Conditions could be right for a full spawn bonanza at the Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier at Lake Eufaula presented by Lowrance April 9-11.
How successful anglers are, however, depends on the timing of spring rains according to Oklahoma’s Austin Cranford.
“It will be all about the spawn, for sure,” the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN pro said. “If conditions are stable, the first week of April on this lake is really, really good. But the water is coming. Because it is going to rain, we just don’t know when.
The tournament will launch out of Peter’s Point at 7 a.m. CT with weigh-ins scheduled for 3 p.m. Anglers are competing for spots in the 2025 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship at Upper Mississippi River presented by Lowrance.
By far Oklahoma’s largest reservoir, Lake Eufaula is one of the best all-around fisheries in Oklahoma and has been rising in popularity amongst tournament organizations. All three species of bass swim in these waters, with largemouth being the primary target. The Bassmaster Opens Series has visited Lake Eufaula the past two summers, and each tournament showcased a largemouth weighing 8 pounds or better.
Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pro and 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour champion Easton Fothergill took home the victory last June with a three-day total of 52 pounds, 8 ounces.
The first week of April is historically the time when bass flood the banks to spawn, Cranford said, but it is also the time of year when the water tends to rise on Lake Eufaula. If the water comes up before the bass go to spawn, the fishing will likely be better. If the bass go to spawn and then the lake level rises, it will be much tougher to locate those bass.
“What level is going to be everything,” he explained. “If the water comes up on April 8th or 9th, it is going to get really tough. Then you’ve got a whole bunch of water over top of those beds.”
For a prespawn bite in normal conditions, Cranford anticipates anglers will be able to use their forward-facing sonar to locate those bass as well as some of the spawning bass. If the water is stable, the bass tend to group up in areas around a certain type of rock.
“It is kind of a weird spawn place,” Cranford added. “That is if it is normal. I fished a tournament this same time last year and it was insanely good. Then there was a big flood right after that.”
Should the lake flood before the bass make their move, the shallow bushes will come into play, which Cranford believes is the best-case scenario.
“As soon as it floods, the bass are going to spawn. If the water comes up before that first wave of bass goes, the bush flipping bite will be insane.”
There are also stretches of water willow, and if the lake rises just a little higher than normal pool, that grass will also factor.
While Eufaula is a massive reservoir, the Opens anglers gravitated to only a couple of areas of the lake. During these spring events, Cranford imagines anglers will spread out more, especially if the lake rises.
“One of those tournaments will be won in an area it hasn’t been won before,” Cranford said. “There could be some really interesting things happening if anglers branch out.”
Texas-rigged creature baits, shaky head and wacky worms, as well as crankbaits will be important players. If the right conditions present themselves, frogs and buzzbaits could also produce big bites.
The City of Eufaula will be hosting the tournament.
