Tenkiller Fishing Update: Smallies, Crappie, and Stripers Biting on Arkansas River Impoundment

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Lake Tenkiller fishing report. We don’t worry about tides on Tenkiller – she’s a deep Arkansas River impoundment, so water level and current depend on dam release, not the moon. The bite today rides more on weather, light, and boat traffic than anything tidal. According to the National Weather Service out of Tulsa, we’re looking at a cool, clear winter pattern: light north to northwest breeze, chilly morning in the 30s–40s, climbing toward the 50s by afternoon, with high pressure keeping skies mostly sunny and the barometer fairly steady. Sunrise is right around 7:30 a.m., sunset near 5:20 p.m., which means your power hours are that first hour after daylight and the last 60–90 minutes before dark. FishingReminder’s solunar outlook for the Tahlequah–Tenkiller area shows the stronger activity windows lining up mid‑morning and again late afternoon into dusk, so don’t reel up and run in early just because the sun’s still high; that last light has been key on this clear water. Recent talk from local marinas and tackle counters around Cookson and Chicken Creek is that the **smallmouth and spotted bass** have been the steadiest game. Folks are catching good numbers of 1–3 pounders on main‑lake points and bluff ends, especially where rock transitions meet a little wind. Best producers have been **3.5–4 inch green pumpkin finesse worms** on a shakey head, **craw‑style baits** in watermelon red on a Texas rig, and **silver or ghost shad jerkbaits** worked slow with long pauses. A few better largemouth from shallower wood in dirty pockets after a warm afternoon. **Crappie** have been coming from brush piles and standing timber in 18–30 feet, with anglers vertical‑jigging small **chartreuse/white or blue/white tubes** and **1/16‑ounce marabou jigs**. Minnows are still out‑fishing plastics for folks who want a fish fry instead of a challenge. Word around the docks is that limits are doable if you’re willing to hop brush piles until you land on an active school. For **stripers and hybrids** below the dam on the Illinois River side, live shad and 3–4 inch swimbaits in shad colors have been taking a mix of schoolies with the occasional bigger fish early and late. Up on the main lake, some anglers trolling deep‑diving crankbaits along channel swings are picking off a few bonus fish mixed with spotted bass. Best overall **lures** right now: - Clear‑water jerkbaits: **silver, ghost shad, or clown**. - Finesse plastics: **green pumpkin, watermelon red, and smoke purple** on light heads. - Small swimbaits: **3–3.8 inch shad patterns**. Best **live bait**: - **Minnows** for crappie. - **Threadfin or small gizzard shad** for stripers/hybrids below the dam. Couple of local **hot spots** to check: - **Cookson Bend to Chicken Creek**: classic Tenkiller smallmouth water, rocky points, and bluffs; work that 10–25 foot zone with jerkbaits early, then shakey heads once the sun gets up. - **Cato Creek and Standing Rock area This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.