Lake Okeechobee Fishing

Lake Okeechobee is the most “famous big bass body of water” in the fishing capital of the world Florida, well-known for the quantity and quality of bass the lake produces. This fishing reputation on Lake Okeechobee fishery has continued for many years as it creates the biggest and best largemouth bass fishing in Florida and, by some standards, the world.

Important info about Lake Okeechobee

Below are some of the reasons Lake Okeechobee Florida is so well-regarded by bass fishermen everywhere, but you need to experience the “Big O” first hand. Lake Okeechobee is the largest lake in Florida, and the priority is controlling water levels for flood control. Most of the flow incomes from the Kissimmee River and out down the Caloosahatchee River because the Herbert Hoover Dike surrounds the entire water body.

Top Targeted Okeechobee Fish Species

How to Fish Lake Okeechobee Largemouth Bass

When Lake Okeechobee fishing, the two primary ways to fish are artificial baits or wild shiners, also known as live bait. Bass fishing on the “Big O” with wild shiners is the preferred bait, or at least let’s say the most popular for many anglers for trophy bass. It just happens that it’s the natural food that the local largemouth bass, and what they feed on daily in the fishery.

Quick look into Live bait fishing

Lake Okeechobee fishing experience with wild shiners became very popular many years ago when anglers fishing for largemouth bass would see the largemouth bass naturally feeding in the habitat. 

It has become an increasingly popular choice because once you’ve experienced this style of fishing, you’ll quickly recognize that it’s much more than just sitting and watching bobbers. 

Like all fishing techniques, the time of year is essential, and there are particular kinds of tackle and secret ways of hooking and rigging shiners to be more productive. We’re not telling you how at this time, you will have to keep reading.

Lake Okeechobee Fishing with Artificial Lures

Like many of you, the preferred method of largemouth bass Okeechobee fishing is with artificial lures as much as possible. When freshwater fishing with artificials, you have the choice of spinning, baitcasting, or Lake Okeechobee is excellent for fly fishing as well. 

Flipping and pitching on Okeechobee is always really popular. Based on local fishing reports, Lake Okeechobee still an excellent lake for topwater plugs due to its shallow depths and weedy bottom for big bass.

Local Tackle Guide Recommendations

We talked with our partners and good friends at Jolly Roger Marina to get a local Lake Okeechobee fishing perspective of what selling. “Depending on the date of the year, you have options.” Plastics baits continue to be number one for Lake Okeechobee bass fishing; they also report, more specifically, Zoom products, the fluke, the speed worm, and Brush hog. In Bass Assassin, look at using the Die Dapper and Shad Assassin. A local favorite WOW Factor shallow crankbaits, rattle traps, Zara Spook for Topwater, or something similar. 

Pitching baits into Lake Okeechobee grass is the most productive technique for trophy largemouth bass. You can stock up on all your needs locally at Walmart, Marinas, and local tackle shops around most Florida lakes.

Exploring Lake Okeechobee By Foot

You must consider that if you are exploring a fishing trip to Lake Okeechobee, Florida, for the first time, traveling on foot is concerning. However, if you have naturalized all parties with the terrain, fishing on foot from the shoreline can be a way of identifying the extent of the lake’s serenity.

There are infinite alternative areas for bank fishing, and these are the grassy banks, concrete walkways, fishing piers, and so on, which can be found by searching fishing reports online. Favorably for you, these points are fishable and walkable. You should also be aware that fish aren’t the only things that inhabit Okeechobee waters.

Build a Travel Guide for your Trip

One of the State of Florida deadly things found here is the famous Florida gator, and this is why it is advisable to find a destination to fish from piers or local boat ramps that have docks. It should be safety first before your next Lake Okeechobee fishing experience. Given that Lake Okeechobee is home to numerous game fish freshwater species. Most bluegill, crappie, and largemouth bass can be caught while bank fishing. Bank fishing from anywhere in freshwater requires a Florida fishing license.

About Lake Okeechobee

The Seminole Indian name Lake Okeechobee means “Big Water.” A proper name for the largest freshwater reservoir in the United States, occurring entirely in one state. The Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission state, “there is no place that can compare with Lake Okeechobee, not only for lunker largemouth bass, history, and wildlife but its size.”

Lake Okeechobee History

Lake Okeechobee is about 37 miles long by 30 miles wide, totaling over 730 square miles with an average depth of only 10 feet. To fishermen nationwide, it’s renowned for the number of largemouth bass it has per acre. Lake Okeechobee fishing produces more largemouth bass over 7 pounds than any lakes in Florida and arguably the entire United States.

Lake Okeechobee is positioned in central southern Florida, north of the Everglades and south of Orlando. It links the Atlantic and Gulf sides of Florida via the Port Mayaca Lock on Okeechobee’s east side and the Moore Haven Lock on the Lake Okeechobee’s western side. Drainage canals lower the lake and drain adjacent lands for farming. Agricultural activities Central Florida Okeechobee area include cattle ranching, dairy farming, and crop production of sugarcane, winter vegetables, citrus, sod, sweet corn, and rice.

Desaster Strikes Lake Okeechobee

In 1926 and 1928, hurricane waters destroyed the dikes on the lake’s southern edge, which resulted in thousands of deaths. The Okeechobee waterway was developed with canals, and levees were built and as a reservoir. Today, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District direct the waters via dikes, canals, and floodgates to protect against flooding, to prevent navigation of saltwater intrusion, and to give water for agricultural irrigation and drinking water supplies to large urban areas in the State of Florida. These water management activities have much encumbered the water flow from Okeechobee to the Everglades. Instead of alternating wet and dry seasons, which provided steady sheets of water, the Everglades now receive times of drought or powerful discharges of water.

This body of water sports all types of waterway structures to fish – from open water to narrow canals surrounded by hundreds of different vegetation and grasses.

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