The Big O

Lake Okeechobee

The largest lake in Florida and a legendary largemouth bass fishery. Also strong for crappie in winter and bluegill in summer. Levels and vegetation change year to year, so recent reports matter.

Today's report (2026-09-13)

The New Moon is turning Lake Okeechobee into a feeding frenzy today, especially for Channel and Flathead Catfish, which are scoring the highest activity levels of the day. Bluegill and Shellcracker are also biting hard right now, taking advantage of the light winds and low light conditions that make them feel safer moving out of the grass. Largemouth Bass are active too, though they are slightly behind the panfish and catfish in terms of immediate aggression, still worth targeting if you want a fight. The lack of wind and the moon phase create ideal conditions for these species to move up onto the shallow flats and structure without spooking. Your best bet is to hit the water during the early morning minor solunar window from 6:50 to 7:50 AM, or wait for the major window around midnight if you are a night angler. Focus your efforts on Monkey Box, Kings Bar, or the Clewiston rim canal where the fish are holding tight to cover. Be ready to pack up by early afternoon, as showers and thunderstorms are likely to roll in after 1 PM with a sixty percent chance of rain. Keep an eye on the sky because the weather can turn quickly. Fish the shallow edges during the first light to catch the peak bite before the afternoon storms hit.

Bite forecast

Species	Sun, Sep 13	Mon, Sep 14	Tue, Sep 15	Why
Channel and Flathead Catfish	8	7	6	New Moon feeding boost. Light wind
Bluegill and Shellcracker	7	6	5	New Moon feeding boost. Light wind
Largemouth Bass	6	5	4	New Moon feeding boost. Light wind
Black Crappie (Speckled Perch)	3	3	2	New Moon feeding boost. Light wind

Species and seasonal patterns

Largemouth Bass

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Wild shiners and big worms during the winter and spring spawn, topwater frogs over grass in summer mornings, and punching mats in the heat.

Black Crappie (Speckled Perch)

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Minnows and small jigs trolled or drifted over open water in winter, then in the pads and grass edges during the late winter spawn.

Bluegill and Shellcracker

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Crickets, worms and small poppers around bedding areas on the full moons from April through July.

Channel and Flathead Catfish

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Cut bait, chicken liver and live bream on the bottom in river bends and lake channels, best after dark in summer.

Freshwater regulations

Applies to: Statewide freshwater waters

Species / zone	Season	Size	Bag	Notes
Black bass Statewide	open now Open year-round	only one of which may be 16 inches or longer in total length. There is no minimum length limit for Florida bass or largemouth bass.	5 Black bass (including Florida, largemouth, Suwannee, spotted, Choctaw and shoal bass, individually or in total)	No person shall kill or possess any Suwannee, shoal, spotted, or Choctaw bass that is less than 12 inches in total length. Keep game fish intact: black bass may not be filleted, nor their head or tail fin removed, until the angler has completed fishing for the day.

No person shall have in his possession more than two days’ bag limit of freshwater game fish.
Each angler is responsible for his or her own bag limit. It is illegal to transport or possess more than two days’ bag limit of fish per licensed angler without a commercial license.
No native freshwater fish or their eggs may be taken or possessed except as permitted by these rules nor shall anyone wantonly or willfully waste the same.
An angler participating in the TrophyCatch Program may temporarily possess in live condition one Florida bass or largemouth bass, 8 pounds or greater, over the legal length limit and bag limit in order to obtain photographic or video documentation of the fish. All bass retained for this purpose must be released alive into the waterbody in which it was caught immediately after documentation.
An angler may possess one Florida bass or largemouth bass 16.5 pounds or greater, per day over the legal length or bag limit when submitting for the certification of a potential state record provided they contact the Commission.
Keep game fish intact: black bass, striped bass and white bass or their hybrids, peacock bass, or black crappie and panfish (for black crappie and panfish, only in waters where minimum-length or slot-size limits for these fish apply) may not be filleted, nor their head or tail fin removed, until the angler has completed fishing for the day.

Source: FWC, extracted 2026-09-12. Review flags: The page lists 'Black bass' as a group including Florida, largemouth, Suwannee, spotted, Choctaw and shoal bass. Specific size restrictions for Suwannee, shoal, spotted, and Choctaw bass (min 12 inches) are noted separately from the general 'one over 16 inches' rule.; Coast designation for freshwater species is marked as 'unknown' or inferred based on river location (e.g., Suwannee and Ochlockonee are Gulf coast rivers, but the regulation is statewide freshwater).; Sturgeon are listed as protected; season is treated as closed year-round for recreational take.

Some lakes carry special rules, such as catch-and-release bass at Stick Marsh and Farm 13. Check the FWC special regulations for this water.