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448,000-acre lake near Okeechobee. The 'Big O'. Shallow grass flats and legendary Florida largemouth fishing. The lake tops out around 23 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Drawn out, this is 363,239 acres of water rimmed by 698.3 miles of bank, with 228 islands in the mix. A development index of 8.3 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Call it 82.5 mi long by 32.8 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in Okeechobee County. For a second option, Lake Istokpoga lies 20 mi northwest.
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 7 to 23 ft for winter. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Weed flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 5 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (4 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 7 to 23 ft | midday | Break off the point (9 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 7 to 23 ft; cold water stacks them in 7 to 23 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 13 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (5 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 7 to 23 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow flat (7 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 7 to 23 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 15 ft before dropping to 7 to 23 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 1 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (5 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow flat (7 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 7 to 23 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) | Tiny spoon |
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 7 to 23 ft before dropping to 7 to 23 ft for winter. Winter channel catfish concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 13 ft. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Feeding flat (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 7 to 23 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (13 ft) | |
| Fall | 7 to 23 ft | dusk | Deep basin (13 ft) | |
| Winter | 7 to 23 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: longnose gar sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 1 to 12 ft; cold water stacks them in 7 to 23 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 1 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in midday and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a rope lure or a small white spinner until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday | Weed flat (5 ft) | Rope lure (hookless nylon), Inline spinner (slow) |
| Summer | 1 to 12 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Rope lure, Small white spinner |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) | Rope lure, Small jerkbait (pause-heavy) |
| Winter | 7 to 23 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) |
Count 39 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 13 ft.
Access data: Florida FWC — Boat Ramp Inventory. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Florida waters are set by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission — and special regulations can apply to Lake Okeechobee specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Florida fishing regulations →
Lake Okeechobee is about 23 ft (7 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, longnose gar on Lake Okeechobee.
Weed flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
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.
Fishing on Lake Okeechobee is regulated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Check the official Florida regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Lake Istokpoga 20 mi · Lake Huntley 22 mi · Lake June-in-Winter 25 mi · Lake Arbuckle 40 mi · Lake Marian 44 mi · Reedy Lake 46 mi · Lake Weohyakapka (Walk-in-Water) 48 mi · Lake Kissimmee 49 mi · Little Crooked Lake 51 mi · Crooked Lake 53 mi · Sebastian Inlet 54 mi · Lake Rosalie 54 mi
See how Lake Okeechobee stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Florida · best crappie lakes in Florida · best bluegill lakes in Florida · best channel catfish lakes in Florida
Browse all Florida fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.