UTERThe best time to fish Lake Okeechobee is December through March, when trophy Florida largemouth bass spawn in the reeds and speckled perch (crappie) school in the open water. February is usually the peak for big bass. The rest of the year still fishes: bluegill and shellcracker bed on the spring and summer full moons, and fall brings schooling bass that bust shad at dawn.
Lake Okeechobee is 730 square miles of shallow water, mostly under 12 feet deep, ringed by a rim canal and the Herbert Hoover Dike. The best fishing is along its western and northern marsh, in the bulrush, Kissimmee grass, eelgrass, hydrilla and lily pads from Clewiston and Moore Haven up to Lakeport and Okeechobee city. In Fish Scouter it's part of the Florida freshwater region, and the months below come from that page of the season calendar. They're statewide, and we've noted where Okeechobee runs earlier or later than the rest of Florida.
Lake Okeechobee fishing calendar at a glance
| Month | Headline | Top targets |
|---|---|---|
| January | Pre-spawn giants and speck season | Largemouth, crappie |
| February | Bass on the beds | Largemouth, crappie |
| March | Last bass spawners; shellcracker start | Largemouth, shellcracker, bluegill |
| April | Post-spawn bass on topwater; bream beds | Largemouth, bluegill, shellcracker |
| May | Bream beds peak | Bluegill, shellcracker, warmouth |
| June | Dawn bass; bream and warmouth | Bluegill, warmouth, largemouth |
| July | Summer: fish before the storms | Bluegill, largemouth, catfish |
| August | Hot water: early, late and at night | Bluegill, catfish, bowfin |
| September | Fall begins slowly | Largemouth, gar, bowfin |
| October | Fall feed on shad | Largemouth, crappie |
| November | Specks school up | Crappie, largemouth |
| December | Speck season; early pre-spawn | Crappie, largemouth |
Bass season: December to April
Okeechobee is famous for Florida-strain largemouth, which spawn earlier than bass anywhere else in the country because the water warms early. In South Florida the pre-spawn starts in December, and the fish move to the spawning flats on every warm spell between fronts.
December and January: pre-spawn giants
The biggest fish of the year sit on the outside grass edges, the line where the reeds and Kissimmee grass meet open water. They feed hard before moving in to spawn. The classic Okeechobee method is a wild golden shiner under a cork, drifted or anchored along that outside edge. Artificial anglers swim a bladed jig or a swimbait along the edge and flip the thick mats on bright days. A cold front can push fish back out and shut the bite for two or three days. Fish the warming afternoons after a front.
February: the beds
The heart of the spawn. Bass move onto the beds in the reeds, the bulrush and the hydrilla pockets, and the full and new moons bring the biggest waves of fish in. Sight-fishing a bed in clear, calm water is the highlight of the year. Flip a soft plastic into the pockets, or soak a shiner just outside the reed line. Release the big females where you catch them so they can finish spawning. FWC's TrophyCatch program rewards anglers who document and release bass over 8 pounds.
March and April: the last spawners and the post-spawn
By March most Okeechobee fish have spawned and are recovering on the grass edges, while the north of the state is still on beds. In April the post-spawn bass get aggressive again. A topwater frog or a walking bait over the grass at dawn, and a swim jig along the edges later, are the patterns. See our largemouth bass spawn by state guide for how Florida's timing compares with the rest of the country.
Speck season: November to March
Specks, the local name for black crappie, are Okeechobee's winter fish and the best-eating fish in the lake. In November they gather in open water off the grass. December and January are the best of it. Troll or spider-rig several rods with small jigs and live minnows at different depths, slowly, until you find the school, then stay on it. In February the specks move into the reeds and the eelgrass to spawn, and anglers fish them with a minnow under a small float in the pockets. By late March the run is over.
Bream season: March to June
Shellcracker (redear sunfish) start bedding around the full moon in March, peak in April, and spawn again on the May full moon. Fish red worms on the bottom over shell and hard sand. Bluegill bed from April through July, with May the peak. Look for the round, pale beds in shallow sand pockets in the grass, and fish crickets or grass shrimp under a small float. On a calm day you can smell a big bed before you see it. Warmouth live in the thick cover all spring and summer and hit the same baits.
Summer: June to September
Summer on Okeechobee is hot and wet. Water temperatures run in the upper 80s and the 90s, and storms build most afternoons. Fish from first light until mid-morning for bass on topwater and live shiners along the grass, and quit before the lightning starts. Bluegill keep bedding into July. Catfish, bowfin and gar feed in the heat and at night.
Some summers bring blue-green algae blooms on parts of the lake. Check the Florida DEP algal bloom reports before you go, and avoid fishing or launching into a heavy bloom.
Okeechobee also holds non-native fish, such as Mayan cichlids and tilapia, which feed best in hot water. Mayans hit small jigs and worms along the rocks and the rim canal. Peacock bass are a South Florida canal fish and are not part of the lake fishery.
Fall: October and November
As the water cools in October, the bass feed. Schools of largemouth bust shad on the big lake at dawn, and lipless crankbaits and topwater over the schools catch them. In November the specks school up and the season turns back to winter.
Water level, wind and fronts
Okeechobee has no tide, so three things move the fish.
- Lake level. The Army Corps of Engineers manages the lake's level. High water pushes fish into the outer grass and spreads them out. Low water concentrates them on the outside edges and in the deeper holes, and can make some boat trails hard to run. Check the current level before you plan a route.
- Wind. A big, shallow lake gets rough fast. A 15 mph wind kicks up a steep, short chop on open water, so stay in the lee of the grass on windy days. Light wind and a little chop on the grass edges is ideal.
- Cold fronts. The winter bass and speck bite is a cycle of fronts. The fish shut down on the cold, bright, high-pressure day after a front and turn back on as it warms. Our barometric pressure guide explains why.
Rules
A Florida freshwater fishing license is required for most anglers. Bass, crappie and panfish bag and size limits are set by FWC and can change. Read the current rules at MyFWC freshwater regulations before you keep fish.
Read the lake before you go
Fish Scouter's freshwater forecast was built for lakes with no tide to read. It combines the season calendar with the water temperature (a nearby gauge, or an estimate from recent air temperatures that is clearly labeled as an estimate), pressure trend, wind, the dawn and dusk windows, and the solunar table. It ranks the species for the spot you pick, with the reasons written out. We think it's the best way to pick the warm afternoon after a front. Try Fish Scouter free.