Thread: Closing of OKC Fish Hatchery

Originally Posted by meatdragger

Well if the program turns a profit then whats the point of closing it? Is the guy just a jerk?

The way I see it, the City is counting on us all continuing to pay them for our city fishing permits, so they still get their $240k, and without the $160k in costs, it becomes PURE PROFIT. Unfortunateley, sounds like one of the (many) federal "something for nothing" programs.

The $243,000.00 income is not adjusted for the tax revenue that was collected. That number is being calculated now. In 1995 an attempt was made to close the hatchery but when the math was shown to the council showing a profit they changed their minds. A new building was built for Bob as a result. Several people are working feverishly to dot the i's and crossing the t's to save the hatchery from the proposed axe. Please call your councilman.

George. If they close this hatchery, won't they still stock some from the others in the state? Thus effecting all the fisherman that target those species that are stocked statewide. I can't see how it wouldn't effect the whole state after thinking about it last night.

Aserioushunter- You are correct it may effect the rest of the state. I have heard two lines of thought. 1) Because OKC is a high population area then some fish will be directed to those lakes. 2) At full capacity all 4 hatcheries cannot produce the fingerlings needed for OKC stockings. The hatcheries can produce the fry but they do not have the room to grow the fry to fingerling size. I did hear a bit of encouraging news last night. The Byron hatchery which is undergoing renovations now has stocked some of their ponds with white bass and stripers and they will attempt to produce hybrids this year. I know they harvested 6,000,000 walleye eggs from Canton this year. They are short 4,000,000 eggs.The hatchery will swap some fish with another state in order to get the needed 4,000,000 walleye eggs. So we may be OK there. I do not know where the smallmouth bass fry or fingerlings will come from yet. OKC MAY get by this season but if the hatchery is closed then we are doomed.
To clarify something there are 4 state hatcheries and I was told 2 are under renovations so we are supposed to have 2 capable of producing fish. Well Byron is in production even with renovation so that leaves 1 unknown. I will investigate if Durant or Holdenville is able to produce anything. Stay tuned.
There are some dedicated volunteers, retailers, general public and wildlife people that are working behind the scenes to produce accurate data to prove to the council staff and the City council that this program is more than self sustaining.

You might have a look at the Sunday Daily Oklahoman. They had a big article on the back page.

Ed Godfrey did a good job. He may do another one next Sunday too. Please call your councilman and let him/her know your thoughts on the proposed closing.

When you call your councilman tell him that the fishing at the City Lakes is a service to us all and is a part of the great quality of life that we have in OKC. This quality of life is just like jogging, bicycling, and picnicing to other residents, its a package. You might also remind them that the joggers and the bicyclists do NOT pay anything towards maintaining the parks but we do. Is that not discrimination??????


Please call your councilman and Mayor. If you are not pro active then you will have to be reactive and that is not an option in this case.

Latest update as seen on OKC news!!

By Steve Clay (OKC)...

With OKC’s outdoor venues on the rise like the new downtown park with a lake, renovation at Myriad Gardens, development at Draper, Hefner, and OK River...how can the City even consider closing a successful fishing program like the one at the H. B. Parsons Hatchery that Bob Martin has operated for over 27 years?

Bob’s programs have changed the lives of so many people in OKC, to the thousands of kids he has reached with fishing clinics, in bringing the winter trout fishing to Dolese Park, many hours of time at boating and tackle shows publicizing the opportunities in OKC, and raising & stocking millions of catfish, walleye, hybrid striped bass, and smallmouth bass.

The sportsman of OKC spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in fishing & boating permits and sales taxes on fishing & boating related products to support our sport in OKC. It is a "user pay" program. We sustain our own sport yet OKC Parks & Recreation Director, Wendel Whisenhunt, is proposing to kill the program to meet his 12% budget reduction.

He and the Council need to look in other areas for these cost cutting measures. The time to act is NOW. You must contact the Mayor, the City Manager, your City Councilman and let them know how you feel about this proposed closure.

Here is a link that lists council wards and contacts. It also has a list of Water Trust members. The boating permit revenue goes to the Water Trust, not the general fund like fishing permits. So a portion of those funds paid by anglers should rightfully go to fund the fishing programs.




Future of Fishing in OKC in Trouble Due To Budget Problems - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

Contact info.

FRIENDS of LAKE HEFNER