Artificial Lure here with your Saturday, August 16th Lake Okeechobee fishing report, and let me tell ya, the bite is as hot as the Florida sun. The day’s starting with sunrise at 6:50 AM, with sunset wrapping up at 8:01 PM. Muggy summer conditions this morning: low 80s at dawn, climbing to around 92°F by midday, with light southeast winds pushing a steady chop across the Big Lake. Chances of afternoon showers are real—pack your slicker.

Water clarity’s decent, though you’ll see some scattered algae mats near the edges after recent rains. No blue-green algae alerts for Okeechobee itself, but always give fish fillets a good rinse and keep pets outta the thick stuff, same as DOH-Escambia’s recommendations in north Florida.

Now to the fishing: Captain Justin Jones reports the bass bite is as solid as it gets for August. Early risers tossing topwater baits like the classic black-and-yellow Devil’s Horse or Zara Spooks around the grass lines are seeing big hits—think 4–7 pounders, and steady action. Swimbaits and frogs are scoring plenty when worked over lily pads and hydrilla. Late morning, get down with Texas-rigged junebug worms and watermelon-red sticks, flipping them deep into the cattails and bulrush. By noon, move out to the main lake, working submerged structure with heavy jigs in black-blue.

Live shiners are still king if you want easy numbers, especially off deeper holes near Harney Pond and the Monkey Box. Crappie are spotty this time of year, but small jigs and minnows fished slow can get a mess for dinner. As for panfish, bluegill are active around rim canal edges—crickets and wigglers on ultralight gear are hard to beat.

Recent tournament talk on social media shows limits of good bass, but the quality’s up and down—MLF angler reports say “six bites today, culled one fish, and ended up with this five,” so work for your spots, cull hard, and be patient. Local guides say most boats are pulling 10–15 bass on a decent day, with some nice chunks over the 6-pound mark in the mix.

Best baits right now:
- Black-and-blue jigs in thick grass
- Weightless junebug stick worms
- Hollow-body frogs in open pads
- Live wild shiners (for quantity)
- Crickets or wigglers (panfish and bluegill)

Hot spots:
- Harney Pond Canal: Good morning topwater bite, look for bass laid up near the hydrilla patches.
- Monkey Box: Midday brush piles holding some hawgs; switch to jigs when the sun’s high.
- South Bay: Rim canal edges for bluegill, steady action for anyone with kids or ultralight gear.

Tidal influence on Okeechobee is minimal, but early morning is always your best bet for a reaction bite before the heat drives the big bass deep. As summer wears on, keep an eye out for afternoon storms and be ready to duck for cover.

Remember: fish safe, keep those fillets clean, and treat the lake right so she’ll treat you to the next big catch. Thanks for tuning in—subscribe so you never miss the latest bite update.

This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn