Caught on a hot night in July, the lake-record largemouth for McGee Creek -- this 12-pound, 11-ounce specimen -- is just one of 110 giant bass that Chuck Justice has taken there. Photo courtesy of Chuck Justice

Green Country is a special area in our state, its picturesque stands of hardwoods typifying its scenic beauty. This northeast region of Oklahoma is well known for rolling, tree-studded hills, famous hideouts of notorious outlaws, river systems popular with canoeists -- and, of course, fabulous bass fishing!

In fact, Green Country is home to several nationally known bass waters that, according to at least a few well-known anglers, are as generous to bass fishermen as any waters nationwide. Alabama bass pro Timmy Horton believes Grand Lake, near Vinita, is one of the best lakes around. The site of several local bass tournaments and several prestigious Bassmasters tournaments, Grand is stellar.

The tailwaters below Grand give rise to a host of lakes holding phenomenal numbers of bass. Limited space precludes mentioning all of them, but what follows are some of my favorite bass lakes in the region. As an added bonus, I’ve invited local experts to enlighten you as to what these fisheries can offer.

So grab a cool beverage and sit back to glean the wisdom that this group of experts is about to impart. Use it, and your next trip might culminate in your taking the trophy of a lifetime at one of the lakes of fabulous Green Country!

GRAND LAKE O’ THE CHEROKEES
Impounded by the Grand River Dam Authority, 55,000-acre Grand Lake is the top dog in bass fishing in the Tulsa area. According to ODWC fisheries expert Gene Gilliland, Grand is the favorite fishing location for many tournament anglers as well. That’s due to its size, available structure, and its top-quality largemouth population said Gilliland, a tournament angler himself.

Another tournament angler, Mike Tyner, says Grand is the state’s premier lake, due to what it offers bass anglers. “Grand has such a diverse habitat,” he said. “There are a lot of boat docks, there are rocks, there are good stands of flooded willows, there is both stained and clear water, and there is a lot of brush and laydowns everywhere. If you want to night-fish -- the lake is great, if you like shallow-water fishing -- it’s unbeatable, if you like to use a Carolina rig, it works well. You name it, Grand is the lake!”

Tyner’s won several tournaments on Grand during his 33 years as a competitive angler. His tenure there has garnered him valuable knowledge about where to go when the pressure is on to catch a limit of big bass.

“The old adage on Grand is to follow the birds,” he said. “But I am a river rat, so I like to head up the creeks and look for stained water 3 to 4 feet deep, where I can pitch a jig or throw a spinnerbait.”

His favorite jigs are “football-headed.” His color preferences are black and blue for stained water, and watermelon for clear water, while his spinnerbait of choice is a 7/16-ounce Terminator in chartreuse and white, with gold willow-leaf blades. That rig won him two tournaments on Grand.

Tyner suggested that anglers preferring to fish stained water will find bass in 5 feet of water or less. He pointed to the area from Sailboat Bridge and up the lake as a good stained-water spot. Other notable spots are from Shangri-La to the Dam, Duck Creek, Drowning Creek, and Horse Creek, where bass will be found suspended in 10 to 20 feet of water near brushpiles.

Grand Lake can turn out big bass. Fishing guide Hank Souder holds the lake’s largemouth record of 11 pounds 12 ounces. Tyner said his biggest bass, a 10-pound, 4-ounce bruiser, was caught in Carey Bay.

According to Tyner, one of the best July angling methods for Grand is fishing at night. “You don’t have all the boat traffic and the wakes from big boats, and nighttime is really the best time to catch a big bass.”