Welcome to our Lake Okeechobee Fishing Home Page
Lake Okeechobee is the second largest freshwater lake in the country. It is arguably the best bass fishing lake as well. Whether you come here to catch a lot of bass or to catch a giant, you can do both on Lake Okeechobee.
Primary Species of Fish
The bass thrive in this lake with all of the forage and cover for them. All types of grass are spread throughout this lake, which give the bass plenty of places to hide and rest. The most popular way to fish this lake is with shiners and by flipping jigs or soft plastics around the cover. If you are coming to Florida to catch a 10 pound bass, Lake Okeechobee is one of your best bets. There are numerous bass over 10 pounds as well as tons of bass in the 2 to 5 pound range. If you are going for a trophy bass, try the biggest shiners you can buy. Big bass love shiners on Lake Okeechobee.
Secondary Species of Fish
Catfish, Bowfin, Crappie, Bream (Bluegill & other similar Sunfish)
Lake Okeechobee does have good fishing for a variety of panfish too. Crappie (called specks down here) and bream are available in good numbers with lots of big fish too. Bream are just a variety of different sunfish that are similar to bluegill. Pumpkinseed and shell cracker are a couple examples of the different types of bream you will find in the lake. Catfish and bowfin round out the fishery here.
Lake Okeechobee is Huge
This lake is enormous. You can easily fish this lake with a smaller boat, however, on windy days, make sure you come out here with a capable boat. You have big water combined with alligators and snakes, so make sure you have everything you need to be safe.
Find Good Spots On Both Sides of the Lake
If you are here for a couple days or more, it is important to take a look at the weather forecast. If you have changing winds and high winds expected on your trip, it may be super important to find some good spots on the north and south sides of the lake when the wind makes it easier for you to make longer runs with the big motor.
When the wind isn’t cooperating, you are going to be forced to fish certain areas of the lake and you’re going to want to be prepared so you can still have a good day on the water.
No matter where you get stuck fishing though, you can catch largemouth bass throughout the lake, closer to the shorelines in the canals and farther offshore as well.
Water Problems
If you have been following the news over the past couple of years, you are probably aware of the problems that Lake Okeechobee has been causing to south Florida. While the state must figure out how to fix the water problems, the lake has remained an excellent bass fishery. The dark colored water that is getting discharged onto both coasts is definitely causing problems that will continue to affect the fisheries, the beaches and tourism. High waters on Lake Okeechobee usually shouldn’t affect a fishing trip for you if you are fishing Lake Okeechobee, but it can definitely affect the water conditions on both coasts.
Algae Blooms
High summer water temperatures combined with pollutants in the water can also lead to very large algae blooms. If you plan to fish here during the summer months, the algae blooms can be a factor on the fishing. Most people plan their bass fishing trips here during the late fall through spring time, so the algae blooms of the summer may not affect you at all on a trip here if you come during that time of year.
Follow the News
Your best bet is to follow the news and read up on what is going down there before planning a trip. Until they get the problem fixed for good, Lake Okeechobee water will be in the news as it can potentially affect millions of people in many different ways.
Fish the Vegetation
You have miles and miles of emergent vegetation to go along with tons of submerged vegetation. You will catch fish around most of it, so pick an area and start fishing.
Fish the Canals
You can avoid the big lake and the heavy winds by staying in and fishing the canals. You have some canals throughout the lake, but the Clewiston area gives you a much larger area if you choose to do this type of fishing. Anglers report good catches of largemouth bass in the canals, however, most of the bigger bass will usually be caught out on the main lake for most of the year.
Fish Offshore
The offshore grass beds are usually key to find larger numbers of bass and better quality bass. You can easily fish this lake and do well by never going offshore to fish the main lake, but for the anglers that do, they know what it can be like when you find some larger schools of bass. The lake is one giant grass bed, so there is literally grass throughout the entire lake, but try to find more productive areas offshore and you may have a much better fishing day. Submerged grass beds offshore are usually key to some of the better tournament weights out here as well.
Lake Okeechobee Fishing Regulations
Florida Fish & Wildlife Freshwater Fishing Regulations Page
