Late-season largemouth bass on Lake Okeechobee: a picture of the week

Fall on the water means cool mornings, fewer boats and fish feeding up before winter. Lake Okeechobee spreads over about 467,000 acres and roughly 135 miles of shoreline at full pool. The deepest water sits around 10 ft. Largemouth bass, crappie and bluegill are what most anglers on Lake Okeechobee are after. Knowing which fish are comfortable at that day's temperature narrows a big lake down to a few good spots.

Alligators in Lake Okeechobee from Lake Okeechobee Park. Photo: Dough4872, CC BY-SA 4.0

Pahokee - Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. Photo: RicoRico, CC BY 4.0

Shore of Lake Okeechobee. Photo: Idawriter, CC BY-SA 3.0

On the water now

The surface reads 75°F (on November 6). On Lake Okeechobee, largemouth bass are in a good mood. In the 70s bass feed hard but pick their hours, low light and shade most of all. Then there are crappie, a fair bet. In the 70s crappie scatter; docks, brush and bridge shade at mid depth hold the most fish.

The level reads 14.1 ft, 1.4 ft higher than a week ago and 1.8 ft up over 26 days. That puts it 0.9 ft below the usual level for this time of year. Rising water floods new cover along the banks, and fish move in with it.

Where to go

Our pick to start on Lake Okeechobee is the back of a cove in 8 to 12 ft of water, marked on the map. Sheltered, shallower water where baitfish gather. Expect largemouth bass and bluegill there; try spinnerbait or crankbait along the edge.

Depth map of Lake Okeechobee: shoreline, depth shading and contour lines, with today's free fishing spot and boat ramps — **Lake Okeechobee lake bed.** Darker blue is deeper water; contour lines every 5 ft. The star marks the free spot named in this report (back of a cove, 8 to 12 ft).

See this spot in 3-D

Plan a visit

Launch at Chancy Bay Creek boat launch and Henry Creek. Places to stay near the water are listed below if you want to make a weekend of it.