MAKENZIE’S OUTDOOR ADVENTURES: Trout fishing in Medicine Park

MEDICINE PARK, Okla. (TNN) -Oklahoma is home to several species of fish, from bass, to crappie to catfish. However, trout is not native to our state.

Every winter the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation stocks several fisheries across the state with trout including at Medicine Park.

In 7 News Anchor Makenzie Burk’s latest Outdoor Adventure, she went trout fishing for the first time at Medicine Creek.

Rainbow trout are native to colder waters like in Alaska or Colorado. But during the winter months, trout fisherman come from all over to fish in Oklahoma, at Medicine Creek.

“I had a guy and his wife come in from Taiwan,” said John Mcclain, owner of Little Dam Bait Shop. “A lot of people come in from Alaska, Missouri, Arkansas. They like to try new places.”

An avid fisherman himself, McClain knows just about all there is to know about catching trout here.

“They bite on what’s called a rosy red minnow. That’s one of my big baits here,” said McClain. “Trout are into small baits, thin line that you can’t see, everything is little.”

Medicine Creek is not very long. So one might think catching trout would be easier, but that’s not exactly the case.

“Fishing is fishing, whether it be trout, bass, walleye, catfish,” said McClain. “They call it fishing for a reason. And there’s times you can go down there and catch your limit of 6 in thirty minutes. Or you could fish for 8 hours and not even get a bite.”

Richard Hammonds has been a fisherman his whole life, but didn’t start fishing for trout until he moved to Medicine Park four years ago.

“Once I started trout fishing, and the more I caught, the more hooked I became,” said Hammonds. “So it’s a lot of fun.”

Hammonds says it takes practice, and lots of trial and error.

“Learning what baits to use, what baits not to use,” said Hammonds. “The different things that work for the trout here. And then finding the right spot...you just have to move around until you find a spot you’re comfortable with.”

He says trout is good to eat, and they’re easy to clean.

“There are many ways you can cook them,” said Hammonds. “They’re very easy to clean. You can smoke them, they’ll come out really good. You can grill them, you can fry them. You can bake them...it doesn’t matter.”

If you’re looking to get into trout fishing, contact the Little Dam Bait Shop in Medicine Park.

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife stocks Medicine Creek, along with a few other places across the state with trout 10 times throughout the winter starting in November.

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