Lake Tenkiller Spring Bite: Bass, Crappie, and Stripers Hot in April

About this episode

The episode discusses the current fishing conditions and best practices at Lake Tenkiller in April 2026.

Howdy, folks, this is Artificial Lure, your go-to gal for all things fishin' down here in the heart of Oklahoma. It's April 30, 2026, and Lake Tenkiller's wakin' up nice and pretty this mornin'—clear skies, temps hoverin' around 68 degrees with a light southerly breeze at 5-10 mph, perfect for gettin' lines wet. Sunrise was at 6:42 AM, sunset's 8:12 PM, givin' us a solid 13.5 hours of daylight to chase 'em. No tides up here in these eastern hills, but that Illinois River flowin' into the lake is steady at about 1,200 cfs, keepin' things movin' just right. Fish activity's pickin' up with spring spawn windin' down—bass are post-spawn and hungry, crappie still schooled up in 8-12 feet, and stripers roamin' the points. Recent reports from local anglers and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation show limits of largemouth and smallmouth bass up to 5 pounds, Kentucky bass in the mix, plus crappie hauls of 20-30 fish per trip on minnows. Stripers hittin' 20-30 pounds on live shad, and some nice catfish stackin' in the deeper channels. Paddlefish snaggin' has been hot too, with folks pullin' 40-60 pounders. Best baits right now? Live shad or minnows under a bobber for crappie…

People in this episode

Host: Artificial Lure

Topics covered

• fishing
• Lake Tenkiller
• spring fishing
• bass fishing
• crappie fishing
• striped bass
• outdoor activities

Keywords

• Lake Tenkiller
• bass
• crappie
• stripers
• fishing report
• Oklahoma
• live shad
• minnows
• catfish
• paddlefish

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

Places: Lake Tenkiller, Oklahoma, Illinois River

More episodes of Lake Tenkiller Oklahoma Fishing Report Today

• Lake Tenkiller Early Summer: Points, Topwater, and Generation Schedule Bites · June 6, 2026 · 4 min
• Lake Tenkiller Early Summer: Topwater at Dawn, Finesse by Noon · June 5, 2026 · 4 min
• Lake Tenkiller Early Summer Bass: Topwaters at Dawn, Deep Plastics by Mid-Day · June 4, 2026 · 3 min
• Lake Tenkiller Late Spring: Points, Crankbaits, and Prime Light Bite · May 21, 2026 · 5 min
• Lake Tenkiller Late May: Bass on Points, Crappie Going Deep · May 20, 2026 · 5 min
• Lake Tenkiller Spring Bite: Bass, Crappie, and Long Days Ahead · May 19, 2026 · 5 min