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A look at Arkansas River Muskogee

Elites make their first visit to a river in Oklahoma on fourth stop of 2026.

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Captions by
Mike Suchan
“Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain.” That line from the Rodgers-Hammerstein tune, which was adopted as the state song, might just be the theme for this week’s Gamakatsu Bassmaster Elite at Arkansas River. Expect wind, some rain and the winner exclaiming “Oklahoma, O.K.”
Starting from snowpack in the Rocky Mountains, the Arkansas River flows 1,469 miles — the sixth longest in the United States — through Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas before emptying into the Mississippi River. Visit Muskogee is host as anglers can fish nearby pools 15, 16 and 17 of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas Navigation System.
Lock 18 serves as the northern boundary, and lock 15 is as far south an anglers can fish for any bass measuring 12 inches or more. Rains can quickly muddy areas, putting clearer water at a premium.
Three Forks Harbor, at 5201 Three Forks Road in Fort Gibson, is tournament central, with daily takeoffs at 7 a.m. CT and weigh-ins at 3 p.m. The Expo, with live music from Walker Montgomery and Casey Chestnutt, and activities for all ages opens at noon each weekend day. All B.A.S.S. events are free to attend.
This will be the seventh pro B.A.S.S. event here and the first Elite. Oklahoma’s Chris Jones won the most recent Open in 2020, doubling up after winning the 2013 Open. Other Opens champs on the Arkansas River are Harvey Horne, Skylar Hamilton, Mark Tyler and Tommy Biffle. Horne posted the top weight, 52 pounds, 7 ounces, over three days.
Chris Johnson, who embraces old school tactics and equipment, won the B.A.S.S Nation qualifier here in 2024. Accessing protected water through levee breaks, Johnson threw a black and blue jig and a spinnerbait to win the three-day event with 51-3.
Oklahoma Elite Luke Palmer said rain before and during the event should stir things up. “That’s going to get some more flow in the river … That should help the bite,” he said, adding current puts baitfish and bass in predictable locations.
Conversely, it shrinks fishable water. “That chocolate milk can make the river fish a little smaller, because really fresh mud can blow out an area,” Palmer said. “Water clarity will be a big thing, but there are several big, clearer backwaters that guys can get into.”
The fishery offers a mix of cover, from laydowns and stumps to submersed vegetation and willow. The river should come into play as forward-facing sonar is allowed in this event. “It will probably be mostly spawn and postspawn,” Palmer said. “Those postspawn fish will move out of the backwaters and get on main river stuff, because those backwaters get pretty warm in the Oklahoma heat.”
Rain chances, with potential for strong storms, run through Friday, with Oklahoma winds sweeping down the plain much of the week.
Barring extreme conditions, Palmer said to expect good weights. “It depends how our weather goes,” he said, “but I’ve never seen the fish in such good shape. They’re fat and they’re healthy, so this is gonna be a good event.”
“It’s gonna take 18 pounds a day to win and it will take close to 17 a day to make the Top 10,” he said. “I’ve been watching local tournament results and there have been several 20-pound bags, with probably 15 to 16 pounds down to 15th place. That’s pretty strong for a river system.”
One huge variable is locking up or down. Palmer said the entire fishery should be in play. “That’s a fishery where you can catch 20 pounds anywhere,” he said. “Guys could stay close and win it or make big runs and win it.”
The anglers have been given set times of locking, but it does reduce fishing time and adds pressure. Barges receive lock priority, so anglers could be shut out. A good percentage of the field is expected to head south to Kerr Reservoir, which could add more than an hour of lock and travel time.
Bassmaster LIVE will air Thursday and Friday on Bassmaster.com and Roku Sports Channel. FS1 will host April 18 from 8-11:30 a.m. ET before heading to Bassmaster.com from 12:30-3 p.m. On Sunday, action can be found on FS1 from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. before heading to Bassmaster.com for afternoon coverage.

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