January Clewiston Fishing Report
This archived January 2020 Clewiston report preserves two Lake Okeechobee trips with Capt. Mark Shepard and Capt. Mark Rose. It is useful as historical winter field evidence, not as a current conditions report.
Lake Okeechobee often enters an important prespawn and spawning period during winter, but timing varies with water temperature, weather, water level, vegetation, and individual fish. Moon phase can be one planning clue, but it should not be treated as a guarantee.
All across the lake, from the North to the South, you can experience some excellent bass fishing. Okeechobee City, Clewiston, and Belle Glade are prime destinations this time of year. Experienced local guides can help interpret current wind, water level, vegetation, and fish movement on this large shallow lake.
Historical Lake Okeechobee January field reports
“I had the pleasure of fishing with my long-time repeat clients, Steven and Taylor. Taylor was a young man when he first came out fishing with me on Lake Okeechobee and now is fishing on FSU’s College bass fishing team. We have shared a lot of fantastic memories together as well as caught some big fish together.
Steven and Taylor both are artificial-lure anglers who enjoy fishing with Capt. Mark Shepard. This time of year can be fruitful to anglers that want to catch bass with artificial baits. Even in extreme fishing conditions, years of knowledge allowed me to guide these anglers to success.
Heavy winds and cool air made for an interesting day on the water. It was a great adventure exploring all that Clewiston had to offer. The male and female largemouth bass moved in off the main lake giving us the opportunity to cash in on some numbers.
Steven and Taylor caught a lot of fish on their fishing trip. The biggest fish caught on this trip weighed up to 7 pounds. Most of the fish caught were on my Wow Factor Fishing Mark Shepard 2.0 Crankbait in the Mullet Pattern. Also, they caught a number of fish on soft plastics.
As always, I really enjoyed fishing with Steven and Taylor. I am looking forward to our next adventure soon.
That historical January trip produced strong action despite heavy wind and cool air. Current anglers should verify present lake conditions rather than assuming the same pattern is active now.” – Captain Mark Shepard
Just shortly after this fishing trip, Captain Mark Rose explored Clewiston as well!
“Ted came out on a fishing trip out of Clewiston, FL looking to catch some largemouth. He was traveling from Bradenton and loved to explore Lake Okeechobee. I took him out to experience what Clewiston had to offer and he caught some big bass on artificial baits.
When the bass is in transition, you can have a lot of fun catching them on artificial baits. The most productive bait on this trip was a soft-plastic fluke. Ted landed a beautiful 6-pound largemouth slowly working the fluke through the grass. When throwing soft plastics this time of year, watermelon magic put some fish in the boat.
Sunny and calm conditions helped Ted land over 15 largemouth bass on his quick 4-hour trip. You never know what you will catch when adventuring out on Lake Okeechobee.
Ted had a great time and I am looking forward to fishing with him again in the near future!” – Captain Mark Rose
Planning a January Lake Okeechobee trip
January can be a productive period on Lake Okeechobee, especially when stable weather, cleaner water, healthy vegetation, and seasonal bass movement line up. Conditions can change quickly after fronts, so use current lake and weather information when planning.
We hope you enjoyed this fishing trip. Whether you want to throw artificial bait or live bait, you can have a great time on the water. Our local experts are very knowledgeable of the proper techniques to help you land the fish you are after.
See you on the water next time!
For current seasonal guidance, see our best time to fish Lake Okeechobee guide. For current Clewiston planning and availability, use the Clewiston fishing page and Lake Okeechobee fishing charters.
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