Lake Okeechobee

[floridatriton]

I’m heading to Okeechobee this weekend for the first time in a cpl months. The water is over a foot lower than the last time is was there. Any areas I need to avoid? Can I run the 7 mile canal out to the monkey box?

[bassfish1]

reports from locals is there is a lot of algal bloom going on right now - fishing for some has been slow

[EL Skeeter]

FYI American Bass Angler Pro/Am will be out of Scott Driver ramp Saturday.

[Rod74x2]

https://nbc-2.com/crawl/2021/05/14/l...eleases-lower/

[L&B200M]

The last few years we have fished right through the blooms without issue. Up in the lake, there has been nothing but a very thin layer of what looks like pollen (it’s obviously not pollen) on the surface and the fish have continued to eat. The video of the super nasty crap is nowhere to be seen in the areas we fish out of Harney Pond.

[hermanp]

Justin morgan had 28 I believe to win HAS today

[cwilt]

https://nbc-2.com/crawl/2021/05/14/l...eleases-lower/

Get ready to embrace the suck!

[perfect-storm]

The spraying causes and accelerates the blooms. I wish they’d drop it below 9’ for an extended time and let it grow.

[cwilt]

The spraying causes and accelerates the blooms. I wish they’d drop it below 9’ for an extended time and let it grow.

They won't. Dropping it that low, would cause red tides on both sides.

[perfect-storm]

Only in the short term. There were absolutely NO blooms following the 2005-2007 drought that had the lake down to 8.8’. Even when it came back up and water releases resumed, the lake was a jungle and fishing was unreal until the vegetation thinned out from high water and spraying by around 2013/2014 and got exponentially worse after the 2015 hurricane. During that overgrown phase, the water stayed clear, there were no blooms and you NEVER heard a peep about red tide.

[Arethaz]

Only in the short term. There were absolutely NO blooms following the 2005-2007 drought that had the lake down to 8.8’. Even when it came back up and water releases resumed, the lake was a jungle and fishing was unreal until the vegetation thinned out from high water and spraying by around 2013/2014 and got exponentially worse after the 2015 hurricane. During that overgrown phase, the water stayed clear, there were no blooms and you NEVER heard a peep about red tide.

THIS IS IT! They need to drop the damn lake super low during this next winter. Not, no half assed drop like they did the last 2 years. Or then this year, wait till the water hits 80 degrees before starting to drop it.

[Lake murray]

plant hydrilla, hydrilla can grow in very deep water. there is a very small amount on the lake. When Harney pond was full along with other areas the water was much cleaner and the blooms never seemed to happen

[Arethaz]

plant hydrilla, hydrilla can grow in very deep water. there is a very small amount on the lake. When Harney pond was full along with other areas the water was much cleaner and the blooms never seemed to happen

The water is too dirty outside of the protected areas for hydrilla to take hold and grow. It NEEDs light penetration. Which only has happened for a short period the last few summers, in deeper water (over 2').

[ScottOz]

The water is too dirty outside of the protected areas for hydrilla to take hold and grow. It NEEDs light penetration. Which only has happened for a short period the last few summers, in deeper water (over 2').

Because they killed all the aquatic plants that filter the water. ( hydrilla ) In every lake in Florida. Big money wheel. Kill it, Scrape it, Plant new, Repeat

[BassCatBrad]

Because they killed all the aquatic plants that filter the water. ( hydrilla ) In every lake in Florida. Big money wheel. Kill it, Scrape it, Plant new, Repeat

This ^^^^^

[Lake murray]

fished hydrilla on Seminole that was in 17' of water topped out. the hydrilla in harney pond filtered alot of water. And it's been gone for many years.

[ScottOz]

fished hydrilla on Seminole that was in 17' of water topped out.

Exactly!!!!! When they say they need the water level down to let the veggies grow it just pisses me off. The water was drinking clear in Poga. Bass Factory Lake Walk in Water was full of Hydrilla. I will never understand the HATE they have for it.

[bassburch]

Exactly!!!!! When they say they need the water level down to let the veggies grow it just pisses me off. The water was drinking clear in Poga. Bass Factory Lake Walk in Water was full of Hydrilla. I will never understand the HATE they have for it.

I think you're missing the point here... Hydrilla only grows as deep as the water clarity allows. No hydrilla = dirty water = it will never grow deep unless allowed to slowly take over the shallows. OR, drain the lake 2-3 feet, allow the hydrilla to grow in that 'deeper water', then raise the lake back up for a headstart of new, water-clearing patches of Hydrilla!

[Lake murray]

"allow to grow" is the bigger issue.

[ScottOz]

I think you're missing the point here... Hydrilla only grows as deep as the water clarity allows. No hydrilla = dirty water = it will never grow deep unless allowed to slowly take over the shallows. OR, drain the lake 2-3 feet, allow the hydrilla to grow in that 'deeper water', then raise the lake back up for a headstart of new, water-clearing patches of Hydrilla!

I am not missing the point. If they did not nuke every inch. The water would be cleaner. They spend money and kill everything to just start over. Makes no sense. I was wade fishing in the 80's in Istokpoga. I have seen hydrilla. Walk in Water full of it. Okeechobee with Hydrilla, Eel Grass and huge pepper grass areas.