"Late-Fall Tenkiller Bites: Bass, Crappie & Cats Heating Up as Temps Cool"

Artificial Lure here with your Lake Tenkiller fishing report for November 17, 2025. It’s a brisk late-fall morning—temps are starting off in the low 40s, warming up just past 60 this afternoon with sunny skies and a light wind out of the north. No rain in sight, and water conditions are stable, with the lake sitting about a foot above normal at pool elevation 633.14 feet according to Tulsa District Water Control. Reservoir release is minimal, just 55 cubic feet per second as of last night, so no drastic changes in water flow to mess with the bite. Sunrise was 6:56 AM, and you can expect sunset at 5:14 PM, so you’ve got solid daylight hours to put a bend in your rod before the evening chill settles in. Tidal effects aren’t a factor here—we’re way inland and it’s all lake level, so the only “tide” to worry about is healthy Oklahoma optimism. Fish activity has been steady this week, with water temperatures cooling into the mid-to-low 60s. Local anglers have reported solid action on both black bass and crappie. The zebra mussels haven’t mucked things up this fall and water clarity is running about normal for November. - Largemouth and smallmouth bass have been on the chew especially along rocky main-lake points and deeper drop-offs. The best bite has been late morning through mid-day as the sun gets up and warms the shallows a couple of extra degrees. - Crappie are schooling up at brush piles in 15–25 feet of water, with several folks limiting out in the last few days. - Catfish are still decent along the flats and in creek channels. Cut shad and chicken livers are producing blues and channel cats, though numbers are tapering as we drift closer to winter. Best lure recommendations: - Bass: Try suspending jerkbaits in shad or clown colors, medium-diving crankbaits bumped along the rocks, or a good ol’ black and blue jig for the slower bite. Some locals have been scoring on Alabama rigs rigged with swimbaits, especially over main-lake brush piles. - Crappie: You can’t go wrong with a 1/16 oz chartreuse jighead tipped with a Bobby Garland Baby Shad plastic, or small live minnows if you want to keep it simple. - Catfish: If you’re after more whiskers, stick to cut shad or Sonny’s stink bait on a slip rig near channel edges or above submerged wood. Recent catches have included several largemouth bass in the 3–5 lb range, good numbers of slab crappie (up to 13"), and catfish running a couple pounds each with the occasional blue topping 10 lbs. If you’re looking for hotspots: - Chicken Creek is a reliable bet for crappie, especially if you stick to the old submerged timber and the docks. - Strayhorn Landing is a solid spot for bass and the occasional big fall crappie, with some nice rocky structure and quick drop-offs nearby. - Don’t overlook the dam area for deeper bass and late-moving shad schools. That wraps today’s Lake Tenkiller fishing report. Thanks for tuning in—be sure to subscribe so you never miss an update. This has been a quiet please p This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.