OKEECHOBEE, Fla. — The largemouth bass in Lake Okeechobee will have the spawn on their minds when the 2026 Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops Lunkers Trail rolls into town, according to Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens presented by Battery Tender angler Kane Weekley. The question is: Will the weather allow anglers to see the true potential of the south Florida lake?
“If the weather isn’t too cold, it should be really good. The bass should be spawning,” Weekley says. “2023 was the best fishing I’ve ever had on Okeechobee, and right now the lake is setting up like it was then.”
Tournament days are scheduled for Jan. 28-29. Anglers will launch from C. Scott Driver Park beginning at 7 a.m. and return for weigh-in at 3 p.m. The top 10% of the field will secure spots in the 2026 Strike King Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops, and all teams will earn Team of the Year points.
Lake Okeechobee has seen its ups and downs over the past decade or so, but giant largemouth are always swimming in its waters. We saw some in March 2025, when Brandon Palaniuk claimed a Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series title with a four-day total weighing more than 95 pounds. Alabama’s David Gaston caught an 11-pounder in that tournament as well.
Since that event, the lake level has fallen back to normal. As a result, the water is cleaner, which has allowed for vegetation growth in areas that haven’t seen good grass in a long time. Tournament results have reflected the improvements as well.
“We have the filter back,” says Weekley, a guide and YouTube creator from Davie, Fla. “It has allowed for a lot of grass to grow. There is a lot of grass in the lake that people think is hydrilla, but we call it shrimp grass. It is good for the lake. There’s a lot of eelgrass that has grown up as well, which is good for protecting the spawning areas. The bass like to spawn in that stuff.”
The end of January typically marks the beginning of the busiest spawn cycle of the year on Okeechobee, which means the bass will be moving into the backwaters, Weekley says.
“The bass should be spawning in the bays and the protected areas of the lake,” he adds. “Last year and the year before, a lot of the bass were spawning on dead cattail sticks in mucky, nasty water. Now, there is needlegrass [spikerush] in the backs of the bays, and I think the bass are going to start really keying in on that.”
With the increase in vegetation, Weekley believes more of the lake is fishable than in years past, with the south bank and the west bank seeing the most production. Historically productive areas could once again factor.
The canals where Palaniuk and others found success in 2025 could come into play, but that approach is not necessarily the best option if the spawn is fully underway. Weekley thinks the Kissimmee River could potentially provide a big bite or two but adds that consistent bites aren’t always there.
He expects a frog to be one of the most productive presentations during this tournament, as well as a Texas-rigged Zoom Speed Worm or Yamamoto Senko. Swim jigs and Z-Man ChatterBaits will also generate bites.
“A lot of people will be using Perspective mode on their [Garmin] LiveScopes,” he adds.
Regardless of how, Weekley expects the top team to bring in well over 20 pounds per day.
Follow along with all of the action on Bassmaster.com.
Okeechobee County Tourist Development Council is hosting this event.
