Robert S. Kerr Reservoir Fishing Guide: Catfish, Bass & Access
Robert S. Kerr Reservoir fishing is a large Arkansas River pool with extensive shallow water, islands and sandbars, tributary mouths, vegetation and navigation structures. The reservoir covers about 43,800 acres at normal pool and lies south of Sallisaw. Recent ODWC sampling identified blue catfish as the dominant catfish option for anglers, while largemouth bass are the most common black bass. Check river conditions and your access point before traveling.
What to target at Kerr
ODWC’s 2024–25 management report highlights largemouth bass and blue catfish, and notes that Kerr supports a wide variety of fish. For catfish, try a bottom rig with legal bait along a channel edge, current seam or tributary mouth. For bass, work available wood, rock, vegetation and riprap, then check a nearby depth change. Use the report as a starting point rather than a guarantee: fish activity shifts with water, weather and season.
Find your water before you launch
Kerr is a navigation reservoir, not a uniform bowl-shaped lake. The 2024–25 ODWC survey describes shallow areas, islands and sandbars in the middle and upper pool, plus tributaries including the Illinois and Canadian rivers and San Bois and Sallisaw creeks. The report also notes variable water clarity and established aquatic vegetation. Review the ODWC Robert S. Kerr page and current maps, then choose a section that fits your boat and target species.
Bank and boat access
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates the reservoir and provides recreation information. ODWC’s fishing guide identifies bank-fishing opportunities in the upper pool, including below Webbers Falls Dam, Summers Ferry near Gore, Dirty Creek and Stoney Point; verify current access and restrictions before you go. Because the pool is part of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, keep clear of commercial traffic, locks and restricted dam areas. Check USACE Arkansas River information for current facilities and conditions.
Regulations and trip planning
ODWC’s current guidance lists a 16-inch minimum for walleye and sauger at Kerr; check current regulations for the combined limit and all other species before keeping fish. The 2024–25 survey found that most sampled largemouth bass were under 16 inches, while blue catfish catch rates were higher than in the prior survey. Those are sampling results, not a promise about what an angler will catch. Check current ODWC rules, river level, weather and ramp status on the day of your trip.
Keep a simple log of the pool section, water clarity, current, bait and depth where you find activity. On a river reservoir, a good plan includes knowing your return route and a backup launch before conditions change.
