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Lake Okeechobee Fishing Report – July 22, 2025 – Captain Joe
Howdy folks, Captain Joe here, bringing you your daily dose of what’s happening on Lake Okeechobee. Been fishin’ these waters for longer than I care to admit, and I’m here to tell you what to expect out on the Big O today.
Lake Level and Water Conditions
The lake level is sitting at 11.96 feet. That’s down from last year (13.55 feet) and even further down from two years ago (14.98 feet). We’re about 1.70 feet below the period of record average. Water clarity varies depending on location, but expect some stained water, especially after the recent rain.
U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District Lake Okeechobee and Vicinity Report ** Preliminary Data - Subject to Revision ** LOSOM24 Reg ZoneA = 16.75 LOSOM24 Reg ZoneBC = 16.35 LOSOM24 Reg ZoneD = 11.55 Data Ending 2400 hours 22 JUL 2025 _____________________________________________________________________________ Okeechobee Lake Regulation Elevation Last Year 2YRS Ago (ft-NGVD) (ft-NGVD) (ft-NGVD) *Okeechobee Lake Elevation 11.96 13.55 14.98 (Official Elv) 22JUL (1965-2007) Period of Record Average 13.66 Difference from POR Average -1.70 Today Lake Okeechobee elevation is determined from the 4 Int & 4 Edge stations ++Navigation Depth (Based on 2007 Channel Condition Survey) Route 1 5.90' ++Navigation Depth (Based on 2008 Channel Condition Survey) Route 2 4.10' Bridge Clearance = 49.17' ______________________________________________________________________________ 4 Interior and 4 Edge Okeechobee Lake Average (Avg-Daily values): L001 L005 L006 LZ40 S4 S352 S308 S133 12.02 11.96 11.97 11.93 -NR- 12.05 11.88 11.93 *Combination Okeechobee Avg-Daily Lake Average = 11.96 (*See Note) ______________________________________________________________________________ Okeechobee Inflows (cfs): S65E 1188 S65EX1 0 Fisheating Cr 1234 S154 0 S191 215 S135 Pumps 305 S84 811 S133 Pumps 85 S2 Pumps 0 S84X 257 S127 Pumps 59 S3 Pumps 0 S71 365 S129 Pumps 66 S4 Pumps 0 S72 97 S131 Pumps 60 C5 0 Total Inflows: 4741 Okeechobee Outflows (cfs): S135 Culverts 0 S354 0 S77 0 S127 Culverts 0 S351 0 S308 -2 S129 Culverts 0 S352 0 S131 Culverts 0 L8 Canal Pt 53 Total Outflows: 52 ****S77 structure flow is being used to compute Total Outflow. ****S308 structure flow is being used to compute Total Outflow. Okeechobee Pan Evaporation (inches): S77 0.23 S308 0.15 Average Pan Evap x 0.75 Pan Coefficient = 0.14" = 0.01' Lake Average Precipitation using NEXRAD: = -NR-" = -NR-' Evaporation - Precipitation: = -NR-" = -NR-' Evaporation - Precipitation using Lake Area of 730 square miles is equal to -NR- Lake Okeechobee (Change in Storage) Flow is 5445 cfs or 10800 AC-FT ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Headwater Tailwater ----------- Gate Positions ------------ Elevation Elevation Disch #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 (ft-msl) (ft-msl) (cfs) (ft) (ft) (ft) (ft) (ft) (ft) (ft) (ft) (I) see note at bottom North East Shore S133 Pumps: 13.38 12.11 85 -NR- 0 0 0 -NR- (cfs) S193: ______ S191: 18.93 12.12 215 0.5 0.5 0.0 S135 Pumps: 13.42 11.91 305 -NR- -NR- -NR- -NR- (cfs) S135 Culverts: 0 0.0 0.0 North West Shore S65E: 21.18 11.98 1188 0.7 0.4 0.5 0.2 0.9 0.5 S65EX1: 21.18 11.98 0 S127 Pumps: 13.23 11.87 59 0 0 -NR- 0 0 (cfs) S127 Culvert: 0 0.0 S129 Pumps: 12.95 13.36 66 0 31 38 (cfs) S129 Culvert: 0 0.0 S131 Pumps: 12.91 13.59 60 38 25 (cfs) S131 Culvert: 0 Fisheating Creek nr Palmdale 33.31 1234 nr Lakeport ______ S282 11.93 12.12 0.0 0.0 0.1 South Shore S4 Pumps: 11.33 12.11 0 0 0 0 (cfs) S169: ______ -NR- -NR- -NR- -NR- -NR- S310: ______ -NR- S3 Pumps: 10.82 11.99 0 0 0 0 (cfs) S354: 11.99 10.82 0 0.0 0.0 S2 Pumps: 9.77 12.09 0 0 0 0 0 (cfs) S351: 12.09 9.77 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 S352: 11.96 10.08 0 0.0 0.1 S271: 12.33 12.24 9.3 9.6 9.8 8.5 L8 Canal PT 11.95 53 _________________________________________________________________________ S351 and S352 Temporary Pumps/S354 Spillway S351: 9.77 12.09 0 -NR--NR--NR--NR--NR--NR- S352: 10.08 11.96 0 -NR--NR--NR--NR- S354: 10.82 11.99 0 -NR--NR--NR--NR- _________________________________________________________________________ Caloosahatchee River (S77, S78, S79) S47B: 11.82 10.91 0.0 0.0 S47D: 10.96 10.94 121 6.0 S77: Spillway and Sector Preferred Flow: 11.90 10.84 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Flow Due to Lockages+: 0 S78: Spillway and Sector Flow: 10.84 3.17 641 1.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 Flow Due to Lockages+: 5 S79: Spillway and Sector Flow: 3.30 0.82 1501 0.0 0.0 1.0 2.0 2.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 Flow Due to Lockages+: 2 Percent of flow from S77 0% Chloride (ppm) 0 St. Lucie Canal (S308, S80) S308: Spillway and Sector Preferred Flow: 11.91 14.33 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Flow Due to Lockages+: -2 S153: 18.64 14.19 122 0.0 0.5 S80: Spillway and Sector Flow: 14.34 1.16 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Flow Due to Lockages+: 26 Percent of flow from S308 NA % Steele Point Top Salinity (mg/ml) **** Steele Point Bottom Salinity (mg/ml) **** Speedy Point Top Salinity (mg/ml) **** Speedy Point Bottom Salinity (mg/ml) **** + Flow Due to lockages is computed utilizing average daily headwater and tailwater along with total number of lockages for the day to calculate a volume which is then converted to an average discharge in cfs. ++ Preferred flow is determined from either the spillway discharge or the below flow meter daily ______________________________________________________________________________ ----- Wind ---- Daily Precipitation Totals 1-Day 3-Day 7-Day Direction Speed (inches) (inches) (inches) (Deg) (mph) S133 Pump Station: -NR- 0.00 0.00 S193: -NR- 0.00 0.00 -NR- -NR- Okeechobee Field Station: -NR- 0.00 0.00 S135 Pump Station: -NR- 0.00 0.00 S127 Pump Station: -NR- 0.00 0.00 S129 Pump Station: -NR- 0.00 0.00 S131 Pump Station: -NR- 0.00 0.00 S77: 0.51 0.51 0.66 185 -NR- S78: -NR- 0.00 0.00 3 -NR- S79: -NR- 0.00 0.00 278 1 S4 Pump Station: -NR- 0.00 0.00 Clewiston Field Station: -NR- 0.00 0.00 S3 Pump Station: -NR- 0.00 0.00 S2 Pump Station: -NR- 0.00 0.00 S308: -NR- 0.00 0.00 179 8 S80: -NR- 0.00 0.00 -NR- -NR- Okeechobee Average 0.51 0.04 0.05 (Sites S78, S79 and S80 not included) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Oke Nexrad Basin Avg -NR- 0.00 0.00 ----------------------------------------------------------------- ______________________________________________________________________________ Okeechobee Lake Elevations 22 JUL 2025 11.96 Difference from 22JUL25 22JUL25 -1 Day = 21 JUL 2025 11.93 -0.03 22JUL25 -2 Days = 20 JUL 2025 11.92 -0.04 22JUL25 -3 Days = 19 JUL 2025 11.91 -0.05 22JUL25 -4 Days = 18 JUL 2025 11.88 -0.08 22JUL25 -5 Days = 17 JUL 2025 11.85 -0.11 22JUL25 -6 Days = 16 JUL 2025 11.81 -0.15 22JUL25 -7 Days = 15 JUL 2025 11.76 -0.20 22JUL25 -30 Days = 22 JUN 2025 10.99 -0.97 22JUL25 -1 Year = 22 JUL 2024 13.55 1.59 22JUL25 -2 Year = 22 JUL 2023 14.98 3.02 ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Lake Okeechobee Net Inflow (LONIN) Average Flow over the previous 14 days | Avg-Daily Flow 22JUL25 Today = 22 JUL 2025 7348 WED | 5498 22JUL25 -1 Day = 21 JUL 2025 6742 TUE | 1886 22JUL25 -2 Days = 20 JUL 2025 6435 MON | 1861 22JUL25 -3 Days = 19 JUL 2025 6582 SUN | 5359 22JUL25 -4 Days = 18 JUL 2025 6888 SAT | 5305 22JUL25 -5 Days = 17 JUL 2025 7034 FRI | 7058 22JUL25 -6 Days = 16 JUL 2025 7635 THU | 9025 22JUL25 -7 Days = 15 JUL 2025 7639 WED | 16184 22JUL25 -8 Days = 14 JUL 2025 6887 TUE | 25057 22JUL25 -9 Days = 13 JUL 2025 6278 MON | 3676 22JUL25 -10 Days = 12 JUL 2025 7470 SUN | -NR- 22JUL25 -11 Days = 11 JUL 2025 6949 SAT | -NR- 22JUL25 -12 Days = 10 JUL 2025 6607 FRI | 1826 22JUL25 -13 Days = 09 JUL 2025 6557 THU | 5445 ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ S65E Average Flow over previous 14 days | Avg-Daily Flow 22JUL25 Today= 22 JUL 2025 1192 WED | 1374 22JUL25 -1 Day = 21 JUL 2025 1153 TUE | 1374 22JUL25 -2 Days = 20 JUL 2025 1111 MON | 1235 22JUL25 -3 Days = 19 JUL 2025 1071 SUN | 1253 22JUL25 -4 Days = 18 JUL 2025 1025 SAT | 1266 22JUL25 -5 Days = 17 JUL 2025 978 FRI | 1253 22JUL25 -6 Days = 16 JUL 2025 920 THU | 1221 22JUL25 -7 Days = 15 JUL 2025 868 WED | 1316 22JUL25 -8 Days = 14 JUL 2025 802 TUE | 1206 22JUL25 -9 Days = 13 JUL 2025 745 MON | 1189 22JUL25 -10 Days = 12 JUL 2025 683 SUN | 1043 22JUL25 -11 Days = 11 JUL 2025 630 SAT | 1139 22JUL25 -12 Days = 10 JUL 2025 570 FRI | 932 22JUL25 -13 Days = 09 JUL 2025 526 THU | 890 ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ S65EX1 Average Flow over previous 14 days | Avg-Daily Flow 22JUL25 Today= 22 JUL 2025 0 WED | 0 22JUL25 -1 Day = 21 JUL 2025 0 TUE | 0 22JUL25 -2 Days = 20 JUL 2025 0 MON | 0 22JUL25 -3 Days = 19 JUL 2025 0 SUN | 0 22JUL25 -4 Days = 18 JUL 2025 0 SAT | 0 22JUL25 -5 Days = 17 JUL 2025 0 FRI | 0 22JUL25 -6 Days = 16 JUL 2025 0 THU | 0 22JUL25 -7 Days = 15 JUL 2025 0 WED | 0 22JUL25 -8 Days = 14 JUL 2025 0 TUE | 0 22JUL25 -9 Days = 13 JUL 2025 0 MON | 0 22JUL25 -10 Days = 12 JUL 2025 0 SUN | 0 22JUL25 -11 Days = 11 JUL 2025 0 SAT | 0 22JUL25 -12 Days = 10 JUL 2025 0 FRI | 0 22JUL25 -13 Days = 09 JUL 2025 0 THU | 0 ______________________________________________________________________________ Lake Okeechobee Outlets Last 14 Days S-77 Below S-77 S-78 S-79 Discharge Discharge Discharge Discharge (ALL DAY) (ALL-DAY) (ALL DAY) (ALL DAY) DATE (AC-FT) (AC-FT) (AC-FT) (AC-FT) 22 JUL 2025 1 500 1279 2944 21 JUL 2025 0 456 1294 4298 20 JUL 2025 1 518 1558 4872 19 JUL 2025 1 526 -NR- 4251 18 JUL 2025 2 74 2368 6532 17 JUL 2025 0 319 2123 5906 16 JUL 2025 1 230 2818 6881 15 JUL 2025 0 145 2942 8110 14 JUL 2025 0 -119 -NR- 6971 13 JUL 2025 -0 225 -NR- 3740 12 JUL 2025 -0 -23 -NR- 3925 11 JUL 2025 0 -167 -NR- 2344 10 JUL 2025 -0 79 1267 3090 09 JUL 2025 -0 102 -NR- 4487 S-310 S-351 S-352 S-354 L8 Canal Pt Discharge Discharge Discharge Discharge Discharge (ALL DAY) (ALL DAY) (ALL DAY) (ALL DAY) (ALL DAY) DATE (AC-FT) (AC-FT) (AC-FT) (AC-FT) (AC-FT) 22 JUL 2025 -NR- 0 0 0 -NR- 21 JUL 2025 -NR- 0 0 0 -NR- 20 JUL 2025 -NR- 0 0 0 -NR- 19 JUL 2025 -NR- 0 0 0 -NR- 18 JUL 2025 -NR- 0 0 0 -NR- 17 JUL 2025 -NR- 0 0 0 -NR- 16 JUL 2025 -NR- 0 0 0 -NR- 15 JUL 2025 -NR- 0 0 0 -NR- 14 JUL 2025 -NR- 0 0 0 -NR- 13 JUL 2025 -NR- 0 0 0 -NR- 12 JUL 2025 -NR- -NR- 0 0 -NR- 11 JUL 2025 -NR- -NR- 0 0 -NR- 10 JUL 2025 -NR- 0 0 0 -NR- 09 JUL 2025 -NR- 0 0 0 -NR- S-308 Below S-308 S-80 Discharge Discharge Discharge (ALL DAY) (ALL-DAY) (ALL-DAY) DATE (AC-FT) (AC-FT) (AC-FT) 22 JUL 2025 -4 -66 52 21 JUL 2025 -1035 -332 16 20 JUL 2025 -855 -206 -NR- 19 JUL 2025 -1106 -295 12 18 JUL 2025 -2991 -549 16 17 JUL 2025 -1083 -227 34 16 JUL 2025 -4006 -1213 34 15 JUL 2025 -4355 -1305 23 14 JUL 2025 -2630 -910 30 13 JUL 2025 -3151 -961 -NR- 12 JUL 2025 -2901 -846 20 11 JUL 2025 -2080 -553 20 10 JUL 2025 -6 -40 15 09 JUL 2025 -912 -99 26 *** NOTE: Discharge (ALL DAY) is computed using Spillway, Sector Gate and Lockages Discharges from 0015 hrs to 2400 hrs. ______________________________________________________________________________ (I) - Flows preceeded by "I" signify an instantaneous flow computed from the single value reported for the day ______________________________________________________________________________ * On 11 May 1999, Lake Okeechobee Elevation was switched from Instantaneous 2400 value to an average-daily lake average. On 14 Mar 2001, due to the isolation of various gages within the standard 10 stations, the average of the interior 4 station gages was used as the Lake Okeechobee Elevation. On 05 November 2010, Lake Okeechobee Elevation was switched to a 9 gage mix of interior and edge gages to obtain a more reliable representation of the lake level. On 09 May 2011, Lake Okeechobee Elevation was switched to a 8 gage mix of interior and edge gages to obtain a more reliable representation of the lake level due to isolation of S135 from low lake levels. Today Lake Okechobee elevation is determined from the 4 Int & 4 Edge stations ++ For more information see the Jacksonville District Navigation website at http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/ $ For information regarding Lake Okeechobee Service Area water restrictions please refer to www.sfwmd.gov ______________________________________________________________________________ Report Generated 23JUL2025 @ 09:15 ** Preliminary Data - Subject to Revision **
Weather Forecast and Fishing Impact
Looks like we’ve got some rain in the forecast. The weather folks are saying to expect light rain with about 3.13 inches of rain. The wind will be blowing from the south-southeast at around 12 mph, with gusts up to 18 mph. The temperature will be around 84 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, cooling down to about 78 at night.
Bass Fishing
With the recent rain and the lake level being a bit lower than usual, the bass might be holding tighter to cover. Focus on areas with submerged vegetation, like hydrilla and Kissimmee grass. Topwater baits early in the morning could be productive, especially around lily pads. As the day warms up, switch to flipping jigs or Texas-rigged worms around the edges of the grass. The wind could make boat control a little tricky, so be prepared to adjust your approach.
Crappie Fishing
The crappie fishing might be a bit tougher with the stained water. Try using minnows or jigs around submerged structures, like brush piles and bridge pilings. The wind could also scatter the crappie, so be prepared to move around and search for them. Look for areas where the wind is pushing baitfish, as the crappie are likely to be nearby.
Other Species
Bluegill and shellcracker should still be biting around the edges of the grass. Use crickets or worms under a bobber. Catfish can be caught using stinkbaits or cut bait on the bottom. With the inflows up, try fishing near the mouths of canals and creeks.
Captain Joe’s Tip of the Day
Don’t be afraid to experiment with different baits and techniques. The fish on Lake Okeechobee can be finicky, so what worked yesterday might not work today. Pay attention to the conditions and adjust your approach accordingly. And most importantly, have fun and be safe out there!
Tight lines, y’all!
– Captain Joe
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