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Welcome to PaddlefishBands.com

Did you snag a paddlefish with a metal band on its jaw?
If you harvested the fish, you must report it through the ODWC E-Check system HERE.

If you released the fish, please report the band by clicking HERE.

These metal bands are used for conservation purposes by paddlefish biologists. Paddlefish are captured with nets in Oklahoma lakes and the bands are installed. Each band is individually coded (i.e. G12345), which provides tracking capability. When an angler harvests a banded fish, we ask that the angler report the harvest. Band recoveries allow biologists to estimate population abundance and stability, calculate individual growth, track movements, and monitor angler exploitation.


We ask that you please do not remove bands from fish that you plan to release. Having fish in the population with "missing bands" causes difficulties with our population modeling calculations.

Looking for up-to-date status info on river flows, spring harvest, regulations, and where to find the big fish?  
Visit the Fishing-Notebook Message board HERE.

See the 2014-2015 Oklahoma Fishing Regulations HERE. (Paddlefish regulations are found on page 14.)


Planning a trip?  See real-time river and lake data below: 
Neosho River at Commerce, OK (north of Miami) - CLICK HERE
Spring River at Baxter Springs, KS - CLICK HERE
John Redmond Lake levels and discharge - CLICK HERE
Grand Lake levels and discharge - CLICK HERE
Hudson Lake levels and discharge - CLICK HERE
Ft. Gibson Lake levels and discharge - CLICK HERE

NOAA Hydrograph forecast for the ENTIRE Neosho River (approx 200 miles from Council Grove Lake, KS to Commerce, OK) - CLICK HERE
 
NOAA Hydrograph forecasts-

Regional Precipitation forecast-
Radar map from Weather.com

National Weather Service three-day precipitation forecast maps:
Day 1 - HERE
Day 2 - HERE
Day 3 - HERE

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