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Fall Fishing Forecast for Lake Tenkiller: Crappie, Bass, and Catfish Bites to Heat Up
Published 6 months ago
Description
Lake Tenkiller woke up to a brisk Sunday morning, October 26th, with pool elevation at 632.94 feet—just under a foot above normal, according to the Tulsa District Water Control. Water releases are steady at 578 cfs, and the flood pool sits at a serene 2.26% full. We’re looking at calm conditions with only 0.002 inches of evaporation logged before sunrise. Today, sunrise was 7:35 a.m. and sunset will hit at 6:34 p.m., giving anglers plenty of daylight to drop a line.
The weather’s classic fall Oklahoma: cool and crisp early, warming into the low 60s by afternoon. Northeast breezes will pick up, a hint of cloud cover but mostly clear skies. No precipitation is expected, and with that gentle wind, drift fishing could be productive near drop-offs and main channel bends.
Fish activity is ramping up with that seasonal turnover. Bass are pushing into shallow flats and rocky shorelines chasing shad, especially early and late in the day. Local guides report recent catches of solid largemouth and spotted bass, with a few smallmouth pulled from the deeper ledges near Chicken Creek and Snake Creek coves.
Crappie are stacking up on brush piles and flooded timber in 15-20 feet, biting best on live minnows and white/chartreuse jigs. The weekends have seen stringers with a dozen or more crappie coming from Tenkiller State Park docks and the area around Burnt Cabin.
Catfish are active too—blue and channel cats especially—fed by recent runoff and cooler temps. Cut shad and shrimp are getting the job done along rocky banks and below the dam. Some fish up to 6-8 pounds reported, especially around the north end near Cookson Bend.
Striped bass and hybrids have been less consistent, but the river channel south of the dam offers chances at schooling fish when conditions turn overcast or bait is thick. Best bets have been live shad or heavy spoons jigged vertically.
For lures, stick with shad-mimicking crankbaits in silver or blue, spinnerbaits for reaction bites, and finesse plastics like green pumpkin Ned rigs for a slow bite. Topwater poppers and walking baits work well during those early dawn feeding windows. Jigging spoons and swimbaits are good options for deeper presentation.
Hot Spots:
- Chicken Creek Cove for morning bass and afternoon crappie, especially near submerged brush piles.
- Burnt Cabin and Snake Creek, reliable for multi-species action, with nearby flooded timber and transition banks.
- Below the dam for catfish, especially after dusk.
Advice for today: Fish shallow during low light, then move deeper mid-day as temperatures rise. Live bait is strong for crappie and catfish; soft plastics and moving baits for bass are working well as water clarity keeps increasing. Watch for shad movement—the predators are right behind.
Thanks for tuning in to the Lake Tenkiller report from Artificial Lure! Don’t forget to hit subscribe for more local fishing updates, tips, and lake news. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease 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.
The weather’s classic fall Oklahoma: cool and crisp early, warming into the low 60s by afternoon. Northeast breezes will pick up, a hint of cloud cover but mostly clear skies. No precipitation is expected, and with that gentle wind, drift fishing could be productive near drop-offs and main channel bends.
Fish activity is ramping up with that seasonal turnover. Bass are pushing into shallow flats and rocky shorelines chasing shad, especially early and late in the day. Local guides report recent catches of solid largemouth and spotted bass, with a few smallmouth pulled from the deeper ledges near Chicken Creek and Snake Creek coves.
Crappie are stacking up on brush piles and flooded timber in 15-20 feet, biting best on live minnows and white/chartreuse jigs. The weekends have seen stringers with a dozen or more crappie coming from Tenkiller State Park docks and the area around Burnt Cabin.
Catfish are active too—blue and channel cats especially—fed by recent runoff and cooler temps. Cut shad and shrimp are getting the job done along rocky banks and below the dam. Some fish up to 6-8 pounds reported, especially around the north end near Cookson Bend.
Striped bass and hybrids have been less consistent, but the river channel south of the dam offers chances at schooling fish when conditions turn overcast or bait is thick. Best bets have been live shad or heavy spoons jigged vertically.
For lures, stick with shad-mimicking crankbaits in silver or blue, spinnerbaits for reaction bites, and finesse plastics like green pumpkin Ned rigs for a slow bite. Topwater poppers and walking baits work well during those early dawn feeding windows. Jigging spoons and swimbaits are good options for deeper presentation.
Hot Spots:
- Chicken Creek Cove for morning bass and afternoon crappie, especially near submerged brush piles.
- Burnt Cabin and Snake Creek, reliable for multi-species action, with nearby flooded timber and transition banks.
- Below the dam for catfish, especially after dusk.
Advice for today: Fish shallow during low light, then move deeper mid-day as temperatures rise. Live bait is strong for crappie and catfish; soft plastics and moving baits for bass are working well as water clarity keeps increasing. Watch for shad movement—the predators are right behind.
Thanks for tuning in to the Lake Tenkiller report from Artificial Lure! Don’t forget to hit subscribe for more local fishing updates, tips, and lake news. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease 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.