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Lake Tenkiller Fishing Report: Hot Topwater Bite, Crappie Stacking on Brush, and Cats Cruising the Flats
Published 8 months, 1 week ago
Description
Artificial Lure here with your Lake Tenkiller, Oklahoma, fishing report for Sunday, August 24, 2025. Summer’s hold is still strong this weekend: dawn brought calm air and water temps hovering near the low 80s, with the lake just a hair above normal pool elevation according to the Corps of Engineers. We’ll see a high pushing the upper 90s by late afternoon, a gentle southerly wind, and skies mostly sunny, but with those classic Oklahoma clouds drifting through as the heat builds.
Sunrise hit at 6:45 a.m. and sunset will be at 8:10 tonight—plenty of daylight to chase your next personal best.
No tides to worry about here on Tenkiller, but water clarity remains excellent and the pool level is just about 1 foot above normal. Flows out of the dam are moderate, helping keep points and creek mouths stirred up with a gentle current—not enough to spook the bite, but enough to stack fish up near cover.
Fish activity is solid. Bass fishing has been the main draw, especially largemouth and spotted bass. The early morning bite is hot right now—folks are scoring with topwater plugs and poppers close to the bank and over submerged rock. As the sun rises, work deeper with Texas-rigged soft plastics, green pumpkin or watermelon red, and try a drop shot in 15–20 feet off main lake points. Spinnerbaits with a hint of white and chartreuse are moving some nice secondary point fish, especially where the shad are schooling, so keep your eyes peeled for surface busts.
Crappie have been found suspended over brush piles in 18–25 feet of water. Local anglers are hooking up with small jigs—monkey milk and chartreuse stand out. Slip bobber rigs tipped with a minnow are also steady producers. The bigger fish are holding tight to cover, so precision is key.
Catfish are active along channel edges and flats, especially early and late. Fresh cut shad or chicken liver is working for those drift fishing. Blue cats and channels have made up the bulk of the stringers, with some flats thrown in. Fish in the 5–10 lb. range are typical right now, but don’t be surprised if a larger one takes your bait—August always seems to bring a big bite or two right before dark.
Word around the marinas is that several anglers this week pulled in respectable limits of both spotted and largemouth bass—up to four pounds on the main lake and a five caught up the upper Illinois arm. Crappie catches are mixed but steady, and the evenings have seen an uptick in night-fishing success under dock lights.
Locals recommend the following hot spots:
- **Chicken Creek**: Bass are stacking on the grass edges early, then moving deeper after 9 a.m.
- **Standing Rock area**: Crappie holding tight on brush piles in 20 feet.
- **Pine Cove and Snake Creek**: Good mixed bag action—try working the boat docks and rocky shorelines with finesse jigs for everything from spotted bass to bluegill.
As for gear, spool up with 8–12 lb. line for bass, and drop down if you’re targeting crappie with light jigs. A moss-green braided line, like the Power Pro or P-Line, helps keep things stealthy in clear water. Don’t forget sunscreen and plenty of water, as today’s heat index will creep past 100 by early afternoon.
Thanks for tuning in to the Lake Tenkiller Fishing Report! Don’t forget to subscribe and stay up to date on daily conditions, tips, and the hottest bites. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.
Sunrise hit at 6:45 a.m. and sunset will be at 8:10 tonight—plenty of daylight to chase your next personal best.
No tides to worry about here on Tenkiller, but water clarity remains excellent and the pool level is just about 1 foot above normal. Flows out of the dam are moderate, helping keep points and creek mouths stirred up with a gentle current—not enough to spook the bite, but enough to stack fish up near cover.
Fish activity is solid. Bass fishing has been the main draw, especially largemouth and spotted bass. The early morning bite is hot right now—folks are scoring with topwater plugs and poppers close to the bank and over submerged rock. As the sun rises, work deeper with Texas-rigged soft plastics, green pumpkin or watermelon red, and try a drop shot in 15–20 feet off main lake points. Spinnerbaits with a hint of white and chartreuse are moving some nice secondary point fish, especially where the shad are schooling, so keep your eyes peeled for surface busts.
Crappie have been found suspended over brush piles in 18–25 feet of water. Local anglers are hooking up with small jigs—monkey milk and chartreuse stand out. Slip bobber rigs tipped with a minnow are also steady producers. The bigger fish are holding tight to cover, so precision is key.
Catfish are active along channel edges and flats, especially early and late. Fresh cut shad or chicken liver is working for those drift fishing. Blue cats and channels have made up the bulk of the stringers, with some flats thrown in. Fish in the 5–10 lb. range are typical right now, but don’t be surprised if a larger one takes your bait—August always seems to bring a big bite or two right before dark.
Word around the marinas is that several anglers this week pulled in respectable limits of both spotted and largemouth bass—up to four pounds on the main lake and a five caught up the upper Illinois arm. Crappie catches are mixed but steady, and the evenings have seen an uptick in night-fishing success under dock lights.
Locals recommend the following hot spots:
- **Chicken Creek**: Bass are stacking on the grass edges early, then moving deeper after 9 a.m.
- **Standing Rock area**: Crappie holding tight on brush piles in 20 feet.
- **Pine Cove and Snake Creek**: Good mixed bag action—try working the boat docks and rocky shorelines with finesse jigs for everything from spotted bass to bluegill.
As for gear, spool up with 8–12 lb. line for bass, and drop down if you’re targeting crappie with light jigs. A moss-green braided line, like the Power Pro or P-Line, helps keep things stealthy in clear water. Don’t forget sunscreen and plenty of water, as today’s heat index will creep past 100 by early afternoon.
Thanks for tuning in to the Lake Tenkiller Fishing Report! Don’t forget to subscribe and stay up to date on daily conditions, tips, and the hottest bites. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.