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Tenkiller Fishing Report: Bass, Crappie, Stripers, and Catfish Bite in Late December
Published 4 months, 1 week ago
Description
Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Tenkiller fishing report.
Lake Tenkiller’s sitting in classic late‑December mode: cool, clear, and a little fickle. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and local marina boards show the lake a touch below normal pool, with good clarity on the main lake and a slight stain up the Illinois River arm. Air temps are starting cold at daybreak, warming into the upper 40s to low 50s with light north to northwest breeze. According to the National Weather Service and Weather Underground, skies are mostly clear, barometer on the high side, and no major fronts pushing through till later tonight. Sunrise was right around 7:20 a.m., sunset near 5:10 p.m., so you’ve got a short but strong low‑light window. This is an inland lake, so no true tide—“tidal” movement comes from wind and generation; expect the fish to set up on the windy side and any subtle current edges.
Bass have been a little stubborn but absolutely catchable. Local reports from the Vian and Cookson ramps say spots and smallmouth are chewing better than largemouth the last few days, with several folks boating 10–15 fish mornings, most in the 1‑ to 2‑pound range and an occasional 3‑plus. The deal has been sitting off the first and second breaks from rocky points in 15–25 feet. Best producers: **3.5–4 inch swimbaits on 1/4‑ to 3/8‑oz heads**, **green pumpkin or smoke‑purple finesse jigs**, and **alabama‑rigs** with small shad‑color swimmers. When the sun gets high, a **drop shot with 4‑inch shad or minnow‑style plastics** has been money on vertical fish over 25–30 feet.
Crappie are one of the bright spots. According to local bait shops near Cookson Bend and Keys, brush piles in 18–25 feet are holding good numbers of keepers, with some limits taken the last couple of evenings. Minnows on slip floats a foot above the brush are hard to beat, but **1/16‑oz hair jigs** in white, chartreuse, or blue/white are putting up quality fish for folks willing to work slow. Electronics are key—if you don’t see them stacked, move.
Stripers and white bass have been mixed in over deeper humps and creek mouths, especially around the dam and main‑lake channel swings. Anglers tossing **flutter spoons** and **1‑oz jigging slabs** vertically are picking off a handful of good fish, not huge numbers but solid quality when you mark schools around 30–40 feet.
Catfish are steady for those putting in time. Channel cats are taking **cut shad and chicken liver** on bottom in 20–30 feet off main points. A few better blues have come from deeper ledges with cut bait, particularly during the warmest part of the afternoon.
If you’re wondering where to start, a couple of hot spots right now:
- **Cookson Bend to Chicken Creek**: rock points, bluff transitions, and mid‑depth brush for bass and crappie.
- **Dam area and Big Hollow**: deeper structure and channel swings for winter bass, whites, and the occasional striper.
Best all‑around lures today: **A‑rigs with 3‑inch shad swimbaits**, **finesse jigs**, **drop shots**, and **small hair or marabou crappie jigs**. Best natural baits: **live minnows for crappie** and **cut shad for catfish**.
That’s your Lake Tenkiller rundown from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report.
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
Lake Tenkiller’s sitting in classic late‑December mode: cool, clear, and a little fickle. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and local marina boards show the lake a touch below normal pool, with good clarity on the main lake and a slight stain up the Illinois River arm. Air temps are starting cold at daybreak, warming into the upper 40s to low 50s with light north to northwest breeze. According to the National Weather Service and Weather Underground, skies are mostly clear, barometer on the high side, and no major fronts pushing through till later tonight. Sunrise was right around 7:20 a.m., sunset near 5:10 p.m., so you’ve got a short but strong low‑light window. This is an inland lake, so no true tide—“tidal” movement comes from wind and generation; expect the fish to set up on the windy side and any subtle current edges.
Bass have been a little stubborn but absolutely catchable. Local reports from the Vian and Cookson ramps say spots and smallmouth are chewing better than largemouth the last few days, with several folks boating 10–15 fish mornings, most in the 1‑ to 2‑pound range and an occasional 3‑plus. The deal has been sitting off the first and second breaks from rocky points in 15–25 feet. Best producers: **3.5–4 inch swimbaits on 1/4‑ to 3/8‑oz heads**, **green pumpkin or smoke‑purple finesse jigs**, and **alabama‑rigs** with small shad‑color swimmers. When the sun gets high, a **drop shot with 4‑inch shad or minnow‑style plastics** has been money on vertical fish over 25–30 feet.
Crappie are one of the bright spots. According to local bait shops near Cookson Bend and Keys, brush piles in 18–25 feet are holding good numbers of keepers, with some limits taken the last couple of evenings. Minnows on slip floats a foot above the brush are hard to beat, but **1/16‑oz hair jigs** in white, chartreuse, or blue/white are putting up quality fish for folks willing to work slow. Electronics are key—if you don’t see them stacked, move.
Stripers and white bass have been mixed in over deeper humps and creek mouths, especially around the dam and main‑lake channel swings. Anglers tossing **flutter spoons** and **1‑oz jigging slabs** vertically are picking off a handful of good fish, not huge numbers but solid quality when you mark schools around 30–40 feet.
Catfish are steady for those putting in time. Channel cats are taking **cut shad and chicken liver** on bottom in 20–30 feet off main points. A few better blues have come from deeper ledges with cut bait, particularly during the warmest part of the afternoon.
If you’re wondering where to start, a couple of hot spots right now:
- **Cookson Bend to Chicken Creek**: rock points, bluff transitions, and mid‑depth brush for bass and crappie.
- **Dam area and Big Hollow**: deeper structure and channel swings for winter bass, whites, and the occasional striper.
Best all‑around lures today: **A‑rigs with 3‑inch shad swimbaits**, **finesse jigs**, **drop shots**, and **small hair or marabou crappie jigs**. Best natural baits: **live minnows for crappie** and **cut shad for catfish**.
That’s your Lake Tenkiller rundown from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report.
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