🧭 Keeping trout
The short answer
Yes, you can keep trout on the Lower Mountain Fork River, but only in Area 1, the stretch from the Broken Bow Lake spillway down to the Old State Park Dam. There, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife lets you keep 3 trout a day. Below the Old State Park Dam (Area 2), a rainbow has to be over 25 inches and a brown over 30 inches to keep, so almost every fish goes back.
So the guide matters less than where you fish. The trout guides below all fish the Lower Mountain Fork. None of their websites spell out a keep-or-release policy, so ask the guide when you book. If you want a cooler full of fish for dinner, a crappie trip on Broken Bow Lake is the better bet.
- Daily limit: 3 trout total for the whole Lower Mountain Fork trout area
- Area 1 (spillway to Old State Park Dam): Keep up to 3. Only 1 rainbow over 25 in. Browns only if over 30 in.
- Area 2 (Old State Park Dam to US-70): 1 rainbow over 25 in. and 1 brown over 30 in.
- Rules everywhere: Oklahoma fishing license. Barbless hooks only. Bait OK. No cast nets.
🚚 Delivery to your cabin
Staying in? Get food and groceries delivered
Grocery delivery
Skip the drive to town. Adam's Snack Wagon shops the shelves at Pruett's Food in Broken Bow for you. Type or say your shopping list in the app, check the items it finds, and a driver brings your groceries to your cabin around Hochatown.
Shop groceries →Restaurant delivery
Order from local restaurants on the Adam's Snack Wagon app. A driver picks up your food and brings it right to your cabin, so nobody has to drive after a long day on the lake.
Order restaurant delivery →📏 The state rules
Where you can keep a trout, and how many
The Lower Mountain Fork trout area is about 12 miles of river below the Broken Bow Lake dam, down to the US-70 bridge. About five miles of it runs through Beavers Bend State Park. Trout are stocked all year. The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife splits it into two areas with different limits.
Area 1 runs from the Broken Bow Reservoir spillway down to the Old State Park Dam. You can keep 3 trout a day here. Only one of them may be a rainbow over 25 inches, and a brown trout must be over 30 inches to keep (one only).
Area 2 runs from the Old State Park Dam down to the US-70 bridge. Here you may keep 1 rainbow, only if it is over 25 inches, and 1 brown, only if it is over 30 inches. Fish from both areas count toward one 3-trout total for the day.
A few more state rules: barbless hooks only, bait is allowed, no cast nets, one rod per person. Once a trout goes on your stringer you can't swap it for a bigger one later, and your stringer has to be marked with your own license customer ID number. Rules can change, so check the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife's Trout Area Information page before your trip.
📏 State park on the trout river🎣 Trout guides
Trout guides on the Lower Mountain Fork
These guides all fish the Lower Mountain Fork River. Their websites don't say whether you can keep your catch, so ask the guide when you book, and ask to fish Area 1 if keeping trout matters to you.
Broken Bow Trout Pro offers spin cast trips with bait plus fly fishing, which is a good fit for kids and first-timers. Beavers Bend Fly Shop, On The Rivers and POP's Guide Service focus on fly fishing. On The Rivers says its guides teach you how to handle fish for a safe release.
🎣 Spin cast & fly trips, ask about keepingBroken Bow Trout Pro offers guided trout fishing trips on the Lower Mountain Fork River for beginners and experienced anglers alike, with Steve Branson leading the outings as an experienced, professional guide.
See hours, photos & directions →
🎣 Fly shop & trout guides, ask the guideBeavers Bend Fly Shop & Professional Guide Service is a Broken Bow fly-fishing outfitter centered on the Lower Mountain Fork River trout fishery in Beavers Bend State Park.
See hours, photos & directions →
🎣 Fly fishing, ask the guideOn The Rivers Fly Fishing Company is a fully outfitted fly fishing guide service on the Lower Mountain Fork River near Beavers Bend State Park and Broken Bow, offering guided trips and lessons in one of…
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🎣 Fly fishing, ask the guidePOP’s Guide Service in Broken Bow is a trout-fishing guide service built around the legendary Lower Mountain Fork River, a destination known for year-round fly fishing in southeastern Oklahoma.
See hours, photos & directions →🚤 Fish for dinner
Want to keep a mess of fish? Try the lake
Trout limits are small. If the goal is fish for dinner, Broken Bow Lake guides take you after crappie on the lake. Crappie and other lake fish follow the statewide limits, not the trout river rules. Ask the guide what you can keep and whether they clean fish.
🚤 Family crappie tripsBroken Bow Lake Family Crappie Guide Service is a Broken Bow fishing guide service centered on crappie fishing on Broken Bow Lake.
See hours, photos & directions →
🚤 Crappie guideBroken Bow Lake Guide Service is a fishing guide service on Broken Bow Lake, known for guided trips focused especially on crappie.
See hours, photos & directions →
🚤 Crappie trips on the lakeRudy’s Guide Service puts Broken Bow Lake fishing front and center, offering guided trips on one of southeast Oklahoma’s best-known outdoor waters.
See hours, photos & directions →🗺️ Everything on one map
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📅 This week & coming up
Fishing events coming up
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🛏️ Places to stay
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💡 Before you go
Before you keep a trout
Fish Area 1 to keep
Normal-size rainbows can only be kept above the Old State Park Dam. Ask your guide to fish there if you want to take some home.
Get your license
Adults need an Oklahoma fishing license. A separate trout license is not needed. You can buy one online from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife.
Mark your stringer
Every angler needs their own stringer, marked with their license customer ID number.
No culling
Once a trout is on the stringer, it stays. Decide before you put it on.
Bring a cooler
Pack a cooler with ice in the car so your trout stay cold for the ride back to the cabin.
Clean your gear
The state asks you to clean and dry waders and gear after fishing the Lower Mountain Fork, to stop the spread of an algae called didymo.
❓ Good to know
Common questions
Can you keep trout at Broken Bow?
Yes. On the Lower Mountain Fork River you can keep up to 3 trout a day in Area 1, from the spillway down to the Old State Park Dam. Below that dam, a rainbow must be over 25 inches and a brown over 30 inches to keep.
Is the Lower Mountain Fork catch and release?
Not all of it. Area 1 lets you keep 3 trout a day. In Area 2, below the Old State Park Dam, the size limits are so big that most trout have to go back.
What is the trout limit on the Mountain Fork River?
3 trout a day for the whole Lower Mountain Fork trout area. Only one may be a rainbow over 25 inches, and a brown trout must be over 30 inches to keep.
Do Broken Bow trout guides let you keep fish?
Their websites don't say. Ask the guide when you book, and ask to fish Area 1 if you want to keep trout.
Do I need a trout license in Oklahoma?
You need an Oklahoma fishing license, unless you are exempt. A separate trout license is not required.
Can I use bait for trout at Beavers Bend?
Yes, bait is allowed on the Lower Mountain Fork, but hooks must be barbless and cast nets are not allowed.
Can I get restaurant food or groceries delivered to my cabin in Hochatown?
Yes. Adam's Snack Wagon delivers restaurant food and groceries to cabins around Hochatown. You order on the Snack Wagon app, a driver goes and gets it, and brings it to your door. For groceries, they shop the shelves at Pruett's Food in Broken Bow, and you can type or say your shopping list right in the app.
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