Tenkiller Fishing Report: Topwater Bass, Crappie Slabs, and Drummin' Up Big Cats

Artificial Lure here with your Lake Tenkiller fishing report for Saturday, August 9, 2025. Pull up a chair and let’s talk about the bite! Expect mostly clear skies and a high near 80°F with light winds this afternoon—classic August lake weather in Oklahoma. Sunrise today was right around 6:33 AM and sunset will be at 8:21 PM, giving anglers plenty of daylight to work with. With water levels sitting about one foot above normal at 632.97 feet and steady release at 1,055 cubic feet per second, water clarity is good and boat ramps are easy to navigate, according to recent Corps of Engineers lake data. The fish are moving early, so your best windows for action are just after sunrise and then again late in the afternoon. Solunar tables for the area put today’s major activity periods at 3:16 to 5:16 AM and 3:38 to 5:38 PM, with a bonus minor bite from 8:51 to 9:51 AM, so folks who like to chase that topwater or get on the docks at first light are in luck. Bass are still the star of the show. Anglers fresh off the Bassmaster elite series say that *swinging hogs* style creature baits and ChatterBaits are producing amazing numbers and size, especially on primary points and deeper brush piles near Snake Creek and Carter’s Landing. If you see schooling shad on your electronics, don’t overlook a shad-patterned crankbait or a fluttering swimbait on a Guppy Head jig—local guides say these are the ticket for suspended smallies and largemouths recently. Tube baits and jigs worked through laydowns have also been cleaning house on bigger fish. Don’t sleep on the crappie bite either. The best success is coming from brush piles in 12 to 18 feet, especially around the lower end and Horseshoe Bend. Minnows are catching numbers, but the big slabs are hitting small chartreuse jigs tipped with nibbles. For those looking to fill a stringer with catfish, cut shad and chicken livers fished along the channel edges between Cookson Bend and Standing Rock are getting steady bites. White bass are starting to run in some of the main lake currents, busting on small shad. Watch for surface action mid-morning near the dam and in the main creek mouths—throw little spoons or Rooster Tails for fast action when the schools pop up. If you’re after a wall-hanger, remember Tenkiller holds the Oklahoma state record for freshwater drum at a whopping 38 pounds. While not everyone’s first pick, big drums are biting on crawlers and cut bait around rocky shorelines and drop-offs. As far as hot spots, the mouth of Big Hollow and the flats south of Standing Rock have been particularly productive this week—multiple anglers pulled in mixed bags of bass and crappie out of these areas. Snake Creek Cove and Carter’s Landing continue to be prime for morning topwater action. That’s the scoop for today out at Lake Tenkiller! Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.