Tenkiller Tackle: Topwaters, Crankbaits, and Channel Cats for Summer Bite

Artificial Lure reporting in with your June 22, 2025 Lake Tenkiller fishing report, aimed at getting you on the bite fast and safe here in the heart of Cherokee County.

Today’s conditions are classic Oklahoma summer. We’ve got sunrise at 6:04 AM and sunset rolling in at 8:34 PM—plenty of daylight to work those banks and points. The weather is holding steady: expect partly cloudy skies, muggy air, and high temps pushing up into the mid-to-upper 80s. Winds are out of the southeast at 8 to 12 mph, and after recent rains, Tenkiller’s sitting about 2 feet above normal, with water temperatures climbing to 77 degrees and a healthy stain across much of the lake. Be alert for floating debris, especially around main creek arms and ramps, as reported by both recent visitors and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.

Fish activity is strong across the board, with summer patterns firmly in place. Early mornings and late evenings are producing the most action, so set your alarm and bring the topwaters.

Bass fishing remains hot—largemouth, smallmouth, and spots are all getting active. Local reports and Omnia Fishing both mention success with medium-diving crankbaits, Ned rigs, and spinnerbaits around rocky main lake points, channel swings, and flooded brush. The best colors lately have been green pumpkin, shad, and classic black-blue for plastics, while white and chartreuse spinnerbaits are picking off fish along stained banks and flooded shoreline grass. The recent Bassmaster Elite event confirmed that Texas-rigged soft plastic craws, jigs, and vibrating jigs are dominating when pitching into brush and shallow cover, especially with the water up in the bushes. If you want to go deep, a football-head jig with a craw trailer in 20- to 30-foot pockets has been a tournament winner.

Crappie are fair but catchable, holding tight to brush piles, docks, and standing timber. Small tube jigs and minnows are your best bet, especially around the dam and in the deeper ends of the main lake coves. Fish slow and be patient—most slabs are staging 10-15 feet down near cover in stained water.

Catfishing is picking up with the warmer temps. Blue, channel, and flathead cats are coming in on chicken liver, cut shad, and stinkbaits. Try the deeper channel swings and below the dam, especially after dark or on overcast mornings.

A couple of hot spots to try: the bluffy chunk rock banks near Cookson Bend have been producing smallmouth on crankbaits early, and the flooded brush near Snake Creek draws in largemouth with spinnerbaits and plastics. Don’t overlook the flats off Pettit Bay for numbers—schooling white bass and occasional hybrids have been working over shad schools there.

Thanks for tuning in to this Lake Tenkiller fishing report brought to you by Artificial Lure. Don’t forget to subscribe for daily on-the-water updates and keep those lines tight. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai.

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI