Lake Tenkiller Fishing Report: Crappie Staging, Bass Biting, and Stripers Schooling

This is Artificial Lure with your fishing report for Lake Tenkiller and the surrounding waters on this fine Saturday, November 8th, 2025. Lake Tenkiller’s sitting just above normal, pool elevation holding steady at about 633 feet. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is reporting a mild release out of the dam, so water conditions are stable and clarity is good—a classic November setup for this part of Oklahoma. Today’s sunrise was at 6:45 a.m., and sunset is coming up at 5:15 p.m. with daylight dwindling and water temps cooling. Weather-wise, we're looking at crisp autumn air; highs in the upper 50s to low 60s, light winds out of the northwest at 5–10 mph, and those telltale passing clouds that get the fish twitchy around mid-morning and the golden hour. No tides here, so wind-driven current and lake level are your main patterns. Fish activity’s been solid the last few mornings, with bass feeding shallow as shad schools move up, especially right after sunup. Folks have been picking off largemouth and smallmouths on main lake flats and around secondary points. Medium-diving crankbaits in shad or chartreuse, as well as Alabama rigs, have been hot this week. Soft plastics like green pumpkin Senkos or creature baits fished around brush and submerged timber are also producing—especially when the wind ripples the surface. Striped bass and hybrids are scattered in the lower end around the dam and up the river arms. Drifting live shad or working a white jigging spoon in 25-35 feet of water is the ticket. Local guides have reported some hefty limits caught early in the week near Cookson Bend and Chicken Creek. Crappie are starting to stage up with the drop in temperature, moving to brush piles in 15-25 feet of water. Slip bobbers and minnows, or jigging a smoke and chartreuse tube jig, will put a mess of slabs on the stringer, especially off the standing timber near Standing Rock and Snake Creek. Catfish action is fair but steady—channel cats hitting on cut shad and stinkbait up the river arms, and a few big blues have come off deep flats at night. For multi-species action, Snake Creek and Sizemore Landing remain solid bets. The bluffs right off Burnt Cabin are producing mixed bags—bass, a few walleye, and some bonus white bass if you’re trolling a crank or drifting live bait. Recent catches reported locally include several largemouths over four pounds, one angler landed a 26-inch striper near the dam, and crappie limits are getting easier in the coves now that the water’s cooling. As always, check your life jackets, and watch out for shallow timber around the upper end. With the lake near normal level and water clear, now’s the time for finesse baits in pressured areas, and reaction baits when you see shad busting on the surface. Thanks for tuning in. Make sure to subscribe for the latest Oklahoma fishing reports, and keep your lines tight, y’all. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishi This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.