Fishing Report For Lake Tenkiller, OK
By Rick Seaman
June 1, 2025
Fishing Reports
Popular Fish Species Lake Tenkiller, OK
Largemouth Bass
Current Report: Good To Very Good
Outlook: Good To Very Good
Water temperatures are in the mid 70's, the tail end of the spawn is nearing, and the bass are biting both shallow and slightly deeper outside spawning grounds. A wide variety of lures are catching nice bass here, including jigs, crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Stick worms, rigged wacky style, are often catching some of the larger bass. Spotted bass and smallmouth bass also reside here in good numbers, but largemouth bass are still at the top of the pile for both quantity and quality. Summer will drive the majority of bass to off-shore ledges, creek channels, humps and other structures.
Black Crappie - White Crappie
Most of the crappie have spawned and moved out of the shallows, to holding areas in 10 to 25 feet of water, staying close to cover. They are being caught around docks, brush piles, wood and vegetation using small crappie jigs, hair jigs, minnows and mini swimbaits. Light tackle with 4 lb to 8 lb line is ideal. Some anglers report success using fish finders and forward facing sonar to locate schools of crappie around cover.
White Bass
Current Report: Good To Very Good
Outlook: Good To Very Good
White bass have completed their spawn run upstream in the river area, where they congregated for several weeks. They are now back in the main lake, running in sizeable schools and feeding on threadfin shad. Swimbaits, curly-tail jigs, underspins, small crankbaits, small jerkbaits, and most any lure that looks like baitfish are catching these hard-fighting fish. Many successful anglers are trolling to locate schools of white bass, then casting to load the live wells.
Fishing Video
Fish species to fish for...
Guide to fishing for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, channel catfish, black crappie, white crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, redear sunfish and white bass at Lake Tenkiller in Oklahoma.
Lake Tenkiller is a 13,000-acre lake with 130 miles of shoreline. Notorious for exceptionally clear water, it is home to bass, crappie, white bass, catfish and sunfish. The Cookson Bend Public Use Area and several other spots offer access for fishing from the bank.
Primary fish species to catch
Click images for fishing tips and details about each species.
Today's Weather & Forecast
Fishing Boat Rentals
Click here for fishing boat rentals available at this lake.
Public Boat Launch Ramps & Landings
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Click here for marinas available at this lake.
Fishing License
Click here for a Oklahoma Fishing License.
Map - Fishing & Access
Rick Seaman is a fishing enthusiast with over five decades of fishing experience, a retired tournament fisherman, author of numerous published articles on fishing, and co-author of the book "Bass Fishing - It's not WHAT you throw, It's WHERE you throw it".
Contact Information
Lake Tenkiller
Pine Cove Marina
HCR 68 Box 1090
Vian, OK 74962
918 489-5735
Fishing lakes in each state.
060125
Tenkiller Lake, Oklahoma Report
OKLAHOMA
Information about fishing lakes in Oklahoma
The clear waters of Tenkiller Lake offer bass, crappie, white bass, catfish and sunfish fishing in east-central Oklahoma.
