Lincoln County residents looking to get outside this summer have several lake options nearby, each with its own perks. Some have added new features in recent years, while others offer familiar campsites, trails, playgrounds, fishing areas and boat ramps.
Stroud Lake
Stroud Lake offers swimming, boating, fishing, RV camping, primitive camping, kayak rentals, hiking, disc golf and off-road recreation.
“I would say swimming and boating, and their Sea-Doos, is what this place has been getting packed for,” Lake Ranger Jared Null said.
The lake’s most recent additions include equestrian campsites and a playground. It has also added two docks in recent years through an Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation grant, and East Side Road has been repaved.
Since Null became lake ranger, Stroud Lake has added two professional disc golf courses, Eagle Valley and The Nest. Eagle Valley is the longer course.
“I think we have the longest hole in Oklahoma,” Null said. “It’s at the end of the dam, and you can see the basket right there.”
Stroud Lake also hosts multiple events over the summer, including the Ride the Clover bike tour this Thursday through Sunday. Presented by Oklahoma FreeWheel, the event includes four loop rides over four days, with routes ranging from 30 to 100 miles on U.S. Bicycle Route 66 and returning each night to Stroud.
The eighth annual Down in Stroud drag boat race and show will also take place this weekend, June 13-14, at Stroud Lake, with races scheduled to start at 11:30 a.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday. Admission is $25 for a two-day pass or $15 for a one-day pass, and kids 12 and under are free.
Later in the season, OCCRA off-road races will be held Aug. 29-30, followed by RT 66 Shootout drag boat races Sept. 12-13.
“That event right there is crazy,” Null said of the OCCRA races. “There’s not a piece of grass out here where someone’s not set up camping. They take up every space we have, and they take very good care of the place.”
Visitors should check Stroud Lake’s Facebook page for event and lake updates.
Bell Cow Lake and Chandler Lake
Chandler operates two lakes: Bell Cow Lake and Chandler Lake. Bell Cow has RV and primitive camping, equestrian trails, boat ramps, fishing docks and a swim beach, while Chandler Lake also has fishing access and docks.
Ackerman said Bell Cow is popular for bass, crappie and catfish, including blue cats, channel cats and flatheads.
“People are still catching really nice bass if they know where to fish. It was designed to be a sportsman’s lake,” Ackerman said. “Probably half to two-thirds of it still has trees sticking up out of the water, stumps and everything.”
Bell Cow also allows boating, skiing and Sea-Doos on the larger open part of the lake. Ackerman said the lake has docks in multiple camping areas, including a covered dock in Area D that is popular for crappie fishing.
Ackerman said one fishing tournament had already been held this year, with another scheduled for Sept. 12. Bow and duck hunting draws are expected later in the season, with hunters drawn for assigned areas around Bell Cow Lake.
Fees include $14 a night for primitive camping, $25 a night for RV hookups and a $6 daily fishing permit, in addition to a state fishing license. The city no longer uses honor boxes for daily lake fees; payments are made online or permits can be purchased in person.
Prague Lake
Prague Lake offers fishing, boating, camping, hiking, horseback riding, picnicking, a playground, volleyball court, pavilion, boat dock and fishing dock.
The city lists eight pull-thru RV sites with full hookups, five back-in RV sites with full hookups and tent and primitive camping. The lake also has restroom facilities with hot showers.
Prague Lake has about 30 miles of hiking and equestrian trails around the lake. Horse pens are available for guests, though horse rental is not offered.
The lake is open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Overnight camping is available by permit.
Fees include $15 per day for RVcampsites with full hookups, $6 per day for wilderness camping, $5 per day for horse pens and $25 for pavilion reservations. Daily fees are also listed for trail use, boating, fishing and duck hunting, with annual permits available.
The city’s lake page says to look out for wildlife around the lake, including the occasional bald eagle.
Meeker Lake
Meeker Lake offers boating, jet skiing, fishing, primitive camping, biking, horseback riding, picnicking, restrooms, a pavilion, boat docks and boat ramps.
The trails are open to horses on even days and cyclists on odd days, with hiking allowed daily.
Meeker Lake has primitive campsites, but no hookups. Camping is limited to seven consecutive days, with two tents allowed per permit.
Fish species listed for the lake include channel catfish, largemouth bass and sunfish. Boating, jet skiing, camping, fishing, biking and equestrian use require a Town of Meeker permit before using the facilities. Permits can be paid online, at City Hall or through the honor box near the lake entrance.
Permit fees include $5 daily permits for fishing, boating, jet skiing and single trail use. Primitive camping is $10 per day or $20 for three days, and pavilion rental is $40 for four hours.