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We’re less than halfway through the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Lake Tenkiller and this fishery nestled into the western edge of the Ozark mountains in eastern Oklahoma is proving to be an excellent playing field for Elite Series competition. If you took a scroll through social media following the pros’ official practice, you would have seen plenty of Elites being critical of this ~13,000 reservoir.

Most of the criticism surrounded Tenkiller’s size, as this is the smallest body of water the Elite’s will visit in 2025. Anglers also bemoaned the fluctuations of both water level and water clarity on Tenkiller right now.

This lake was constructed for flood control back in 1953 and this part of the country has had a lot of rain recently. It’s not abnormal for Tenkiller to fluctuate 20-feet or more in the spring, but Elite pros have dealt with water levels ranging from eight feet to just under four feet above normal pool this week.

While there are certainly factors to critique, I’d propose Tenkiller is as close to a perfect host for an Elite Series tournament that you’ll find.

First off, every single competitor weighed in a limit on day one of the tournament. In and of itself, that is impressive. To be fair, there is usually at least one derby per season where this happens; these guys are the best in the world after all.

But Tenkiller offers the opportunity at the trifecta of keeper bass; meaning there is a healthy population of largemouth, smallmouth and spots. That’s another plus in favor of Tenkiller Ferry.

Standing behind the weigh-in stage yesterday, there was plenty of lamenting on the lack of size of their limits, but what stood out to me was the numbers of keepers many anglers caught, and the variety of patterns employed to catch them.

Bass were caught from six inches to forty feet deep on everything from topwaters to finesse FFS techniques. Marina docks, flooded bushes, offshore brush piles and points, suspended bass roaming the depths, willow trees, and bluff walls were all included in the mix.

Team Toyota pro Matt Arey was one such pro who caught dozens of fish enroute to his 13-10-lb. bag of fish that had him sitting in 31^st place.

“I never got a big bite but man I caught a lot of fish today,” Arey said. “I flipped bushes most all of day one and probably boated close to 30 keepers. All three species, too. You can’t beat flipping into a bush and catching a smallmouth… sure, this lake is small, comparatively, but it’s a lot of fun and full of fish.”

Limits across the board, fish of all three species, a variety of patterns, and super tight weights keeping anglers from 1^st to 101^st within striking range. Sounds like a pretty good lake to have a tournament.

Another redeeming quality of this fishery that can’t be overstated is the stunning beauty of Tenkiller and the rolling hills that surround it. Even with rainy, inclement weather the first two days this area has impressed with its picturesque aesthetic.

Remarking on the main criticism of Tenkiller, it’s smaller than usual size, I would argue that this is actually a good thing for bass fishing fans watching this event. It’s common for this fishery to host 100 to 200 boat local tournaments, much like many major bass fisheries in the south.

These regional and local anglers have to deal with fishing pressure and a plethora of boats every time they jump into a weekend tournament. They know all-too-well the negatives of getting in a bad rotation when fishing shallow or having to wait for another boat to vacate an offshore spot before slipping in to make a cast.

Managing a myriad of boats and fishing pressure is a reality of most club tournaments. Elite pros should have to grapple with these same elements. It’s relatable and refreshing to see from a fans’ standpoint.

“I think whoever wins this tournament had no idea going into day one,” Toyota Bonus Bucks pro Cody Huff offered. “You can learn a lot in practice, but fishing pressure is something that has to play out during the tournament.

“Not to mention, with the fluctuating water levels we’re faced with this week, the leading pattern is likely going to change. Heck, if you’re fishing shallow to start the event, the cover you’re casting at is likely going to be dry by the weekend.”

To excel in this tournament anglers will have to adapt every single day, adjusting in real time to stay with groups of fish and outmaneuver their peers. All these factors and nuances have set this weekend up to be The Thrilla at Lake Tenkilla, a heavyweight battle of changing conditions and decision making. May the best man win.