Optima NWR is located in Texas County just north of Hardesty and about 15 miles east of Guymon in the Panhandle region on the Beaver River and encompassing Optima Lake.
The 4,333-acre refuge has a bottomland habitat of cottonwood and prairie tallgrass. Shortgrass and yucca are found at the higher elevations.
Wildlife benefitting from the refuge includes Canada geese, mallards, white-tailed deer, coyotes, Rio Grande turkeys, turkey vulture, Mississippi kite, American kestrel, red-tailed hawk, marsh hawk, Swainson's hawk, ferruginous hawk, bald and golden eagles, prairie falcon, rough-legged hawk, Cooper's hawk, ring-necked pheasant, bobwhite quail, scaled quail, mule deer, bobcat, coyote, beaver, porcupine, black-tailed jackrabbit, badger, raccoon, and skunk, prairie rattlesnake and Texas horned lizard.
Bow hunting for deer and shotgunning for turkey, dove and upland game are allowed in season, fishing is not.
