Broken Bow Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (OK)

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Lake depth chart

Broken Bow Lake, OK

Max 183 ft

Today's read

Where to start

Fall shad migration window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shad migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Dec 15 · upper ends and stained creeks turn on first, the main lake follows; Deep-South creeks hold bait into December

adultall day, best mid-afternoon as the sun warms the bait — the rare pattern where you can sleep in — follow the bait, not the structure: gulls, herons and egrets diving or stacked in a creek mean the shad (and the bass) are there — run and gun until you find flickering bait or surface activity

Concentrates hard but unevenly — whole stretches go empty while one creek loads up. The birds are the map.

Creek-arm run-and-gun: lipless crankbait and squarebill through the flats and ditches, walking topwater over surface schools, a 3/8 oz spinnerbait around isolated cover along the creek channel. Downsize to match the young-of-year shad; jerkbaits are the sleeper.

The event happens over backs of creek arms, pockets and ditches, secondary points on the way in, and main-lake flats where the bait balls roam

Willow fly (summer mayfly)Active window

Typical here: Apr 1 – Oct 31 · recurring broods all summer — the heart of it is June–July, famously around July 4th on the Tennessee River lakes; any one hatch lasts days to ~3 weeks

dunhatches at dusk — clouds of bugs just before dark, continuing into the night — after hatching they fly to shoreline foliage — trees near lighted docks get covered; the feeding zone is the water under bug-loaded overhanging bushes and willows
spinnerthe following days: mating, egg drop and spent flies falling from the overhangs — the bream bite under the bushes runs as long as the bugs do

A two-level event: bream stack under the bug trees, and the big bass stack under the bream. Fish the same bushes twice — small for bream, big for the bass just outside them.

Crickets or small poppers under a float tight to the bug-covered bushes for bream; beetle spins and hair jigs just under the surface; for the bass, run a bluegill-pattern topwater or squarebill down the outside edge of the overhangs.

The event happens over under and just outside overhanging willows and bushes on steep banks; trees near lighted docks after dark

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageFeb 15 – May 15 · in ~5 months

Shad spawn · baitfishMar 15 – Jun 15 · in ~6 months

Bluegill spawn (bream-bed bass) · forageMay 1 – Jul 31 · in ~8 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Broken Bow Lake

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Fishing Broken Bow Lake: what the data says

14,172-acre reservoir near Broken Bow. The lake tops out around 183 ft. The depth picture is modeled, anchored to the true shoreline and the water's published max depth — a scouting aid, never a chart to run a boat by. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.

Drawn out, this is 14,259 acres of water rimmed by 213.4 miles of bank, with 38 islands in the mix. An index of 12.8 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. Roughly 13% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 15.5 mi, about 7.5 mi across. The water lies in McCurtain County. For a second option, Mountain Fork (Lower) lies 11 mi south.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Broken Bow Lake

Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Sharp break, a drop-off in about 17 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Sharp break (17 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Shoreline point (17 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Sharp break (17 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Broken Bow Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: smallmouth bass in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 20 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: Offshore hump, an offshore hump in the 22 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Offshore hump (22 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Shoreline point (17 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	Sharp break (17 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Spotted Bass fishing at Broken Bow Lake

Early season spotted bass use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Summer is a 15 to 40 ft game here, winter a 25 to 50 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shoreline point — point, 17 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot over brush or an underspin + fluke (schoolers) and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Shoreline point (17 ft)	Ned rig on gravel points, Shaky head
Summer	15 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Offshore hump (32 ft)	Drop shot over brush, Underspin + fluke (schoolers)
Fall	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Shoreline point (17 ft)	Walking topwater, Underspin
Winter	25 to 50 ft	midday	Main-lake point (46 ft)	Damiki/hover rig, Jigging spoon

White Bass fishing at Broken Bow Lake

Early season white bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 12 ft. Summer is an 8 to 25 ft game here, winter a 15 to 40 ft one. The chart's best answer is Offshore hump — offshore hump, 22 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank
Summer	8 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Offshore hump (22 ft)	Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish)
Fall	6 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Shoreline point (17 ft)	Jigging spoon, Blade bait
Winter	15 to 40 ft	midday	Offshore hump (32 ft)	Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait

White Bass & Hybrids fishing at Broken Bow Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: white bass & hybrids in 3 to 15 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 20 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Offshore hump, an offshore hump in the 22 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Shoreline point (17 ft)	Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse)
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Offshore hump (22 ft)	Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling)
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Shoreline point (17 ft)	Small blade bait, Jigging spoon
Winter	20 to 40 ft	midday	Offshore hump (32 ft)	Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical)

Walleye fishing at Broken Bow Lake

When the water first warms, walleye slide up into 4 to 15 ft. Summer is a 15 to 35 ft game here, winter a 20 to 40 ft one. Start at Offshore hump. It's an offshore hump holding about 32 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. Keep a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	4 to 15 ft	dusk & dawn	Shoreline point (17 ft)	1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig
Summer	15 to 35 ft	dusk & dawn	Offshore hump (32 ft)	Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled)
Fall	12 to 40 ft	dusk & night	Sharp break (17 ft)	Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow
Winter	20 to 40 ft	dusk & dawn	Offshore hump (32 ft)	Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait

Broken Bow Lake also holds crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), channel catfish (8 to 25 ft in summer), flathead catfish (8 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

The chart marks 14 structure features on Broken Bow Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 156 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 156 ft
Old creek channel: creek channel, around 92 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 82 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 46 ft
Secondary point: point, around 46 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 32 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 32 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 22 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 22 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 17 ft
Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 17 ft
Shoreline point: point, around 17 ft
Shallow bay flat: feeding flat, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: feeding flat, around 6 ft

Broken Bow Lake fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Oklahoma waters are set by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation — and special regulations can apply to Broken Bow Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Oklahoma fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Broken Bow Lake?

Broken Bow Lake is about 183 ft (56 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.

What fish are in Broken Bow Lake?

Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, white bass, white bass & hybrids, walleye, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, flathead catfish on Broken Bow Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Broken Bow Lake?

Sharp break is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 17 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in winter. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.

When is the best time to fish Broken Bow Lake?

For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.

What are the fishing regulations for Broken Bow Lake?

Fishing on Broken Bow Lake is regulated by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Check the official Oklahoma regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.

Nearby waters

Mountain Fork (Lower) 11 mi · Cedar Lake 36 mi · Lake Ozzie Cobb 40 mi · Schooler Lake 41 mi · Carl Albert Lake 42 mi · Lake Nanih Waiya 44 mi · Hugo Lake 44 mi · Wister Lake 47 mi · Sardis Lake 50 mi · Lake Greeson 53 mi, AR · Millwood Lake 53 mi, AR · Lloyd Church Lake 57 mi

See how Broken Bow Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Oklahoma · best smallmouth bass lakes in Oklahoma · best walleye lakes in Oklahoma · best white bass lakes in Oklahoma

Browse all Oklahoma fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.