First an important reminder to set your clocks back on Saturday night and remember that a tournament taking off at ‘First Light’ on Sunday may have a 6:00 am start. Sunrise jumps from 7:31 am on Saturday to 6:32 am on Sunday. If you’re involved in a tournament on Sunday make sure to confirm the starting time.
WEATHER OUTLOOK
This weekend’s weather is shaping up for a gorgeous fishing weekend. From the Highlands to the south end of Lake Okeechobee, the winds should be light and from the NNE on Friday, shifting to ESE on Saturday and then SE on Sunday. Chance of rain is slight and the morning’s low temperatures will be around 65°F and rising to 85°F. The Barometric pressure will be on the rise after this front moves through so that should energize the bite. The moon will be 3 days into the waning cycle so late night speck fishermen should have good light conditions over the weekend. The Morning Major Bite is at 2:16 am on Friday and the PM Major is at 2:45 pm. With the time change on Sunday morning the AM Major is at 4:20 am and the PM Major is at 10:00 pm.
WATER LEVELS
- Lake Okeechobee: 14.58-ft ASL, ↓ 0.13-ft
- Lake Istokpoga: 39.40-ft ASL, ↑ 0.04-ft
- Arbuckle Creek @ DeSoto: 4.27-ft ↓ 0.02
- Fisheating Creek @ US 27: 4.31-ft ↓ 0.83-ft
- Peace River @ Zolfo Springs: 6.53-ft, ↓ 1.36-ft
- Caloosahatchee River
- Moore Haven Locks: Head 14.42-ft, Tail 10.85-ft, Flow 584 CFS
- Ortona Locks: Head 10.70-ft, Tail 3.02-ft, Flow 267 CFS
- W.P. Franklin Lock: Head 3.15-ft, Tail 1.98-ft, Flow 550 CFS
- St Lucie Lock: Head 13.94-ft, Tail 2.28-ft, Flow 0 CFS
- Port Mayaca Lock: Head 14.46-ft, Tail 13.90-ft, Flow 462 CFS
Lake Okeechobee South End
Slim’s Fish Camp, Belle Glade (561-996-3844): Jim reports the recent weather pattern has slowed the bite. One day those venturing out will catch bass in the 2 to 4 lb range on artificals and then nothing the next day. Wild shiners still produce the larger bass though the numbers are still low. For soft plastics, red, red glitter, and white have been the colors of the week. For Speck fishermen the bite has been slow with only a few being caught during a 2-4 hr trip. Something of note is that the Hillsboro Canal Gate has been open this week which means riverbank fishing has improved for catfish and panfish. The hope is as the trailing front from Patricia passes through the fishing will begin to improve.
The Bait Shop at Harney Pond, Lakeport (863-946-0170): Johnathan said earlier in the week the bite was a bit slow, probably due to the windy conditions. The good news is, as the wind died down the bass bite has picked up. Those fishing the Spoil Islands and Hydrilla edges have been picking up bass. Wild Shiners are still the preferred bait but swim and jerk baits with red and red glitter are seeing some nice action. Bass still remain slotted in the 10-15 inch range. Speck fishing was limited due to the winds but should improve this weekend. Surprisingly Bluegills continue to be caught in noticeable numbers with worms being the preferred bait. Catfish still remain very active.
Lake Okeechobee North End
Garrard’s Bait & Tackle, Okeechobee (863-763-3416): Lief reports the bass bite is strong on wild shiners though artificials have slowed down a bit. The water at the north-end has remained pretty clear during the past windy period so the fish remain close to the outside edge weedline. As for Specks, drifting the river in 12-13 feet of water with minnows and grass shrimp are producing some nice size fish. The same is true for those drifting the lake. This weekend should produce some solid results.
No Bad Daze Bait & Tackle, Okeechobee (863-484-8126): Tyler says bass fishing has been good with half day trips using wild shiners yielding 20-30 bass. Guys fishing the Kissimmee Grass and Eel Grass beds have been doing well. Culprit’s Red Shad and Watermelon Red Flake Shad have been the hot colors this week. Speck fishing remains good both in the river and on the open lake. Pink and white jigs have been most productive along with live minnows.
Highlands County
Admiral’s Cove, Lake Placid (863-465-0982): The ‘Admiral’ Ed reports that bass fishing in the south Lake Placid area has picked up this week. Once the winds died down and the water cleared, the bass started to feed more aggressively. Soft plastics have been the best artificials and shiners the best live bait. Speck fishing was a bit slow over the past weekend but picked up by mid-week. Minnows and chartreuse jigs are producing the best.
Lorida Bait & Tackle, Lorida (863-655-1784): Bass fishing on the lake has picked up this week. The water has cleared some and bass are sniffing out spawning areas. Working shoreline areas near deeper water has been productive. Specks continue to be active with minnows the preferred bait.
Performance Marine Bait & Tackle, Lake Placid (863-465-2814): Jeff reports the bass in the Lake Placid area are returning to their typical fall patterns. Last year the cycle was a little bit off. In the deeper lakes like Lake Placid and Lake June, the bait balls in the deeper water have been breaking up causing the bass to scatter. You’ll find fish roaming the grassy areas in 10 – 15ft feet of water and shallower. Lake Istokpoga is picking up. Some nice fish are being caught now and the bass are feeding actively. The bass are also looking very healthy in color and putting on that pre-spawn weight. Water temperature is down and the clarity is improving which also helps to turn the fish on.
Tale Tales Bait & Tackle, Avon Park (863-452-2248): Rob reports some big bass continue to be caught in the lakes surrounding Avon Park. We’re talking 11 to 13.5 lbs. These are being caught on both artificials and wild shiners. A big mover at his shop has been Culpirt’s red worms. A pleasant surprise has been the bite of nice sized bream who have been favoring live red worms. The catfish bite remains strong.
Caloosahatchee River
Miller Bait & Tackle, LaBelle (863-342-8264): Fishing has been slow but steady along the river. There was a bump in the amount of water being released from the locks mid-week which perks up the fishing but the release has since slowed. Still for those venturing out onto the river, the catfish bite has been good.
All-in-all, this looks like a nice weekend to get out there and enjoy the weather and the improved fishing conditions. Thanks for reading our weekly Okeechobee fishing report and be sure to follow us on Facebook!
[easy-social-share]
