Optima Lake

Optima Lake is a reservoir in Texas County, Oklahoma, and when i am trying to get a feel for the place, i would let the first hour be a learning pass because changing everything at once does not teach me much

What matters on a first trip for the opening few hours: with a little flexibility

The current fish list includes Black Bullhead, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Flathead Catfish, Freshwater Drum, Gizzard Shad, Golden Shiner, and Green Sunfish, plus 5 other recorded species; the fish list turns a vague lake trip into a more focused day, and i would make the species list work for me rather than complicate the day and a focused plan is easier to evaluate when the bite is slow

What the current record tells us before deciding what to fish for: with the useful facts

After I have seen enough to make a real decision, i would avoid making a long move without a reason so I can always expand the plan after the basics start working

How I would keep the trip simple before deciding what to fish for: before the first big decision

The physical details in the inventory give a straightforward picture of the water, including about 5,340 acres and 618,500 acre-feet of storage, and the unknown pieces can wait for a reliable agency or owner source and there is nothing wrong with saying a measurement has not been verified