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Lake Tenkiller Fishing Report - Finesse Jigs, Swimbaits, and Minnows for Bass, Crappie, and Catfish
Published 4 months, 3 weeks ago
Description
This is Artificial Lure with your Lake Tenkiller fishing report.
Lake Tenkiller is sitting just a little below normal pool, with the Tulsa District Corps of Engineers showing the conservation pool in the mid‑90% full range and stable. That gives us good, steady water and clear to lightly stained visibility in most of the main lake.
According to the Illinois River gauge near Tahlequah, the river feeding Tenkiller is running a little elevated but dropping, around 1,300 cfs, which keeps a light pull in the lower end and a touch more stain up the river arms. Snoflo’s regional weather has us mild and mostly clear, light wind, and comfortable highs – jacket in the morning, shirtsleeves by midday.
Local sunrise is right around 7:15 a.m. with sunset near 5:10 p.m. Your best bite windows are that first two hours after sunrise and the last hour of light, with a small midday flurry when the sun warms those chunk rock banks and bluff pockets.
Bass fishing has been fair to good. Folks around Cookson Bend and Chicken Creek have been boating 8–15 largemouth and spots on a half‑day trip, mostly 1–2‑pound fish with the occasional 3‑ to 4‑pounder. The more consistent pattern is a **finesse jig or shaky head** dragged in 10–18 feet on rock transitions and secondary points. A green pumpkin or watermelon red worm or creature bait is hard to beat. When the wind ripples the water, a **3.3–3.8 swimbait** on a ball head or a **medium‑running crankbait** in shad colors is picking off suspended fish over 20–30 feet.
Crappie are mid‑depth and cooperating. Campers at Carter’s Landing and Snake Creek report 10–25 crappie a trip, a lot of 9–11 inch keepers with a few bigger slabs mixed in. Look for them 12–20 feet down on brush piles and timber off main‑lake points. Best bet is a **1/16‑ounce jig** in monkey milk, blue ice, or plain chartreuse, or a **minnow** on a slip float set just above the brush.
Stripers and hybrids are scattered, but there’s some schooling activity early along the river channel swings near the dam. Keep a **half‑ounce white jigging spoon**, a small **flutter spoon**, or a **topwater walker** handy for surface busts. Most fish are schoolies in the 2–5 pound range, good pull, great table fare.
Catfish action is steady on the upper end and in the river. Set up on ledges and bends where that Illinois River current slows. **Cut shad, chicken liver, or punch bait** on a Carolina rig in 15–25 feet is putting blues and channels in the box, with a typical catch of 5–10 fish on a focused evening sit.
A couple of local hot spots to circle:
- **Cookson Bend to Standing Rock**: classic Tenkiller structure, good for bass and crappie with plenty of rock and brush.
- **Chicken Creek and Carter’s Landing area**: crappie on brush and docks, plus some decent evening catfish on the breaks.
Overall fish activity is moderate but very patternable: slow down, fish the rock, and hit those low‑light windows with confidence. Downsized plastics and natural shad colors are the ticket in the clear water; go to chartreuse, black/blue, or brighter cranks if you’re up in the more stained river arms.
Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss tomorrow’s Lake Tenkiller 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.
Lake Tenkiller is sitting just a little below normal pool, with the Tulsa District Corps of Engineers showing the conservation pool in the mid‑90% full range and stable. That gives us good, steady water and clear to lightly stained visibility in most of the main lake.
According to the Illinois River gauge near Tahlequah, the river feeding Tenkiller is running a little elevated but dropping, around 1,300 cfs, which keeps a light pull in the lower end and a touch more stain up the river arms. Snoflo’s regional weather has us mild and mostly clear, light wind, and comfortable highs – jacket in the morning, shirtsleeves by midday.
Local sunrise is right around 7:15 a.m. with sunset near 5:10 p.m. Your best bite windows are that first two hours after sunrise and the last hour of light, with a small midday flurry when the sun warms those chunk rock banks and bluff pockets.
Bass fishing has been fair to good. Folks around Cookson Bend and Chicken Creek have been boating 8–15 largemouth and spots on a half‑day trip, mostly 1–2‑pound fish with the occasional 3‑ to 4‑pounder. The more consistent pattern is a **finesse jig or shaky head** dragged in 10–18 feet on rock transitions and secondary points. A green pumpkin or watermelon red worm or creature bait is hard to beat. When the wind ripples the water, a **3.3–3.8 swimbait** on a ball head or a **medium‑running crankbait** in shad colors is picking off suspended fish over 20–30 feet.
Crappie are mid‑depth and cooperating. Campers at Carter’s Landing and Snake Creek report 10–25 crappie a trip, a lot of 9–11 inch keepers with a few bigger slabs mixed in. Look for them 12–20 feet down on brush piles and timber off main‑lake points. Best bet is a **1/16‑ounce jig** in monkey milk, blue ice, or plain chartreuse, or a **minnow** on a slip float set just above the brush.
Stripers and hybrids are scattered, but there’s some schooling activity early along the river channel swings near the dam. Keep a **half‑ounce white jigging spoon**, a small **flutter spoon**, or a **topwater walker** handy for surface busts. Most fish are schoolies in the 2–5 pound range, good pull, great table fare.
Catfish action is steady on the upper end and in the river. Set up on ledges and bends where that Illinois River current slows. **Cut shad, chicken liver, or punch bait** on a Carolina rig in 15–25 feet is putting blues and channels in the box, with a typical catch of 5–10 fish on a focused evening sit.
A couple of local hot spots to circle:
- **Cookson Bend to Standing Rock**: classic Tenkiller structure, good for bass and crappie with plenty of rock and brush.
- **Chicken Creek and Carter’s Landing area**: crappie on brush and docks, plus some decent evening catfish on the breaks.
Overall fish activity is moderate but very patternable: slow down, fish the rock, and hit those low‑light windows with confidence. Downsized plastics and natural shad colors are the ticket in the clear water; go to chartreuse, black/blue, or brighter cranks if you’re up in the more stained river arms.
Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss tomorrow’s Lake Tenkiller 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.