FISHING REPORT OVERVIEW
Recent rains have raised lake and stream levels considerably. The Peace River spiked by 5-ft this past week though it’s returning to normal levels quickly. Other streams such as Fisheating Creek and Arbuckle Creek also saw a major spike in flow rates. Lake Okeechobee rose over 4-inches to 15.10-ft. Factor in the cold nights we have been having and most local lakes have seen a major drop in temperature. Lake Istokpoga dropped to 56° as of Wednesday and Lake Okeechobee fell to 61°. We have been waiting for this drop in temperatures so as soon as the fish get acclimated we should see bass returning to the shallows on warm sunny days. Unfortunately this will be a challenging weekend to fish area lakes.
WEATHER OUTLOOK:
The tail of that cold front bringing blizzard conditions up north will be pushing through the area on Friday. The barometer will be falling all day Friday bringing a 75% chance of rain and winds in the 15-20mph range that will start from the SE and shift to the SW and eventually to the NW on Sunday as the front clears. Saturday we’ll have clear and sunny skies and a rising barometer but the winds will be strong and approach 25-30mph at times. By Sunday the winds will begin to calm down to about 10-15 mph. This front will also bring another round of cool temperatures with expected Sunday morning wake up temperatures of 40° and a daytime high of only 60°. However the wind chill will make things feel a bit colder. Sunrise on Friday will be at 7:12am and set at 5:55pm. This Sunday is the full moon. The moon rises on Friday at 4:56pm and sets at 5:47am so it should be a bright evening. The AM-Major occurs on Friday at 9:42am and the PM-Major occurs at 10:00pm. Remember to add approximately one hour to the period for each consecutive day.
Water Levels – January 21, 2016
Lake Okeechobee: 15.10 ASL ↑ 0.32-ft Temp 61°
Lake Istokpoga: 39.24 ASL ↓ 0.11-ft, Temp 56°
Arbuckle Creek @ DeSoto: 5.05 ↑0.95-ft
Fisheating Creek @ US 27: 6.20 ↑ 2.38-ft
Peace River @ Zolfo Springs: 11.28 ↑ 3.91-ft; It was 14.2ft on Jan 18
Kissimmee River @ S-65E: Head 20.80-ft, Tail 14.71-ft, Flow 3070 CFS
Caloosahatchee River
Moore Haven Locks S-77: Head 15.05-ft, Tail 11.30-ft, Flow 140 CFS
Ortona Locks Head S-78: 11.14ft, Tail 3.50-ft, Flow 617 CFS, 4-day avg 1807 CFS
W.P Franklin Lock S-79: Head 3.25-ft, Tail 2.02-ft, Flow 2752 CFS, 5-day avg 3920 CFS
Lake Okeechobee Locks
St Lucie Lock S-80: Head 14.32-ft, Tail 0.61-ft, Flow 336 CFS
Port Mayaca Lock S-308: Head 15.09-ft, Tail 14.22-ft, Flow 0 CFS
Lake Okeechobee South End
Slim’s Fish Camp, Belle Glade, 561-996-3844: Jim reports it’s a crap-shoot for bass. Either you’re going to have a great day or you’re going to get nothing. Wild Shiners are in good supply and the bass have been going aggressively for them. Plastics baits is where things get interesting. It’s tough flipping a plastic crawl into a heavy wind while too much weight gets dragged on the bottom. Bring plenty of weight combinations to have the right one for the conditions. Specks have been doing well on minnows with boats limiting out. The issue this weekend will be the wind and the temperature. The lake was at 63° this morning and lost two degrees during the day. Generally when temperatures fall below 60° the bite fall off. For those venturing out this weekend look towards the lee side of the islands for protection from the wind and waves. The waves have been pretty tall as of late, 4-5 footers, so they are pushing brown sediment water deep into the grasses. With winds expected to come out of the south and then shifting to the west, Pelican Bay and South Bay offer protection as well as the dynamite holes along the Rim Canal. Sunday maybe the best day to fish this weekend.
Roland Martin Marine Center, Clewiston, 863-983-2128: Fishing has been off some due to the weather changes. The lake will need some consistent weather to bring things back around again. When the bite is slow, wild shiners are the best bet. For artificials, stick with the basics and slow your retrieve. Very windy conditions are predicted this weekend so to stay protected. Best bet would be to stay home and watch reruns of Bill Dance bloopers.
The Bait Shop at Harney Pond, Lakeport, 863-946-0170: Ed from The Bait Shop at Harney Pond says speck fishing and been excellent. Best bet is to drift deeper areas offshore between Bird Island and Point of the Reef. Winner of last week’s speckathon was a 2.7-lb slab. Bass has been slow but consistent. Most anglers are using jigs, spinners and crankbaits that were productive during last weekend’s tournaments. Ed is hoping the strong westerlies will help push some of the weeds and dirty water out of the bay and help clear the water. Weeds usually get pushed in easily with prevailing north and eastward winds and they need an extra push from the west to get them out of there.
Lake Okeechobee North
Garrard’s Bait & Tackle, Okeechobee: 863-763-3416: Lief reports excellent Speck fishing. Andy Jigs in Grass Shrimp, white, and chartreuse are out performing live minnows. Areas active are Little Grassy Island, Kings Bar and south to Tin House Cove. Stay on the outside of the weed edges. Bass fishing remains good when fishing with shiners though somewhat slow with artificals.
No Bad Daze Bait & Tackle, Okeechobee, 863-484-8126: Speck fishing on the northeast side of the lake remains strong. Just about any bright colored jig is producing as well as minnows. There has been an increase in Bluegill catches with crickets being the primary bait. Bass fishing with shiners remains steady. The good news is the lock at Henry Creek is scheduled to reopen on the 22nd (Friday). It has been closed for a few long months for maintenance. If winds drive you off the lake, try the Rim Canal, Hendry Creek or other backwater canals in Okeechobee.
Highlands County
Admiral’s Cove. Lake Placid, 863-465-0982: Ed reports steady fishing in the lakes near Lake Placid. Specks are very active on both jigs and minnows. Bass are mostly being taken on shiners.
Performance Marine 863-465-2814: Geoff reports the bass bite on Lake Istokpoga and many other lakes surrounding Lake Placid has hit a wall. The rapid drop in water temperature has given the bass a case of lock jaw. Lake Istokpoga is especially hit hard when the winds pick up and muddies the water and lake temperatures fall. Many boaters are waiting until later in the afternoon to give the sun a chance to warm up the water before venturing out. A few days of steady mild temperatures is needed to improve conditions on Istokpoga. Speck fishing is still doing well in most lakes in Highlands County
Lorida Bait & Tackle, Lorida, 863-655-2323: Scott reports bass fishing on Lake Istokpoga has slowed, but Speck, Bluegill, and Catfish remain steady. Recent rains has Arbuckle Creek in a muddy high water state which impacts the northern end of the lake and north winds push stirred-up lake waters to the south end of the lake. Fishing the lee side of Big Island and Bumble Bee Island is where you may find clearer water. The spillway on CR-621 is pushing out high volumes of water so pan-fishing at this structure is very good.
Tale Tales Bait & Tackle, Avon Park; 863-452-2248: Rob reports Specks and been very active on the lakes near Avon Park. Minnows are the preferred bait though jigs are doing OK as well. Bass has been somewhat slow do to the rapid changes in water temperature but will steady out and bass will begin feeding again.
Caloosahatchee River
Miller Bait & Tackle, LaBelle, 863-342-8264: Lots of water moving through the locks at Ortona and Franklin. Moving water means good fishing.
IN-CLOSING
Rain and wind on Friday, cool temps and more wind on Saturday, and somewhat less wind on Sunday. Winter has arrived in Florida. If you know the local waters you’ll be able to find someplace to fish. If you don’t than it’s a good weekend to scout for weather protected honey holes.
