Fishing at Lower Memorial Lake, Okaloosa County, Florida

• Overview

  Okaloosa County, Florida, is where Lower Memorial Lake sits. The surface lies 13 feet up. Around 35 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. It is among the larger waters listed here for Okaloosa County. Eglin Village sits 0.4 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Mobile is the closest city, 91 miles away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lower Memorial Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Open occurrence data for the surrounding area lists speckled madtom, blackbanded darter, spotted sunfish, brown darter and okaloosa darter. Reported species tell you what lives around here, nothing more. Lower Memorial Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 82°F in July and bottom out at 51°F in January. Nothing shuts down for cold, so the question is when in the day to go. Heat pushes fish deep from June onwards, so start early. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. At Lower Memorial Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. A ramp is mapped within 0.9 miles. A marina is mapped about half a mile away. Parking is not close: half a mile from the bank, and no nearer option is mapped. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Failing this one, try Upper Memorial Lake, 0.6 miles away. Confirm before you fish Lower Memorial Lake.