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Tenkiller Fishing Report: Bass Stacking Up, Crappie Biting, and Catfish Hungry
Published 5 months, 2 weeks ago
Description
Artificial Lure here with your Lake Tenkiller Oklahoma fishing report for Thursday, November 13, 2025.
We’re waking to a crisp but sunny fall morning at Lake Tenkiller, with calm winds from the east around 5 mph and temperatures climbing to a pleasant 85 degrees by midafternoon, as forecasted by Snoflo Weather. No rain in sight, so conditions are prime for a full day on the water.
Sunrise hit us at 6:52 AM and sunset will settle in at 5:15 PM, giving you plenty of daylight to chase those slabs and bass. The lake’s pool elevation is sitting about 1.14 feet above normal, according to the Tulsa District Water Control update, and flood pool is just 1.42% full. The dam release has slowed, sitting steady at 55 cubic feet per second since last night, meaning our water clarity is solid and currents are light.
For anglers asking about tides—Lake Tenkiller is a reservoir, so no tides here, just the steady flow from the Illinois River and dam releases. Illinois River is moving at 4,290 cfs, right on schedule for this time of year, and feeding fresh oxygen into the southern end[Snoflo].
Now for the bite. Recent tournament action and local chatter have given us the goods: largemouth bass are stacking in their fall patterns, schooling up off main lake points and creek mouths. Several healthy fish have been boated, averaging 2–5 lbs, especially around rocky ledges and submerged timber. Spotted bass and smallmouth are mixed in if you work your way up toward the bluffs and drop-offs. Crappie are cruising shallower brush piles and docks, with recent catches ranging from 8 to 12 inches—solid pansize.
Best baits right now: bass are hitting on **shad-pattern crankbaits**, medium-deep divers in the 10-to-14-foot range, and **green pumpkin football jigs** worked slow across gravel. Early morning topwater poppers and walking baits produce quick strikes before the sun gets up. If you’re chasing crappie, nothing beats a **chartreuse or pink jig tipped with a minnow** around brush and standing timber.
Catfish are moving deeper but biting well on **cut shad and stink bait** dropped below main channels or drifted near the dam. Channel cats up to 6 lbs have been reported this week.
Hot spots? Start your morning at **Cookson Bend**—the long points and scattered brush have been money for both black bass and crappie. Later in the day, head to the **Pine Cove area** where the river channel swings close to shore, stacking bass around the gravel breaks and brush piles. If you’re in a kayak or smaller rig, **Strayhorn Landing** is putting out some real nice panfish near the standing timber.
No surprise, pressured water from recent tournaments hasn’t slowed the bite too much—Bassmaster Elite folks fished hard here not long ago, and despite boat traffic, locals have been bringing in limits of bass and crappie on midweek trips, especially with this stable high-pressure system.
For gear, keep it light early with your spinning gear and move up to a 7’ medium-heavy casting rod once the sun’s high. Main line of 10–14 lb fluorocarbon strikes the balance between sensitivity and muscle.
That’s the Lake Tenkiller fishing report for your Thursday. Thanks for tuning in—be sure to subscribe so you never miss a local update.
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.
We’re waking to a crisp but sunny fall morning at Lake Tenkiller, with calm winds from the east around 5 mph and temperatures climbing to a pleasant 85 degrees by midafternoon, as forecasted by Snoflo Weather. No rain in sight, so conditions are prime for a full day on the water.
Sunrise hit us at 6:52 AM and sunset will settle in at 5:15 PM, giving you plenty of daylight to chase those slabs and bass. The lake’s pool elevation is sitting about 1.14 feet above normal, according to the Tulsa District Water Control update, and flood pool is just 1.42% full. The dam release has slowed, sitting steady at 55 cubic feet per second since last night, meaning our water clarity is solid and currents are light.
For anglers asking about tides—Lake Tenkiller is a reservoir, so no tides here, just the steady flow from the Illinois River and dam releases. Illinois River is moving at 4,290 cfs, right on schedule for this time of year, and feeding fresh oxygen into the southern end[Snoflo].
Now for the bite. Recent tournament action and local chatter have given us the goods: largemouth bass are stacking in their fall patterns, schooling up off main lake points and creek mouths. Several healthy fish have been boated, averaging 2–5 lbs, especially around rocky ledges and submerged timber. Spotted bass and smallmouth are mixed in if you work your way up toward the bluffs and drop-offs. Crappie are cruising shallower brush piles and docks, with recent catches ranging from 8 to 12 inches—solid pansize.
Best baits right now: bass are hitting on **shad-pattern crankbaits**, medium-deep divers in the 10-to-14-foot range, and **green pumpkin football jigs** worked slow across gravel. Early morning topwater poppers and walking baits produce quick strikes before the sun gets up. If you’re chasing crappie, nothing beats a **chartreuse or pink jig tipped with a minnow** around brush and standing timber.
Catfish are moving deeper but biting well on **cut shad and stink bait** dropped below main channels or drifted near the dam. Channel cats up to 6 lbs have been reported this week.
Hot spots? Start your morning at **Cookson Bend**—the long points and scattered brush have been money for both black bass and crappie. Later in the day, head to the **Pine Cove area** where the river channel swings close to shore, stacking bass around the gravel breaks and brush piles. If you’re in a kayak or smaller rig, **Strayhorn Landing** is putting out some real nice panfish near the standing timber.
No surprise, pressured water from recent tournaments hasn’t slowed the bite too much—Bassmaster Elite folks fished hard here not long ago, and despite boat traffic, locals have been bringing in limits of bass and crappie on midweek trips, especially with this stable high-pressure system.
For gear, keep it light early with your spinning gear and move up to a 7’ medium-heavy casting rod once the sun’s high. Main line of 10–14 lb fluorocarbon strikes the balance between sensitivity and muscle.
That’s the Lake Tenkiller fishing report for your Thursday. Thanks for tuning in—be sure to subscribe so you never miss a local update.
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.