COOKSON, Okla. — Multiple patterns could be at play during the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller, but which ones perform best will be determined by potentially high water levels and current generation, according to Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series rookie Blake Capps.

“It will be a really fun tournament to watch live. Just going out and fun fishing, this is one of the best lakes to go to,” the Muskogee native said. “I have been over there plenty of times with the water up, and you’ll be flipping trees and catching smallmouth. That’s not something you see all the time.

“This is the smallest lake we are going to this year, and having the water up will help spread us out.”

Tournament days are set for June 12-15 with daily takeoffs starting at 6:30 a.m. at Cherokee Landing State Park. Weigh-in time is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday back at State Park, while the weigh-ins on Saturdy and Sunday will take place at Cherokee Casino Tahlequah starting at 3 p.m.

The full field will fish Day 1 and 2, while only the Top 50 will fish on Semifinal Saturday. The Top 10 anglers following the Day 3 weigh-in will compete for a blue trophy and the $100,000 first-place prize.

Often overshadowed by the larger reservoirs in the state like Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees and Lake Eufaula, the 12,900-acre Illinois River reservoir has a history of producing quality largemouth, smallmouth and even spotted bass. The Elite Series made its first trip to Tenkiller in late September of 2019, an event originally scheduled to be held at Fort Gibson Lake. Australia native Carl Jocumsen won that event with 54 pounds, 15 ounces.

This go-round, Capps expects the weights to be tight throughout the field with the winner averaging 18 pounds per day.

“It is hard to win on smallmouth alone. You need a largemouth or two in your bag to win,” Capps said. “The guys with mixed bags or just largemouth are hard to beat.”

Heavy rains have inundated eastern Oklahoma throughout the spring. Just last week, as anglers were practicing for the Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series at Lake Tenkiller presented by Native Watercraft, the lake rose over 8 feet above full pool. By the end of the tournament, which was won by BassmastHER Ambassador Kristine Fischer with mostly largemouth, the Corp of Engineers brought the lake level down several feet.

While water fluctuation moved the bass around, the kayak anglers still reported catching promising numbers and quality of both largemouth and smallmouth. Capps said the area is expecting another 10 inches of rain before tournament time, which will create an interesting dynamic for the Elite Series field.

“The rain and current will be our biggest curveballs,” Capps said. “It has been a roller coaster. I haven’t been on the lake, either, and I haven’t been on the lake to see how dirty it is. Generally speaking, Tenkiller is one of the cleanest lakes in Oklahoma. With this much rain and current, I don’t expect it to be as clean as usual.”

With higher lake levels, buckbrush and flooded wood on the bank will be the main cover the bass will use. Capps expects anglers who fish shallow to catch fish with creature baits and topwaters. There is also the potential for an angler to stumble upon a bluegill spawn.

Capps also believes there will be a good offshore bite. Rockpiles and brushpiles will be key targets. Channel swing banks are also plentiful. Football jigs and topwaters have also been historically productive offshore presentations this time of the year.

“They have had current running through the lake for a month straight now,” Capps said. “I don’t know if they will be as deep as they normally are. We don’t normally have this much current this late in the year.”

With conditions likely to change from day to day, Capps envisions the winner executing several different patterns over the course of the four-day tournament.

“I don’t think anyone is going to win it on one spot. It will be the guys who move around and change it up. Things are changing, and it is going to be a tournament where you need to keep an open mind.”

After six events, Plover, Wis., pro Jay Przekurat leads the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year race with 544 points. Reigning Angler of the Year Chris Johnston is second with 502 points followed by Japanese standout Kyoya Fujita in third (494), Illinois’ Trey McKinney in fourth (487) and Alabama’s Will Davis Jr in fifth with 480 points. South Carolina pro Patrick Walters is sixth with 479 points; veteran Elite Series pro Bill Lowen is seventh with 467 points; North Carolina’s Shane LeHew is eighth with 451 points; Japan’s Taku Ito is ninth with 448 points; and California's Bryant Smith is 10th with 439 points.

Georgia’s Paul Marks leads the Dakota Lithium Elite Series Rookie of the Year standings with 435 points followed by Alabama’s Tucker Smith in second with 418 points and Minnesota’s Easton Fothergill in third with 403 points.

Live coverage of the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller will be available on Bassmaster.com Thursday and Friday beginning at 8 a.m. ET until 3 p.m. ET. Roku will have coverage on Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and noon to 3 p.m. Coverage on Saturday will be available on FS1 from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. before moving to Bassmaster.com from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday’s coverage will be available on FS1 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. before FOX takes the reins from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The Oklahoma Ozarks Tourism Association is hosting the event.

2025 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsors: Progressive, Toyota
2025 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2025 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Triton Boats, VMC, Yokohama

About B.A.S.S.

B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bassmaster Junior Series, Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.