Well summer is winding down and boy was it busy. This year we had folks calling and reserving sites 2 weeks in advance because we were full nearly every weekend. Having more visitors in the park is always a welcoming site. Our grounds crew have been working their tails off this summer to keep the park mowed and cleaned. They even had time to install new community grills on the east and west side recreation areas. Now there are grills located in the picnic and swimming areas. Our west side bathrooms also received some much needed attention. A local scout looking to make his eagle, gathered up a group of boys and they gave our park restrooms a new paint job inside and out! Another park improvement this summer included updating the west side rv loop #1 - #6 with brand new 50amp electrical pedestals. This was a much needed update for the rv area. Staff attended the Light on Stillwater event in August and are now gearing up to spend 3 days down at the Wild Life Expo ( Sep 22 - 24th @ the Lazy E Arena). We will be teaching folks how to tie knots and how to use them in the outdoors. So come check us out at the Wild Life Expo if you have the chance. Take care friends!

"I'll definitely be coming back next year!" That phrase was heard numerous times on Saturday ( 7/1/17) after the weigh in. The combination of great weather and great fishing added to the enjoyment of the participants. This year our staff partnered with the City of Stillwater to host the annual family fishing tournament. Traditionally the tournament has been held at Boomer Lake but this year participants had the opportunity to fish the scenic water of Lake McMurtry. There were both boating and non boating categories for the families to enter in, and to our surprise the biggest catch of the day was landed from shore, a 5.45lb carp caught by Austin Russell. We allowed each team 5 fish and the top 3 teams with the largest weight won. The biggest fish in the boating category was a 3.5lb large mouth bass caught by Joe Johnson. Our staff worked hard to design a tournament that would be enjoyable for fisherman/women of all skill levels. The tournament had several unique features incorporated into it. The weigh in was live on Facebook so families could tune in to see what was caught that day. Lake staff also included educational materials on how to properly handle fish and the importance of reducing stress on fish during weigh in. Staff had buckets for those fishing from shore to place their fish in so they could be weighed immediately after being caught. Handouts were given to boaters that detailed the importance of circulating the water in their live wells to keep fish alive longer. A total of 25 teams registered and nearly 100 people participated in this year's tournament. We had such a blast hosting it and are looking forward to next years event!

If you participated in the tournament and have any feedback or suggestions for us, please contact us at [email protected]

Memorial weekend shaped up to be great weather which helped our park attract a lot of visitors. This year the park was completely sold out of r.v., tent, and gated campsites for the holiday weekend but, that didn't deter folks from coming out and spending a day or two at the lake. The weather was very warm and not a rain cloud was seen all weekend. Visitors took to the swimming areas to cool off on Saturday because the temperatures reached 90F! Kayaks were a big hit as well, needless to say the bait shop clerks were just a little tired by the end of their shifts. All in all we had a great time visiting with our campers and park visitors, in fact that's what make our park so great! Spending time with the wonderful folks who share in the fun at Lake McMurtry. Speaking with customers about the best fishing spots, taking pictures of youngsters catching fish, or giving treats to 4-legged friends ( dogs ) is what makes Lake McMurtry the best kept secret of Oklahoma. 

Take care friends. See you next year!

- take a look at some weekend pics below

Click on pictures to enlarge.