Lake Okeechobee Fishing Report - Epic Bass & Crappie Bite on the Big O

Hey there, fellow anglers! Artificial Lure here with your Lake Okeechobee fishing report for this beautiful Friday morning, May 16, 2025.

We've got another gorgeous day shaping up on the Big O with temperatures expected to climb into the mid-80s by afternoon. Water levels have been slowly falling for months, which has concentrated the fish in certain areas and made for some fantastic action lately.

The bass fishing has been nothing short of spectacular! Many anglers have been reporting excellent catches, with some lunkers in the 7-pound range being landed. Just last week, we had a gentleman catch the biggest bass of his life - a whopping 7-pounder! The bass are hitting hard on plastic worms and topwater lures early in the morning, especially around the vegetation edges.

The crappie bite has been absolutely on fire in recent weeks! We've seen many 100-150 fish days with some really nice 12-14 inch specimens weighing up to two pounds. If you're targeting these tasty panfish, try using small jigs or minnows around deeper structure.

For those looking for hot spots, I'd recommend checking out the areas around Observation Shoal and the Kissimmee River mouth. The vegetation edges near Harney Pond Canal have also been producing consistently good numbers of bass. For crappie, focus on the deeper channels and structure.

Sunrise today was around 6:40 AM and sunset will be approximately 8:10 PM, giving you plenty of daylight hours on the water. The early morning and evening hours have been most productive, so plan accordingly.

Best baits right now include wild shiners for those trophy bass, while artificial lure enthusiasts should focus on spinner baits, plastic worms in june bug or watermelon red colors, and topwater frogs around vegetation. For crappie, small jigs in chartreuse or white have been working wonders.

The guides have been keeping busy, with Captains Mike and Bill putting clients on fish consistently. If you're new to the lake, booking a trip with a local guide can really help you dial in on the action.

Remember folks, the fishing pressure has been relatively light during weekdays, so if you can swing it, try to get out there before the weekend crowds arrive. The fish are biting, the weather is perfect, and Lake Okeechobee is showing why it's known as the bass fishing capital of the South!

This is Artificial Lure signing off until next time. Tight lines, y'all!