Lake Tenkiller Fishing Report: Bass, Crappie, and Catfish Biting in Mild Conditions

This is Artificial Lure bringing you your fresh fishing report for Lake Tenkiller, Oklahoma, on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. After a stretch of rain earlier in the month, the lake level has settled and is running about 1 to 2 feet above normal. Water temperature is steady at 72 degrees and stained, so visibility isn’t the clearest but that’s not slowing down the bite. Our current conditions mean the fish are staying active and on the feed[1][2][3]. Weather today is mild, with light winds out of the south and highs expected in the mid 70s. There’s patchy cloud cover this morning, but it should clear toward midday. Sunrise was at 6:07 AM and sunset will be at 8:34 PM, offering plenty of time to get on the water and chase a limit. There’s no tidal influence on Lake Tenkiller, so focus on the usual structures and cover. The brush piles, main lake points, and creek channels are holding fish, especially with the slightly elevated water[2][3]. Bass are the headline right now. Largemouth, smallmouth, and spotty bass are all biting well. The best action has come on Alabama rigs, spinnerbaits, jigs, and medium-diving crankbaits, especially around brush structure, rocky points, and shoreline cover. Early mornings and late evenings around shady banks have produced some nice ones, including several reports of chunky largemouths in the 3 to 5 pound range and smallmouths pushing 18 inches. Spotted bass are mixed in, and all are schooling up on shad[2][4]. Crappie are fair, but the bite’s up and down. Folks working brush piles and docks with hair jigs, small tubes, and minnows are still pulling in slabs, though it is more hit and miss as the spawn has wrapped up. Most crappie are running 10 to 12 inches[2][3][4]. Catfish are picking up with the warm water. Blues, channels, and even the occasional flathead have been caught using cut shad, chicken liver, and stinkbait in the creek channels and along the main river channel drop-offs. There have been a handful of 10 to 15 pound blue cats caught this week by folks drifting with fresh bait[2][3]. Best lures right now for bass are Alabama rigs, chartreuse or shad-colored crankbaits, black or blue jigs, and white spinnerbaits. Live minnows are still the ticket for crappie. For cats, try fresh cut bait or chicken liver on slip rigs. Two hot spots to focus on today are the Snake Creek area, especially the brush piles right off the channel, and the bluffs near Burnt Cabin—both are producing good numbers of bass and crappie lately. That’s your Lake Tenkiller rundown for May 28, 2025. Tight lines and good luck out there! This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.