Wintertime Fishing Forecast: Tenkiller Lake Offers Promising Bass, Crappie, and Catfish Action

As of January 17, 2025, the fishing scene at Lake Tenkiller in Oklahoma is looking promising despite the winter chill. Here’s what you can expect for your day on the water. ### Weather and Water Conditions The weather is partly cloudy with a high in the mid-50s and a low in the mid-30s. Sunrise is around 7:30 AM, and sunset will be around 5:00 PM, giving you plenty of daylight to fish. The water temperature is around 40°F, and the water clarity is clear, ideal for targeting bass and crappie. ### Tidal Report Since Lake Tenkiller is a controlled impoundment and not a tidal lake, you don’t have to worry about tidal fluctuations. However, the lake levels can experience some minor fluctuations, but this doesn’t typically affect the fishing conditions significantly. ### Fish Activity Yesterday, anglers reported good activity for several species. Largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass were biting well on crankbaits, jerk baits, and plastic baits around creek channels, docks, and main lake points. Crappie were active on hair jigs, minnows, and tube jigs near brush structure, docks, and the main lake. Blue and channel catfish were also biting on chicken liver, cut bait, and shad around channels and the main lake. ### Best Lures and Bait For bass, use crankbaits, in-line spinnerbaits, jerk baits, and plastic baits. Crappie are best caught with jigs, minnows, and hair jigs, especially in depths of 17-26 feet around brush structure and docks. For catfish, chicken liver, cut bait, and shad are effective. ### Hot Spots If you’re targeting smallmouth bass, head up the river or down to the islands near the dam. Look for isolated rock boulders, rock banks, and other rocky structures. For crappie, focus on brush piles in 15-25 feet of water and around docks. The areas around Caney Creek up to Carter’s Landing and the Horseshoe Bend area are also prime spots. Overall, Lake Tenkiller is offering some great fishing opportunities this winter, so pack your tackle box and enjoy the clear and deep waters of this Ozark highlands gem. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.