Eufaula Wildlife Management Area
By: J.D. Ridge, Biologist at Eufaula and McClellan Kerr (Robert S. Kerr portion) WMA’s. Phone: (918) 617-1113.
Driving Directions: (several of the main access points)
From Highway 75 and I-40 (Exit 240B) at Henryetta, take 75 north approximately 1.9 miles to the third stop light, which will be Highway 266 junction. Turn east on Highway 266 through Dewar and go approximately 3.1 miles. Turn south on Arbeka Road. Travel south approximately .4 miles and turn east. Travel east approximately .5 miles to a small access road to the south. This road accesses western portions of the north side of the Deep Fork Arm of the Eufaula WMA.
From Highway 75 and I-40 at Henryetta (Exit 240B), take 75 north approximately 2 miles to the third stop light which will be Highway 266 junction. Turn east on Highway 266 through Dewar and go approximately 3.1 miles. Turn south on Arbeka Road. Travel south approximately 1.9 miles and turn east. Travel east approximately 1.5 miles to a small access road to the north side. This road accesses the south side of the western most portions of the Deep Fork Arm of the Eufaula WMA.
From Highway 75 and I-40 at Henryetta (Exit 240B), take 75 north to the third
stop light which will be Highway 266 junction. Turn east on Highway 266 through
Dewar and go approximately 4 miles. Turn south and continue to access WMA.
This accesses the portions of the Deep Fork Arm and the Deep Fork WDU of
Eufaula WMA.
From the junction of Highway 266 and Highway 72
west of Checotah, take Highway 266 west approximately 7.5 miles (1 mile west of
the Hitchita turn off). On the south side of the highway, there is access to
the north side of the Deep Fork Arm of the Eufaula WMA.
Continuing west another .7 miles, and immediately upon crossing the Grave Creek bridge, there is an access on the north side of the highway including a boat ramp which gives boat access to the upper end of the Deep Fork Arm of Lake Eufaula (with sufficient lake levels).
On the east side of Hoffman, turn south on county road N4030 and continue to north side of the Deep Fork Arm of Eufaula WMA.
At the McIntosh/Okmulgee county line on Highway 266 between Checotah and Henryetta, turn south and continue to the Deep Fork Arm of Eufaula WMA.
From I-40 “Tiger Mountain Road” exit 247, east of Henryetta, travel north
approximately 1.8 miles to the south side of the Deep Fork Arm of Eufaula WMA.
From I-40 “Pierce Road” exit 255, west of
Checotah, travel south 2.2 miles. Turn east 2 miles, then turn south and
continue to access the north side of the North Canadian Arm of Eufaula WMA.
From I-40 “Lake Eufaula Road” exit 259, west of Checotah, travel south on Highway 150 (Lake Eufaula Road) approximately 3.7 miles. Frisbee (or No Name Creek) Ramp will be on the east side of the highway. This ramp gives boat access to portions of the North Canadian Arm of Eufaula WMA and also boat access to the mouth of the North Canadian River.
From Stidham, travel north past the school to the four way stop. Go one mile west, then south one mile, then west to the “Mason Bottoms” portions of the of the North Canadian Arm of Eufaula WMA.
From Stidham, travel north past the school to the four way stop. Go one mile west approximately 2.8 miles. Access is on the right (north side). This access is to the south side of the “Mason Bottoms” portions of the North Canadian Arm of Eufaula WMA.
From Stidham, travel north past the school to the four way stop. Go west 4 miles, then south 1/2 mile, then west one mile, then south to the “T”, then approximately one mile east to the WMA. This access is to the “Limbo” portion of the north side of the North Canadian Arm of Eufaula WMA.
From Vivian (approximately 7 miles west of Eufaula), continue southwest on Highway 9 for approximately 1.4 miles to the road to the south. Travel south approximately 1.6 miles where the road will make a turn to the west. Continue on west for .5 miles to the road to the south. Turn south and continue to the WMA. This access is to the north side of the Mill Creek Arm of Eufaula WMA.
From Vivian (approximately 7 miles west of Eufaula), continue south west on Highway 9 for approximately 3.5 miles to the road to the south. Turn south and travel approximately 3 miles to the WMA. This access is to the north side of the Mill Creek Arm of Eufaula WMA.
At Stidham turnoff (6 miles west of Eufaula) on Highway 9, turn south on blacktop county road. Travel 3 miles south to 4 way intersection. Turn west and travel approximately 2.7 miles (at that point the road will be going south) to the “T” intersection. Turn west and travel 1.5 miles. Turn north and continue to WMA. This will access the Mill Creek WDU and south side of Mill Creek Arm of Eufaula WMA.
At Stidham turnoff (6 miles west of Eufaula) on Highway 9, turn south on blacktop county road. Travel 3 miles south to 4 way intersection. Turn west and travel approximately 2.7 miles (at that point the road will be going south) to the “T” intersection. Turn east and travel approximately 1 mile to where the road will turn to the north. Follow to the north and continue to WMA. This will access portions of the Mill Creek Arm of Eufaula WMA.
From I-40 “Texanna Road” exit 270, east of Checotah, take Texanna Road south approximately 4.4 miles to where the blacktop road begins to turn to the west. Take the road to the left (east side) which will continue south as a county dirt road with an intersection to continue south or turn east. From that intersection, continue south to boat ramp and portions of the north side of the Duchess Creek Arm of Eufaula WMA. Also from that intersection, turn east and turn south to access the WMA at one mile east, twomiles east and three miles east.
From Canadian Exit on Highway 69 south of Eufaula, exit and take Highway 113 east through Canadian. Upon crossing the railroad tracks, continue straight on Johnson street rather than continuing on Highway 113. Travel less than .5 miles to “T” intersection and turn right. Travel south approximately 1.5 miles to next intersection, where the road continues to the east (right) or to the west (left) with a cattle guard to the west. To access the “West Bottoms”, take the left and follow it approximately .3 miles and turn north. Continue north to the WMA. From the previous intersection with the cattle guard, turn east to access the “East Bottoms”. Travel east approximately .6 miles to a dim road to the north by an old wire corral. Follow the dim road past the corral north to the WMA. These accesses are to the south side of the South Canadian Arm of Eufaula WMA.
From the southwest corner of Indianola, follow 6th Street (E1270 Rd.) east and then south from town. This road provides access to the south side of the South Canadian Arm of Eufaula WMA in several places on the right (west and north) side, immediately at the edge of town and continuing for approximately 1.5 miles to the old sod farm.
Area Description: Eufaula WMA covers 48,614 acres in Latimer, McIntosh, Pittsburg and Okmulgee counties in east-central Oklahoma. A portion of that acreage is the Gaines Creek Arm. See also Eufaula - Gaines Creek Arm.
Eufaula WMA is comprised mainly of flood plain and river bottoms with some upland components. The majority of the area is located on the upper reaches of river and creek arms of Eufaula lake. Mixed upland hardwood timber and openings of grass, brush and old fields dominate the upland sites. Bottom lands range from bottom land hardwood species, such as pin oaks, to dense river bottoms of willow and cottonwood. The WMA is host to a number of natural wetland areas and sloughs as well as about 780 acres of wetland units. Located on lands adjacent to Eufaula lake, 3 major rivers flow through portions of the area. These include the Deep Fork river, North Canadian river and South Canadian river. The average annual precipitation for the area is about 42 inches.
Game Species of Interest:
Quail: Bobwhite quail are present but in very low numbers.
Deer: White-tailed deer are found throughout the WMA in varying concentrations.
Turkey: Rio Grande and Eastern turkeys are present, but not abundant and only in a few localized areas.
Rabbit: Both cottontail and swamp rabbits are found but cottontails are more common.
Furbearers: Coyote, bobcat and raccoon are available.
Dove: Dove can occasionally be found on the agricultural fields.
Waterfowl: Goose numbers are typically very low. Duck hunting is usually good depending on winter water levels. Duck hunting opportunities are typically concentrated on the river arms adjacent to the lake.
Squirrel: Both Fox and Gray squirrels are present in good numbers.
Nongame Species of Interest:
Migratory non-game species: Many shorebirds and other water birds can be seen migrating through in the spring and fall, taking advantage of the lake shore and other wetland areas.
Bald eagle: Eagles winter on Eufaula lake and can be seen on an occasional basis. There are also some year-round residents and an occasional nest site.
Other: Eastern Oklahoma has numerous other migrant seasonal avian visitors, such as various warblers, birds of prey and many others.
Description of Fish and Wildlife Management Practices:
Approximately 1,200 acres are farmed throughout the WMA through lease agreements. Crops grown vary from year to year and from field to field, but include corn, soybeans, milo and wheat.
Camping and Facilities:
A number of Corp of Engineers parks are located around the lake, providing camping and boat launch facilities. For information, contact the Eufaula Corps of Engineers project office at (918) 484-5135. There are also state parks and municipal facilities, hotels/motels and restaurants within easy driving distance of the WMA. Further local information can be obtained though the Checotah Chamber of Commerce at (918) 473-2070, the Eufaula Chamber of Commerce at (918) 689-2791, the Henryetta Chamber of Commerce at (918) 652-3331 and the Lake Eufaula Association at (918) 689-7751.
Fishing Opportunities:
Fishing opportunities abound on the WMA and vicinity. Many of the WMA access roads offer access to Eufaula lake and associated rivers and larger creeks. Most sought species include catfish (channel, blue and flathead), largemouth bass, white bass (locally referred to as "sand bass") and crappie.
Maps:
Eufaula WMA Deep Fork Arm Map - pdf format (8.5x11)
Eufaula WMA Duchess Creek Map - pdf format (8.5x11)
Eufaula WMA Gaines Creek Arm Map - pdf format (8.5x11)
Eufaula WMA Mill Creek Arm Map - pdf format (8.5x11)
Eufaula WMA North Canadian Arm Map - pdf format (8.5x11)
Eufaula WMA South Canadian Arm Map - pdf format (8.5x11)
Printed Corps of Engineers Hunting Maps are available through the US Army Corps of Engineers (COE). These maps show all COE lands that are open for hunting (both ODWC licensed lands and COE controlled lands) on the respective reservoirs and give a good vicinity overview. These are also available online or by contacting the Eufaula COE at 918-484-5135
US Army Corps of Engineers map of Eufaula Lake
US Army Corps of Engineers map of Robert S Kerr
Regulations: Consult the Wildlife Management Area General Regulations And Public Lands Restrictions in the Hunting Regulations.
Additional Information:
Eufaula Wetland Development Units