Tenkiller Bass, Crappie & Cats Biting Strong on Swimbaits, Minnows and Punch Bait

Artificial Lure here with your November 11th, 2025, Lake Tenkiller fishing report. If you’re getting out this morning, the air’s crisp from overnight lows in the high 30s but expect it to warm up quick—highs reaching the mid 60s by afternoon with clear skies and a light north breeze that’ll lay down as the day wears on. Sunrise today was at 6:49 a.m., and sunset will roll in at 5:21 p.m., so there’s a solid window for a full day on the water. Lake level is currently riding 1.14 feet above normal, with a surface elevation of about 633 feet according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Water clarity is good, especially up toward the lower end past Cato Creek, and you’ll find a little stain working up into the river arms thanks to recent north winds. Not much in the way of release from the dam, so flows are steady and the lake itself is stable. No tidal swing out here, but the slight moon phase we have will keep fish active around sunrise and again midafternoon. Illinois River near Gore is moving mild at about 145 cubic feet per second as of yesterday, so those river-run fish will hold steady along the main brush lines and bluff drops. Bass fishing’s been the headline lately—locals are reporting strong numbers of spotted and largemouth bass, most coming off mid-lake rocky points and bluffs. The most consistent pattern has been working a 3 to 5-inch soft plastic swimbait in shad color or a 1/4 oz shaky head with a green pumpkin trick worm pitched around chunk rock. On sunnier afternoons, the bite shifts deeper to about 15-25 feet, so don’t be afraid to drag a football jig or slow-roll a deep-running crankbait off those ledges. Some anglers are hammering them on silver blade baits along the dam face during midday. Crappie are stacking up in the brush piles at 12-18 feet, with live minnows hands-down outproducing jigs this week. Folks fishing the docks at Chicken Creek and in Snake Creek have been reporting fast limits, with the best bite mid-morning once the sun is up. If you’re jig fishing, stick to 1/16 oz chartreuse or blue ice patterns. Blue catfish are still feeding up—try drift fishing cut shad across flats in 20-30 feet near Strayhorn Landing or trolling a punch bait set up off the channel slopes near Pine Cove. Quite a few fish over 10 lbs have been caught, and channel cats have been biting nightcrawlers off rocky banks by the spillway. If you’re looking for hot spots, no question—head for Chicken Creek for big crappie or drift up to Burnt Cabin flats for both catfish and spotted bass. Snake Creek’s deep trees continue to hold black crappie and the odd early season walleye. As for bait and lures—bring shad-imitating swimbaits, green pumpkin worms, football jigs, silver blade baits, and all the live minnows you can carry. Nightcrawlers and cut shad are the favorites for cats right now, and don’t forget to carry a few small spoons for any surprise white bass run in the afternoons. Thanks for tuning in to today’s Lake Tenkiller report—do This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.