Artificial Lure here with your Lake Okeechobee fishing report for Sunday, November 16th, 2025. We’re off another chilly fall night, and there’s a gentle mist burning off under clear skies as sunrise hit around 6:44 AM, with sunset coming at 5:32 PM. Water temps are bouncing back into the low 70s after the cold front earlier in the week, but bring a windbreaker—the breeze is back out of the northeast and the air’s still brisk this morning.
Bass were sluggish at dawn, but the bite steadily improves mid-morning as the sun gets up and the lake starts to warm. Tidal movement is minimal, as usual on Okeechobee, but good water movement in the rim canals and at lake cuts like Taylor Creek and J&S is drawing fish to ambush baitfish. According to the latest Bassmaster EQ weigh-ins yesterday in Clewiston, big bass are absolutely still on the prowl: a couple of fish over 8 pounds hit the scales, and tournament leader Caleb Hudson clinched the win with a three-day total of 52 lbs, 6 oz, working the southwest rim canal and nearby grass lines for his best catches.
The story all week has been a tough post-front bite, but persistent anglers are wading into steady action, mostly working reaction baits and flipping soft plastics. Reports from the field show most limits running between 13 and 19 pounds a day, but it can take dozens of pitches to draw out the best bites. There’s a solid shallow crank and jerkbait bite early around hard spots along the north shore, especially when sunfish and shiners are popping. As the sun gets higher, anglers are switching to flipping with beaver-style baits, heavy creature plastics, or a ⅜ to ¾ oz Medlock or Dirty Jig paired with a muscle back craw-style trailer, working reed edges or the outside of grass mats—especially in cleaner water near Horse Island and Grassy Island, where water clarity is best.
Don’t overlook topwater frogs, either. The afternoon frog bite really picked up yesterday once things warmed up—a poppin’ style frog in killer gill or a natural shad color, dragged lazily across pads near Tin House and South Bay, got some explosive takes, including a tournament-saving 7½-pounder right at the boat, according to reports from several Bassmaster EQ competitors.
Live shiners continue to be a ticket for folks after numbers or kids hoping for a steady pull, especially in the rim canals and at points where water moves from the marshes. Early risers drifting crappie minnows off the main lake points are still picking up some thick November slabs too.
Hot spots to circle today:
- The rim canal from Clewiston southwest is loaded with feeding bass under the mats and hydrilla edges.
- Taylor Creek up by Okeechobee City saw a 6 and a 7 pounder caught right at noon yesterday on jighead minnows and jerkbaits.
- J&S Canal on the east side was steady all week—try pitching to the cuts and isolated pads.
Best lures this morning: a gold or black/blue JackHammer ChatterBait, Gambler Fat Ace in darker colors, or a SPRO Bronzeye Poppin’ Frog. For jigs, downsize your trailer and use lighter line if wind and clarity allow, as those pressured bass are a little shy post-cold front.
The November grind on the Big O always rewards persistence and adapting to what the lake gives. Dress in layers, search out those pockets of warmer, clean water, and get ready for the midday flurry. Thanks for tuning in to your Lake Okeechobee fishing update. Don’t forget to subscribe for more local insight and hot tips.
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