Karick Lake: 65 Electric-Only Acres North of Baker

Major and minor solunar windows shift daily with the moon’s transit. Fish the windows above, or check the Seasonal Playbook below for Karick Lake’s current pattern.

Florida's wildlife agency gives no spring pattern for Karick Lake, and no dated spring report is published that we can cite, so this section keeps to what its page supports. Karick Lake is a 65-acre impoundment off County Road 189, about eight miles north of Baker in Okaloosa County. It averages 7 feet deep and reaches 18, and the state has stocked it with largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish and channel catfish. Bluegill and redear sunfish move off their beds and hold around drop-offs, where red worms, wigglers or crickets work best; for artificials the agency likes a Rooster Tail, a beetle spin or a small curly-tailed jig. Concrete ramps with courtesy docks are in both the north and south campgrounds, each reached from County Road 189, and the state inventory lists a launch fee at each. The deepest water is near the dam and along the old streambed, and a considerable amount of flooded timber remains as fish cover.

No dated summer report is published for Karick Lake that we can cite, and the agency's written forecast does not cover the hot months. A wheelchair-accessible fishing pier stands beside the north ramp. The north campground has electric and water hookups, the south one is primitive, and the Florida Forest Service maintains both. Catfish come from deeper water off the fishing pier or near the dam, on beef or chicken liver fished on the bottom. Concrete ramps with courtesy docks are in both the north and south campgrounds, each reached from County Road 189, and the state inventory lists a launch fee at each. Gasoline motors are prohibited and electric trolling motors are allowed. The lake is a Fish Management Area, so its limits are the ones printed for such areas in Florida's freshwater regulations. The deepest water is near the dam and along the old streambed, and a considerable amount of flooded timber remains as fish cover.

The agency's forecast for Karick Lake is written for the cooling months. The agency says to look for shallow water next to steep drop-offs, which give bass and bream a deep refuge in cold snaps and easy feeding on the warm days after. Work the drop-offs with medium-diving crankbaits or Rat-L-Traps, and the shoreline and brush piles with floater-diver lures or dark plastic worms. Catfish come from deeper water off the fishing pier or near the dam, on beef or chicken liver fished on the bottom. No dated fall report is published for the lake that we can cite, so this is standing advice and not this season's catch. Gasoline motors are prohibited and electric trolling motors are allowed. The lake is a Fish Management Area, so its limits are the ones printed for such areas in Florida's freshwater regulations.

Cold weather is what the agency's Karick Lake forecast is about. The agency says to look for shallow water next to steep drop-offs, which give bass and bream a deep refuge in cold snaps and easy feeding on the warm days after. Work the drop-offs with medium-diving crankbaits or Rat-L-Traps, and the shoreline and brush piles with floater-diver lures or dark plastic worms. Bluegill and redear sunfish move off their beds and hold around drop-offs, where red worms, wigglers or crickets work best; for artificials the agency likes a Rooster Tail, a beetle spin or a small curly-tailed jig. A wheelchair-accessible fishing pier stands beside the north ramp. The north campground has electric and water hookups, the south one is primitive, and the Florida Forest Service maintains both. Concrete ramps with courtesy docks are in both the north and south campgrounds, each reached from County Road 189, and the state inventory lists a launch fee at each.

Karick Lake North

Baker, FL

Parking

spots

Fee

Launch fee (Florida Forest Service)

Concrete ramp with courtesy dock and an accessible pier. Electric motors only.

Karick Lake South

Baker, FL

Parking

spots

Fee

Launch fee (Florida Forest Service)

Concrete ramp with courtesy dock. Electric motors only.