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Tenkiller Ferry Lake Fishing Report

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

Oklahoma’s clear lake: Tenkiller holds spotted bass, stripers and visibility rare in the state.

1/5
Tough. Pick your battles.Post-front sun and slick water make them sulk.
Flow
217 cfs
Air / High
99 / 100 F
Wind
SSE 10 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.

1/5Tough. Pick your battles.Post-front sun and slick water make them sulk.

Tenkiller Ferry Lake locks in another hot, bright day: the fish know the drill and so should you. The river is running 217 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings clear skies, wind SSE around 10 mph, rising pressure near 1011 hPa and a high of 100. Water sits around 84 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: plan around them and beat the heat.

The plan, species by species

Catfish (blue, channel)Fair

Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

Largemouth bassSlow

Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

White bassSlow

Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

CrappieSlow

Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

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 (inflow).

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 07196500.

249308367217 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp99 F
High / Low100 / 74 F
WindSSE 10-12 mph
Pressure1010.9 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 1%
Sunrise / Sunset06:54 / 19:43
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~84 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 · Clear, 100/74 F, wind 10 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 Tenkiller Ferry Lake: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: spring and fall

The headline act on most American reservoirs. Relates to cover: docks, brush, grass edges and points. Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

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. Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

When to come: the Tenkiller Ferry Lake 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
Largemouth bass
Crappie
Catfish (blue, channel)
White bass
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 84 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 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 Tenkiller Ferry Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 98 F, wind to 11 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

1/5 Tough. Pick your battles. Post-front sun and slick water make them sulk. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at fair. High of 101 F, wind to 8 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 102 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. Bass, hybrid and crappie limits per current ODWC rules; trout stamp for the tailwater trout fishery.

Access

Corps ramps, marinas and state park areas around the lake; Illinois River tailwater below the dam.

About this water

A 12,900-acre Corps reservoir on the Illinois River, Cherokee and Sequoyah counties, Oklahoma.

Fishing Tenkiller Ferry Lake: the full guide

Blue water in Green Country

Tenkiller Ferry Lake covers about 12,900 acres on the Illinois River in eastern Oklahoma, known for water clarity that earned it the nickname Oklahoma’s Blue Lake. Rocky shorelines, bluffs and standing timber provide structure, and the fishery matches: spotted and largemouth bass, striped bass hybrids, white bass, crappie and catfish.

Bass in clear water

Spotted bass dominate the rock and bluff structure, taking drop-shots, shaky heads and small crankbaits. Largemouth relate to the brush and timber in the creek arms. The clarity demands finesse and low-light timing far more than most Oklahoma lakes, and summer sends fish deep where electronics matter.

Hybrids and crappie

Hybrid striped bass and white bass school over the open water chasing shad, providing surface action at dawn in summer and fall. Crappie stack the standing timber and brush at 12-25 feet. Below the dam, the Illinois River tailwater holds trout stocked by the state, a cool-water fishery unusual for Oklahoma.

Cherokee County logistics

Corps ramps, marinas and state park areas ring the lake, with Tahlequah and Gore the nearby towns. The Illinois River above the lake is a popular float stream. Summer brings substantial recreational traffic given the clear water and scuba diving: fish early, and note that clarity makes midday fishing genuinely harder.

Common questions

Why is it called the Blue Lake?

Water clarity unusual for Oklahoma, which also makes it a scuba destination and the fishing more technical.

Is there trout fishing?

Yes: the Illinois River tailwater below the dam is stocked with trout, a rare cool-water fishery for Oklahoma.

What is the main bass species?

Spotted bass on the rock and bluffs, with largemouth in the brushier creek arms.

Is fishing good at Tenkiller Ferry Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Tough. Pick your battles. Post-front sun and slick water make them sulk.

Nearby waters

Fort Gibson Lake21 miRobert S Kerr Reservoir22 miIllinois River25 miLake Hudson44 miLake Eufaula49 miGrand Lake o the Cherokees67 mi
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