Reservoir

Lake Tenkiller

Cherokee & Sequoyah Counties, Oklahoma

12,900-acre Oklahoma reservoir, about 133 feet deep at maximum, with 19 boat ramps per the ODWC management plan. ODWC lists black bass, crappie, white bass, catfish, walleye and sunfish.

Air temp Loading current temperature…

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Current air temperature at Lake Tenkiller (National Weather Service) ↗

Surface area12,900 acres

Max depth133 ft

Shoreline—

Boat motorsCheck local rules

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Largemouth Bass●●●○○

Weeds, docks and wood in the shallows.

Smallmouth Bass●●●○○

Rock, gravel and points. Tubes, jerkbaits and drop-shots.

Spotted Bass●●○○○

Rocky banks and bluff ends. Jigs and finesse plastics.

Crappie●●●○○

Black and white crappie

White Bass●●○○○

Schools chasing shad in open water, and spring river runs.

Blue Catfish●●○○○

Deep channel edges. Fresh cut shad. Big fish in winter.

Flathead Catfish●●○○○

Live bait around wood and rock at night.

Channel Catfish●●○○○

Cut bait and nightcrawlers on flats and creek mouths in the evening.

Walleye●●○○○

Points, flats and reefs at low light. Jigs and live bait early, crankbaits and crawler harnesses in summer.

Bluegill●●○○○

Weed beds and shallow flats in late spring.

Redear Sunfish●○○○○

Shellcracker. Beds in spring and deep shell bars in summer. Red worms on the bottom.

Boat launches

3 launch sites. Fees and hours change, so confirm before you go.

Horseshoe Bend boat rampRamp
Reference point for special rules downstream to the damDirections ↗
USACE / State Park rampsRamp
ODWC management plan counts 19 boat ramps; two state parks on the lakeDirections ↗
More public accessPublic
See the state agency or lake website for all ramps and feesDirections ↗

Size & creel limits

Special rules for this lake, confirmed from official state regulations. Minimum size and daily limit.

Species	Min size	Daily limit
Largemouth/Smallmouth Bass	Only 1 over 16 in	6 combined
Spotted Bass	See Oklahoma rules book ↗	No limit
Striped Bass	See Oklahoma rules book ↗	5
Hybrid Striped Bass (Wiper)	Only 5 over 20 in	20
White Bass	See Oklahoma rules book ↗	No limit
Crappie (white/black)	No limit	37 combined
Channel/Blue Catfish	Only 1 blue over 30 in	15 combined
Flathead Catfish	See Oklahoma rules book ↗	5
Walleye/Sauger/Saugeye	14 in	6 combined

Other species in this lake: look up the limits at Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation ↗

Verified October 2026. Rules change, so confirm current limits with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation before you fish.

Bait & tackle nearby

Closest shops to the lake and its boat launches. Call ahead for live bait and hours.

Dave's Bait & TackleNearby
304 S Main St, Gore, OK(918) 489-2424 Directions ↗

Search more bait shops near Lake Tenkiller ↗

Local tips

Below the Horseshoe Bend ramp to the dam: crappie are 15 combined/10-inch minimum and gigs/spears are prohibited.
Clear, deep water suits smallmouth and walleye on points and bluffs.

View on interactive map

Zoom and pan on a street, satellite or terrain map. Red pins are boat launches.

More Oklahoma lakes

Grand Lake o' the Cherokees Oologah Lake Keystone Lake Fort Gibson Lake Kaw Lake Sardis Lake Broken Bow Lake Hugo Lake All Oklahoma lakes →

Always wear a life jacket and check your state's current regulations before you fish.