbing: jigging a heavy metal slab spoon up and down ("rip and drop").
- Deadsticking: holding a jig and fluke dead still under the boat in cold water.
Fall: fish the birds
A LakeTexoma.com fall fishing report describes the fall bite with schools of mixed striper and sand bass, and says "the birds have helped lead the way." The basic approach: idle around and watch for gulls diving or fish boiling, then ease up without running right into the school. Cast a swimbait or topwater into the boil, or drop a slab spoon to fish holding underneath. The same report notes stripers "will inhale a slab in that deep water."
Winter: deadsticking
When the water drops to about 60°F or colder, roughly mid- to late November through mid-March, Adventure Texoma Outdoors describes deadsticking as a go-to method and calls it a prime big-fish period. Their approach: drop a 4- or 5-inch Zoom Fluke on about a 1-ounce jig head straight down to the fish you see on your graph, and hold it still. Some anglers also bang on the hull ("thumping") to draw fish in. This is boat fishing, and it's easier with a fish finder showing where the school is.
Spring and summer, briefly
Stripers move a lot through the year. In spring they push shallower, and in summer they often go deeper. Local fishing reports, the marinas and bait shops are the best way to know where they are on a given week.
A budget DIY plan
- Buy the $12 Texoma license online before you go.
- Start with gear you have. Stripers pull a lot harder than pond bass, so a medium to medium-heavy rod with a solid reel and a good drag is a reasonable start. Ask the bait shop what line weight locals are using, and add a fluorocarbon leader if the water's clear.
- Buy a small bait selection: a few soft swimbaits, a pack of flukes, a couple of slab spoons, and 1 oz jig heads for winter.
- If you have a boat, a basic fish finder helps you find schools and fish the deadstick bite.
- If you don't, fish from the bank around rocky points and clay banks where wind pushes bait, and below the dam (with the right license). Watch the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers generation schedule for the dam; the bite below the dam often turns on when water's running.
- Read the reports on local sites and forums the week of your trip. Ask at the bait shop; most folks are glad to help a newcomer.
- Be safe. Texoma is a big lake and gets rough fast when the wind kicks up. Wear a life jacket, watch the forecast and don't take a small boat out in big wind.
Some states have rules on umbrella or Alabama rigs, like how many hooks they can carry. Check before you throw one.
Gear we'd look at
Picks that fit this guide, chosen from Amazon's current best-seller and search listings; we haven't tested them hands-on, so check current details, sizes and variants on the listing.
- Bass Assassin Sea Shad 4-inch swimbait — A 4-inch soft swimbait. Amazon showed it as "400+ bought in past month" when we checked.
- Zoom Salty Super Fluke (10-pack) — The soft jerkbait Texoma anglers use for deadsticking. Confirm the size you want on the listing.
- Strike King Sexy Spoon — A jigging spoon for slabbing schooling fish. Check the weight on the listing.
- Alabama rig (A-rig) kit — Two umbrella rigs with jig heads and swimbaits, per the listing. Check your state's hook rules.
- Garmin Striker 4 fish finder — A budget GPS fish finder with transducer, per the listing.
- Penn Battle IV spinning reel — A popular saltwater-ready spinning reel. Choose a mid size suited to striper on the listing.
- Seaguar Blue Label fluorocarbon leader — A fluorocarbon leader line; pick the pound test on the listing.
Related: Mono vs. fluoro vs. braid · Rod and reel combos