Lake Okeechobee
lake in Florida
Lake Okeechobee offers long sight-casting windows on mud and grass flats, with year-round bass action and excellent opportunities for sight and sight-assisted fly fishing.
What's working on Lake Okeechobee
- 01Baitfish imitations like Clouser Minnows and Deceivers are excellent for Tarpon, Snook, Redfish, and Seatrout.
- 02Shrimp (EP Shrimp) and crab (Merkin Crab) patterns are highly effective for tailing fish on the flats.
- 03Weedless patterns, such as the Redfish Fly, are indispensable for sight-casting to cruising Redfish and Snook in grassy areas.
- 04Largemouth Bass will respond well to Olive Woolly Buggers stripped along structure.
- 05Topwater patterns like a Gurgler can entice explosive strikes from Bass and Sunfish on warmer afternoons.
- 06Snook Fly (Crystal Bugger) is a strong year-round choice for Snook and other predators around cover.
Past reports week by week
11 weeksWhat to tie on
Picked from reports, hatches and the season. Tap a fly for the recipe and where else it works.
Snook Fly (Crystal Bugger)
This baitfish/shrimp imitation is effective year-round for Snook, Tarpon, and Redfish around docks and mangroves.
Deceiver (Lefty's)
A versatile baitfish imitation, effective year-round inshore for predatory species like Tarpon, Snook, Redfish, and Seatrout.
Buy at AmazonClouser Minnow (Saltwater)
A universal baitfish imitation; its weighted eyes help it get down to cruising fish year-round, targeting a wide range of predatory species.
Buy at AmazonEP Shrimp
Shrimp are a consistent food source inshore year-round in Lake Okeechobee; this pattern is effective when cast to tailing fish on the flats.
Buy at AmazonMerkin Crab
Crabs are a consistent food source on tropical flats year-round, making this imitation effective for Snook, Redfish, and other opportunistic feeders.
Woolly Bugger (Olive) (Bass)
A classic and highly versatile streamer, the olive Woolly Bugger imitates leeches and baitfish, which are consistent food sources for bass and sunfish year-round.
Redfish Fly (Weedless)
Designed for shallow salt marshes, this weedless pattern is effective year-round for targeting Redfish and Snook, imitating crabs or shrimp.
Buy at AmazonGurgler (Bass)
On warmer fall days in southern regions, topwater action can still occur. This popper creates an enticing surface disturbance, drawing aggressive strikes from bass and sunfish.
Where to fish and who to ask
Clewiston Shoreline / Harlem Barge Area
Productive shoreline flats and structure near Clewiston where big largemouths hunt shad and crabs.
North Shore Canals / Harney Pond Area
Canals and sub-impoundments off the north shore that concentrate bass and yield require precise presentation on the fly.
Pahokee Flats (North Shore)
Shallow north-shore flats with consistent sight-fishing for schooling largemouths in low wind conditions.
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Florida season by season
What changes on the water through the year, with the flies for each season.
Read before you go
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Quick answers
Common questions about Lake Okeechobee.
What flies work best on Lake Okeechobee?
Our top scored fly patterns for Lake Okeechobee right now are Snook Fly (Crystal Bugger) (80% confidence), Crappie Jig Fly (80% confidence), Deceiver (Lefty's) (80% confidence). These picks are scored from recent fishing reports, hatch data, and seasonal patterns.
What fish species are in Lake Okeechobee?
Lake Okeechobee holds Tarpon, Snook, Seatrout, Redfish. See the species links on this page for fly recommendations and seasonal behavior for each.
Is Lake Okeechobee fishing well right now?
We publish a fresh bite report for Lake Okeechobee each week based on recent on-the-water intel. The current report — with conditions, hatches, and what's producing — is on this page.