Most lakes have a spot or a cove that evolved over time as a party cove or spot. Lake Texoma is no different. Lake Texoma’s shores touch Oklahoma and Texas. It is located on the two state’s border in south central Oklahoma and north central Texas between I35 and US 75 on the Red River.
Where Is the Party Spot on Lake Texoma?
The most popular party spot on Lake Texoma is actually five islands named West Island, Wood Island, Hog Island, Treasure Island, Little Island, and North Island. The parties on the Lake Texoma Party Islands go on until the wee hours of the morning.
If you like to hang out on the water all day, the islands are the place to be on Lake Texoma. Great big boats and little boats alike tie up and raft together and people boat hop. The parties on the islands get wild. There is nudity. These parties are not family friendly. The music goes on until batteries die.
People play beach games and party in the water. It is highly recommended to wear Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs) when swimming if you are partaking in alcohol and drug consumption. Watch out where you step if you are partying and boat hopping. It is easy to slip and fall on boats and off of boats if you are under the influence.
The Oklahoma Marshall County Sheriff’s office patrols the islands, because Oklahoma owns the islands. Boaters partying on the islands risk a high probability of being arrested and convicted for a Boating Under the Influence (BUI) violation. People who party hard on the islands need to sleep off any alcohol or drug intake before leaving the islands.
Where Are the Islands on Lake Texoma?
The islands lay in the large pool on the western end of Lake Texoma a few minutes east of the Willis Bridge by boat just past the Sherwood Shores, Texas, beach. The waters south of the islands on the Texas side are deeper than the waters on the Oklahoma side.
From the Texas side, these islands form a string around a bend off the Lake Texoma shores between Preston Bend and Sherwood Shores on Lake Texoma. The islands are only accessible by boat, other watercraft, or water taxi. The islands are actually sand bars, so larger boats need to anchor off in deeper waters near the islands. Map it here.
What is a BUI in Oklahoma?
A conviction of Boating Under the Influence (BUI) in Oklahoma carries much of the same penalties as a DUI in Oklahoma. If you live in Texas, or a long way from Marshall County, Oklahoma, fulfilling the terms of your BUI probation will be quite inconvenient. The risk of boating accidents occurring on Lake Texoma is higher on the Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day weekends.
It is illegal to drive while intoxicated on roadways and on waterways in Oklahoma. If your blood alcohol content (BAC) level is at or above 0.08% while you are operating a watercraft, you can be charged and convicted of a BUI or boating under the influence.
Besides the Marshall County Sheriff’s, the Coast Guard Auxiliary and Lake Texoma Lake Patrol also have authority to detain you under a BUI suspicion. They can detain you while they call the ruling authorities. Game wardens investigate drowning deaths on Lake Texoma.
Boating Under the influence carries the same type of penalties in Oklahoma as a Driving Under the Influence (DUI) The penalties are severe and violators will be charged in Marshall County, Oklahoma, at the Madill, Oklahoma County Jail. You will need a lawyer. You will attend court at the Marshall County courthouse.
A BUI charge or conviction will not affect your regular driver’s license the way a DUI would. However, as with a DUI, implied consent applies in BUI cases, which means that you can face additional penalties for refusing to submit to a breath or blood test after being detained on suspicion of boating under the influence.
This means that Oklahoma is an implied consent state when it comes to boat operators. Arresting authorities must perform a BAC test within two hours of arrest. A refusal to submit to the test or tests constitutes a violation of this law.
If you’re operating a vessel upon the waters of Oklahoma, except on privately owned waters, then you are deemed to have given consent to a test or tests of your blood, breath, saliva, or urine for the purpose of determining the presence and concentration of alcohol or any other intoxicating substance.
If you are arrested for this crime, then you may pay a cash bail in an amount set by the arresting law enforcement officer not to exceed the maximum fine provided by this law, or deposit a valid license to operate a motor vehicle in exchange for a receipt. A BUI charge or conviction does not affect your driver’s license in Oklahoma.*
Types of Watercraft Applicable to an Oklahoma BUI
The following watercraft may not be operated if you have a BAC at or above 0.08%:
- Jet ski
- Pleasure boat
- Fishing boat
- Sailboat
- Yacht
- Sail-board
The following are NOT considered vessels/watercraft under BUI law:
BUI Penalties Applicable to Age
- BAC of 0.07 or less is prima facie evidence that you weren’t under the influence of alcohol.
- BAC of 0.08 or more is prima facie evidence that you were under the influence of alcohol.
- If you’re under 21, a BAC of 0.02 is prima facie evidence that you are BUI.
A BUI conviction is punished as follows:
- First offense: Maximum $1,000 fine
- Second offense: Fine of $1,000 to $2,500
Prima facie is a legal term and means in Latin “at first sight”. If you appear to be under the influence, the arresting officer only needs to judge that you are drunk or high at first sight. This means your behavior is "sufficient to establish a fact or raise a presumption unless disproved or rebutted”.
Negligent Homicide Penalties in Oklahoma
Convicted boaters face up to a year in jail and/or a maximum $1,000 in fines if a death occurs during a BUI up to 12 months after the conviction. The court doubles the fine if the operator has been convicted of another traffic/boating violation in the three years prior to the negligent homicide offense.
Punishment
- Negligent homicide occurs when the death of any person ensues within one year as a proximate result of injury received by the operating of a vessel/ watercraft by any person 16 or older in reckless disregard of the safety of others. The person so operating that vessel is liable for negligent homicide.
Party Hearty, Party Safe
Visitors are the lifeblood of Lake Texoma’s economy. High season at Lake Texoma is from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend. Come on out to the Lake Texoma Party Islands, have fun, and take safety precautions.
* These laws apply to people arrested and convicted for a BUI on Lake Texoma Oklahoma waters and at the party islands. Texas BUI laws are similar but more severe if you are arrested and convicted for a BUI on Texas waters at Lake Texoma.
This crime is a misdemeanor. The maximum punishment in jail is one year. The maximum fine is $1,000.