The Best Way To Spend Memorial Day Weekend At The Lake

With Memorial Day Weekend finally here, it’s basically the unofficial kickoff to summer across Oklahoma. School is wrapping up, the grills are coming out of hibernation, and if the forecast holds, we may actually get one of those rare holiday weekends where the weather doesn’t try to kill us halfway through it.

With Oklahoma’s free fishing days right around the corner too, this is about as good an excuse as any to head to the lake.

And the best part is, fishing is still one of the cheapest family things left to do around here.

Fishing Was The Affordable Oklahoma Family Tradition

Growing up, we didn’t exactly have “load the family onto the boat and spend the weekend at the marina” money. Most Oklahoma families don’t. But fishing? Fishing was manageable.

Dad would get the pickup barely functioning enough to trust it for a round trip, we’d stop for worms somewhere along the way, and head down below the dam or out to one of the lakes. My sisters loved it just as much as I did. Half the time we probably spent more energy throwing rocks, digging around the shoreline, or complaining about being hungry than actually fishing, but that was kind of the point.

You were outside. Nobody was staring at a screen. Everybody was sunburned by the end of the day. Solid childhood memory material.

And honestly, not much has changed.

You Don’t Need Expensive Gear To Go Fishing

A lot of people think fishing requires a massive investment. Like if you don’t own a glitter-covered $100,000 bass boat with graphs that look capable of tracking submarines, you’re somehow doing it wrong.

You’re not.

In fact, kids usually have more fun fishing from the bank anyway. They can run around, explore, accidentally step in mud deeper than expected, and ask every eight minutes if fish can smell hot dogs from underwater.

You also don’t need a mountain of gear.

A couple of rods, some hooks, bobbers, and a container of worms will keep kids entertained for hours. Bluegill honestly deserve a medal for how many childhood fishing trips they’ve saved over the years.

What Oklahoma Parents Need To Know About Fishing Licenses

One thing parents do need to remember is the fishing license situation. Oklahoma’s law is still written in one of those weirdly specific ways where, technically, if you’re helping the kids bait hooks, casting for them, untangling line, or handling the pole much at all, you need a fishing license yourself.

And let’s be honest... most kids love catching fish. Very few love threading worms onto hooks or fixing bird nests in the line.

You’ll also want to double-check lake permits before heading out. Some city lakes require separate permits, and a lot of Army Corps of Engineers lakes charge small daily fishing fees. Usually just a couple bucks. Most of that information is posted online now or out near the ramps and docks.

Great Fishing Spots Around Southwest Oklahoma

If you’re down here in Southwest Oklahoma, there are still some great places that don’t cost much at all. The Wichita Mountains lakes have always been solid for simple family fishing trips. Good scenery too, assuming the buffalo decide to mind their business that day.

And really, that’s the beauty of Oklahoma lake season.

You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to make a memory your kids will still talk about twenty years from now. Sometimes all it takes is a folding chair, a tub of worms, and enough patience to pretend you’re impressed by a four-inch perch getting reeled in like it’s a state record.