Share your catch

Lake Murray Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Oklahoma’s oldest state park lake: Murray’s clear water and rocky coves hold bass, crappie and a long family tradition.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Water temp
~84 F est.
Air / High
98 / 99 F
Wind
S 10 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Lake Murray locks in another hot, bright day: the fish know the drill and so should you. Today brings cloud cover, wind S around 10 mph, rising pressure near 1010 hPa and a high of 99. Water sits around 84 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: plan around them and beat the heat.

The plan, species by species

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

Largemouth bassFair

Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

White bassFair

Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

CrappieSlow

Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Tomorrow: Similar at 101 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp98 F
High / Low99 / 76 F
WindS 10-13 mph
Pressure1010.2 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain64% cloud, 1%
Sunrise / Sunset07:04 / 19:50
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~84 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Partly cloudy, 99/76 F, wind 13 mph, rain 1%

Fair or better. A 13 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Lake Murray: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: spring and fall

The headline act on most American reservoirs. Relates to cover: docks, brush, grass edges and points. Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

When to come: the Lake Murray calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Largemouth bass
Crappie
Catfish (blue, channel)
White bass
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 84 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Lake Murray today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 94 F, wind to 13 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 103 F, wind to 11 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 102 F, wind to 9 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Oklahoma requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Oklahoma license. Bass, crappie and catfish limits per current ODWC regulations.

Access

Lake Murray State Park ramps, marina and extensive shoreline access; camping and cabins throughout the park.

About this water

A 5,700-acre state park lake in Carter and Love counties, Oklahoma: the state’s first and largest state park, opened in 1933.

Fishing Lake Murray: the full guide

A Depression-era lake

Lake Murray covers 5,700 acres in south-central Oklahoma, built in the 1930s as the state’s first state park and still its most visited. The water runs clear over rock and sand, the shoreline is largely undeveloped park land, and the fishery is a straightforward warm-water mix: largemouth and spotted bass, crappie, bluegill, catfish and a stocked striped bass hybrid component.

Bass in clear water

Rocky points, brush piles and standing timber hold bass through the seasons: spring finds them shallow in the coves, summer on the deeper points and brush at 15-25 feet, fall chasing shad into the pockets. Clarity favors finesse: shaky heads, drop-shots and natural colors, with early and late light the productive windows. Grass beds appear in some years and change the pattern entirely.

Crappie and catfish

Crappie hold the brush piles and boat docks, with spring the peak and winter fishing well on the deeper structure. Bluegill fill the shallows in early summer, excellent for kids. Channel catfish are stocked and abundant, taking prepared baits and cut shad from the bank as well as by boat: the park shoreline offers extensive access for bank anglers.

State park logistics

Lake Murray State Park surrounds the lake with ramps, campgrounds, cabins, a lodge and marina: it is built for family trips, with fishing one of many activities. Ardmore is ten minutes north and Interstate 35 runs alongside, making it an easy stop. Summer weekends are busy with swimmers and boaters; spring and fall belong to anglers.

Common questions

Is it good for families?

Exceptionally: cabins, campgrounds, a marina, swimming and easy bank fishing make it Oklahoma’s classic family lake.

When is the bass fishing best?

March through May and again in October, with clear water favoring finesse tactics and low-light periods.

Can I fish from shore?

Yes: the park shoreline is extensive and public, with catfish, crappie and bluegill all reachable from the bank.

Is fishing good at Lake Murray right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Lake Texoma25 miBlue River33 miLake Ray Roberts51 miBois d'Arc Lake63 miLake Lewisville68 miGrapevine Lake76 mi
Share your catch