The Wichita Mountains beaches, located off of Lake Lawtonka, offer some of the best small mouth bass fishing in the entire nation. Even if you’ve come primarily to fish, you should take some time to explore the many activities to be done at this lake's beaches.

Lake Lawtonka: An Angler’s Paradise

If you love lakes and beaches, then you should spend most of your time on Lake Lawtonka. Here, you can find 21 miles of scenic shoreline prairie beaches. The Wichita Mountains form a fantastic panorama to the west of Lake Lawtonka, giving anglers a breathtaking view.

Smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, sunfish, and catfish all populate the water in Lake Lawtonka. Aquatic grasses line the shoreline, creating a haven that has increased the bass population.

Make sure you check with the local Fish and Wildlife Department before heading out on the lake. You might need to purchase a fishing license, depending on the season.

Even if you don’t fish, you ought to consider making a day trip to Lake Lawtonka. You can camp at the Lake Lawtonka campground, which offers amenities including showers and bathrooms.

Cool Off at the Wichita Mountains Beaches

If you love swimming, then take a dip in the lake. In the spring, the average temperature sits at about 70 Fahrenheit, while the summer can really heat up, even reaching 95 Fahrenheit on some days. Many visitors to the beaches also enjoy waterskiing and boating, among other water sports.

Amazing birds such as bald eagles, osprey, and waterfowl come to the Wichita Mountains beaches in the winter.

If you’ve enjoyed hiking, camping, rock climbing, or any of the other myriad activities in the wildlife refuge, then visit the Wichita Mountains beaches to cool off. The calm waters provide wonderful refreshment after a long day of hiking.

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

Travelers from all over the United States come to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge to relax in the most pristine mountain range in the South. 320 million years ago, seismic dolomite and limestone converged in southwestern Oklahoma to create this gorgeous stretch of mountains.

Majestic granite rock peaks and faces entice thousands of rock climbers to scale the mountains every year. Elk Mountain and Mt. Scott provide a wonderful hiking experience for families. Beautiful forests and green, open prairies greet travelers on these peaks. The relative ease of hiking these mountains makes them a great destination for kids, too.

Since the U.S. Government has designated the Wichita Mountains as a wildlife refuge, you might even see one of many wondrous species such as white-tailed deer, elk,  black-tailed prairie dogs, American Buffalo and many more.

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These mountains are older than the Rockies, now ancient and worn down, but still beautiful and majestic.  The Wichitas are the site of the oldest National Wildlife Refuge in the United States, the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.  It is the second most visited refuge in the national wildlife refuge system and attracts more than 2 million visitors annually.  At the turn of the century, the American Buffalo was nearly extinct, so President Theodore Roosevelt took all the remaining buffalo and placed half of them at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, and the other half at the Wichita Mountains.  Today, the animals cover the area, along with many other species of wildlife.  The Wichitas attract rock climbers from the entire region, particularly Texas because of it's amazing granite peaks and faces.  Mt. Scott has a paved road all the way to the top, and provides a great view of southwest Oklahoma.  Also in the area you can catch America's longest running passion play each Easter weekend at the Holy City of the Wichitas, hike the Charon's Garden Wilderness Area, camp alongside beautiful lakes, and be sure to try the famous Meersburger at the Meers Store north of the Refuge. The small historic town of Medicine Park is located at the main entry to the wildlife refuge on State Highway 49. It is widely known as "America's Cobblestone Community" and was Oklahoma's first planned tourism resort, founded July 4th, 1908. The area of the Wichita Mountains has recently been designated as The Wichita Mountains National Scenic Byway.