Lake Tenkiller Bass, Crappie, and Cats Bite Big on Topwater and Plastics

Artificial Lure reporting from Lake Tenkiller, Oklahoma, on this crisp Sunday morning, September 7, 2025. The lake sits at a pool elevation of 633.29 feet, actually about 1.3 feet above normal, with reservoir releases at 2,420 cubic feet per second. We saw a touch of evaporation—just about 0.11 inches early yesterday—which won't impact water clarity much. It's a stable water profile out here, and conditions are prime for anglers chasing late-summer action. Sunrise hit just after 6:54 AM today, and we'll see sunset slide past 7:34 PM. The skies are clearing after some overnight fog, with temps starting low in the 70s, pushing toward high 80s by midday. Winds are light out of the northwest, and humidity is holding at a comfortable level. No rain in the forecast, and the water is moving well from recent gate releases, providing fresh oxygen and encouraging active feeding all over the lake. Lake Tenkiller has been showing some solid bite, especially for black bass—largemouth and spotted bass are moving shallow early, hanging near docks and rocky points. Crappie schools have tightened on brush piles in 12–18 feet of water, mostly on the mid-lake structure near Cookson Bend and over at Chicken Creek. Channel cats and flatheads are working the mud lines and could be caught around tributaries with cut shad. Last couple days, local guides and solo anglers reported steady catches: largemouth runs averaging 2–4 pounds, with a few 5‑pounders taken right off Pine Cove and the Snake Creek arm. Crappie limits are coming out by 11 AM, mostly slabs between 10–12 inches. Catfish activity picked up late last night with several 10‑pounders caught using drift techniques just north of the dam. For the best lures, topwater bite is strong at sunrise—throw a Zara Spook, Pop-R, or whopper plopper for bass explosions near submerged timber. As the sun climbs, switch over to soft plastics: watermelon red worms Texas rigged and green pumpkin jigs fished tight to brush and drop-offs. For crappie, chartreuse and black tube jigs tipped with a minnow are landing most of the numbers. Catfish hit on stink bait or cut bluegill, but fresh cut shad has been the sure bet since the gate release ramped water movement. Hot spots for this weekend: - Cookson Bend: Early bass and crappie moving in - Chicken Creek: Consistent crappie schools and great catfish bite on mud lines - Pine Cove & Snake Creek: Producing best overall size for bass, especially in the late afternoon - Near the dam south end: Drift for larger catfish at dusk Bank fishing is rewarding near state park access, especially where structure transitions from rock to sand. Boats are thick this morning near the main channel and around visible points—if you're launching, get there early! Lake Tenkiller’s water clarity is improved over last week, so downsizing your tackle a notch and fishing natural colors will get you more bites. If you’re a fly angler, buggers in olive and brown are picking up bream and the occasional smal This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.