Spavinaw creek is an easy flowing stream that meanders for approximately 7 miles between lake Euche and Lake Spavinaw in northeast Oklahoma. These lakes serve as the water supply for the city of Tulsa some thirty miles away.

Low water bridge area is the most easily accessible point on the stream. This spot is popular with swimmers during the summer time so prepare to wade up or down stream to find reprieve from splashing kids and blaring radios where the bridge crosses the creek. Wading downstream from this bridge will eventually lead you to the beginning of Lake Spavinaw and a Lilly pad covered area adjoining a deep, rock faced hole of water.

A deep pool, approximately a one quarter of a mile upstream from the low water bridge, is popular with a few summer time swimmers but it is not easily accessible. From this area upstream, greater solitude for the fly fisher can be found. A rough road off the main gravel road that parallels the creek will take you through the woods down to this spot. The turn off is 4/10 of a mile from the “Y” before the low water bridge.

Be forewarned, four wheel drive is generally recommended to access this point on the creek. You can park midway to the stream under some power lines and walk the distance, but if it has rained recently it can be a muddy mess. Wade and fish the half mile or so upstream to the pool from the low water bridge as an alternative to driving in to the area.

This spot is popular for a few summer time “floaters” that enter the stream at this point on inner tubes and then take-out at the low water bridge downstream. There is a trail leading upstream from the bridge to Lake Eucha dam, which can be seen from the bridge. However, both sides of the stream are posted as no trespassing by the City of Tulsa.

The stream is clear and can be very cool at times. Because of its clarity, sight fishing and exercising stealth is usually called for as it would be on any other clear water stream. Although the large perch of the stream will attack virtually any fly with up to ten pound test raw line, the bass are far more finicky and discriminating. “The lighter the better” is a good rule of thumb here.

Seven foot leaders with 3x will work, sometimes, but preference is for nine foot leaders with 4x tippets if you don’t mind missing large fish. If you are skilled at using 5x or 6x, that combination can result in takes during those times when the fish are particularly sensitive and nothing else seems to work. However, if you are not proficient in using the lighter tippets you will need to have a large supply of flies on hand. Having a good sense of humor helps as well.

The black bass of this stream tend to cruise in and around the scattered grass and moss beds in the back waters and along the shoreline of the stream. The larger bass will hang tightly to downed trees and the rocks at the base of bluff walls. Small streamers work well on the black bass while poppers and fly’s are effective on the perch and smallmouths inhabiting the stream.

Much of the stream is wadeable during normal water levels. However, caution should be exercised since the clarity of the water can cause depth perception problems. The gravel bed of the stream has numerous “pot holes”. You can suddenly find yourself in water over your head or filling up your waders if you misjudge the depth and step off into one of these holes.

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