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Illinois River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Oklahoma’s float river: the Illinois runs smallmouth and stocked trout below Tenkiller.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
217 cfs
Air / High
99 / 100 F
Wind
S 9 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 07196500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Illinois River lines up a genuinely fishable day across the board. The river is running 217 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings clear skies, wind S around 9 mph, rising pressure near 1012 hPa and a high of 100. Water sits around 73 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

MuskellungeExcellent

Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Smallmouth bassGood

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

WalleyeGood

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

Tomorrow: Similar at 102 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Illinois River near Tahlequah.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 07196500.

249308367217 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp99 F
High / Low100 / 72 F
WindS 9-11 mph
Pressure1011.6 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain12% cloud, 1%
Sunrise / Sunset06:53 / 19:42
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~73 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Partly cloudy, 100/72 F, wind 11 mph, rain 1%

Slow. 100 F: be on the water at dawn and off by mid-morning, or fish after dark.

Species guide

The species that matter on Illinois River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Muskellunge illustration

Muskellunge

Best: Sep-Nov

The fish of ten thousand casts. Weed edges, rock bars and big-water structure. Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

When to come: the Illinois River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Smallmouth bass
Walleye
Muskellunge
Catfish (blue, channel)
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 73 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~73 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Illinois River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 99 F, wind to 12 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 100 F, wind to 9 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 101 F, wind to 8 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Oklahoma requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Oklahoma license plus trout license for the Lower Illinois. Special trout regulations apply on part of the tailwater: check current ODWC rules.

Access

Outfitters and public accesses near Tahlequah for the float reach; Lower Illinois access below Tenkiller Dam for trout.

About this water

A 145-mile river from the Arkansas Ozarks to Lake Tenkiller, Cherokee and Adair counties, Oklahoma.

Fishing Illinois River: the full guide

A river with two fisheries

The Illinois River flows out of the Arkansas Ozarks into northeastern Oklahoma, running about 145 miles to Lake Tenkiller. Above the lake it is Oklahoma’s premier float stream, a clear gravel river holding smallmouth bass, spotted bass and sunfish; below Tenkiller Dam a cold tailwater supports stocked rainbow and brown trout.

Smallmouth above the lake

The float reach through Tahlequah country runs over gravel bars and past bluffs, with smallmouth holding the current seams, rock and wood. Tubes, small crankbaits and topwater produce through the warm months. It is a Scenic River under Oklahoma law and heavily used by recreational floaters in summer.

The Tenkiller tailwater

Below the dam the Lower Illinois runs cold enough to hold trout year-round, stocked with rainbows and browns and managed with special regulations on part of its length. Nymphs, streamers and small dries take fish, and generation changes the river quickly: check the schedule before wading.

Cherokee County logistics

Access is via numerous outfitters and public accesses around Tahlequah on the float reach, and the Lower Illinois public access below Tenkiller Dam for the trout water. Tahlequah is the base town, the Cherokee Nation capital. Summer weekend float traffic is very heavy: fish weekdays or early.

Common questions

Are there trout?

Yes, below Tenkiller Dam: cold releases support stocked rainbows and browns with special regulations on part of the reach.

Is the float reach crowded?

Very, on summer weekends: it is Oklahoma’s most popular float river. Fish weekdays or early mornings.

What is a Scenic River?

An Oklahoma designation protecting the corridor above the lake, which the Illinois carries.

Is fishing good at Illinois River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Fort Gibson Lake22 miTenkiller Ferry Lake25 miLake Hudson29 miRobert S Kerr Reservoir39 miGrand Lake o the Cherokees44 miGrand Lake47 mi
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