The following is a general description and quarterly forecast (teal-colored updates) for fishing conditions in major public water bodies in this region. For even more up-to-date information, we suggest you call or visit a local bait-and-tackle shop, fishing marina or guide service. We have provided information for some local contacts, who indicated they were willing to be listed herein. Clicking the clock/thermometer above will take you to a very detailed weather site, where you can get forecasts, historic weather information, moon phase, tide charts and sunrise/sunset times. If you would like additional descriptions of these and other fishing sites listed by county, you can visit the Great Outdoors Recreation Page listing for Florida's South Region. Please note, however, that their site is not routinely updated to reflect current fishing conditions. A few sites have additional links to local web pages or to topographic maps and brochures. We will continue to expand these links as they become available to us.
Receive email when this page changes by clicking the icon below: LAKE ISTOKPOGA (Highlands County): Located five miles northeast of Lake Placid, Highlands County, this 27,692-acre lake has quality fishing for black crappie (specks) and one of the highest largemouth bass catch rates in the state. The best speck fishing occurs during winter months drifting over open water, particularly in the northeast and southwest corners. Predominant aquatic vegetation includes spadderdock (bonnets), bulrush (buggy whips), cattail, and pondweed (pepper grass). Kissimmee grass on the south end is particularly productive when there is flow into the Istokpoga Canal. This canal, located off County Highway 621, provides excellent largemouth bass fishing from the bank when the gates are open. Arbuckle and Josephine Creek mouths are also good areas when there is flow. The island areas and associated grass can hold bass any time of year and the deepest portion of the lake (10 ft) is in the southwest corner. Public boat ramps are located on the north, northeast, and southwest shorelines off of U.S. Route 98, Lake Boulevard off Cow House Road, and Highland Lake Drive off of County Route 621, respectively. There are also six fish camps/resorts on the lake with various accommodations. Anglers can wade fish off of the Cow House Road boat ramp. SPECIAL REGULATIONS FOR LARGEMOUTH BASS ON LAKE ISTOKPOGA. A slot limit protects quality largemouth bass by requiring that all bass between 15 and 24 inches in length must be immediately released back into the lake. The daily bag limit is three fish per day. Only one of the three fish may be greater than 24 inches. This means you may keep three bass less than 15 inches, or two bass less than 15 inches and one bass greater than 24 inches. For more information on the special regulations or tournament exemptions, contact Tom Champeau, Bill Pouder, or Jeff Willitzer at (863)648-3202. Bluegill (bream) and redear
sunfish (shellcracker) fishing has improved, with fish congregating in their
usual spawning areas. Use crickets and grass shrimp under a cork for bream and
red wigglers on or near the bottom for shellcrackers. Locate areas with bulrush,
Kissimmee grass, or cattails for the best action. Black crappie (speck) fishing
is slow with the warmer water temperature in the lake. Drift live Missouri
minnows and grass shrimp in open water, or troll with Napier deer hair jigs and
Hal-Flies for schooling fish. Largemouth bass fishing is better than last year.
Slow-working baits like plastic worms have been the bait of choice in Junebug
and red shad colors. Live wild shiners are working about as well as artificial
lures are right now. Look for bass to school, chasing threadfin and gizzard shad
along weedlines and open water areas. Use shad-imitating baits and topwater
lures for some fast action during summer. Webb Lake and Marl Ponds Fish Management Areas (Charlotte County): Webb Lake is a man-made 395-acre lake located on the Babcock/Webb Wildlife Management Area in Charlotte County nine miles south of Punta Gorda, and one mile east of I-75. Marl Ponds 1, 2, and 3 are located on either side of Tuckers Grade Road, and are approximately 2 acres each, with excellent bank fishing opportunities. Fish feeders are present on the Marl Ponds and Webb Lake. Three boat ramps provide access to Webb Lake. A Daily Use Permit or Management Area Stamp is required to gain access to the Babcock/Webb Wildlife Management Area. Bluegill (bream) can be caught on
crickets, red wigglers, dough balls, and small bits of hotdog fished below a
cork. Fishing in the ponds has slowed over the past few years, but some quality
bluegill can still be caught. Largemouth bass fishing is improving with warmer
spring temperatures. Fish with floating and Texas-rigged plastic worms in
Junebug, red shad, and smoke colors. Snook can be caught using MirrOlures and
other large artificial lures. Snook season is closed from May through August,
so no harvest is allowed. Catfish can be caught around the feeders on the
ponds using chicken livers and doughballs. Some catfish are in the 10-pound
range, and can give you quite a handful if hooked while fishing for bream.
Anglers have reported great fishing with ultralight tackle for tilapia (Nile
perch) using eraser-size bits of hotdog fished around the feeders on Webb Lake.
Commercial fish feed can be purchase at local feed stores, and is a great bait
to use to catch bream, catfish, and Nile perch in the ponds and the lake around
the feeders. EDWARD MEDARD RESERVOIR (Hillsborough County): Formerly known as Pleasant Grove Reservoir, this 770-acre reclaimed phosphate mine within Edward Medard Park is located in Hillsborough County, approximately six miles east of Brandon, one mile south of State Route 60 on Turkey Creek Road. The park, maintained by the Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation Department, has facilities for fishing, boating, canoe rental, picnicking, camping, hiking, and swimming. The reservoir was impounded in 1970 and is very popular, with approximately one-quarter million visitors annually. Medard Reservoir is a fertile and productive impoundment with extensive, irregular shoreline. Bottom contours of the lake are very irregular as well, with an average depth of nine feet and maximum depth of 33 feet. Kissimmee grass, bulrush (buggy whips), and cattail are the predominant vegetation. Sunshine bass (striper hybrids) are stocked on a regular basis and channel catfish are very abundant. The many ledges and bars (flats) within the main body of the reservoir are productive for all species, but key in on the shoreline grass for largemouth bass in winter and spring. Due to the convoluted nature of the reservoir there is a no wake restriction (idle speed only) on boats for safety purposes. SPECIAL REGULATIONS. A 15 to 24-inch slot limit with three fish daily bag limit protects quality bass. All bass between 15 and 24 inches in length must be immediately released. Bag limit is three fish per day, only one of which may be greater than 24 inches in length. Bluegill (bream) and redear
sunfish (shellcracker) fishing should improve with warmer water in the
reservoir. Fish with crickets, grass shrimp, and red wigglers under a cork
around shoreline structure (overhanging trees) and Kissimmee grass. Black
crappie (specks) fishing will be slow until the water temperature cools in the
fall. Drift with live Missouri minnows around the drop offs, or troll these
areas with Hal flies and small spinners for summer specks. Catfish fishing is
good all year long with most being taken with chicken livers, shrimp, and night
crawlers fished on the bottom. The majority of catfish caught in the reservoir
are channel catfish. Sunshine bass (hybrid stripers) have been biting on chicken
livers while fishing for catfish and live Missouri minnows while speck fishing.
Sunshine bass are very aggressive eaters, and will strike at a variety of
artificial lures. Warmer water in the reservoir will likely slow the sunshine
bass action. Largemouth bass fishing is improving, with most fish being taken on
live wild shiners. Slow rolling spinnerbaits around maidencane (Kissimmee grass)
and fishing plastic worms slowly can also be productive as fish move deeper to
find cooler water. Look for bass to feed heavily on threadfin and gizzard shad,
and small tilapia (Nile perch). Artificial lures that imitate these forage fish
can be very effective. For more information contact Turkey Creek Bait and Tackle at 813/737-1566. LAKE PARKER (Polk County): Lake Parker is a 2,272-acre Fish Management Area in North Lakeland. A canal on the northwest shore connects to Lake Crago. Both offer good largemouth bass fishing, particularly during the winter and spring. The canal can be a real hot spot for large bass. Bluegill and catfish fishing is popular all year and don't be surprised to find a black crappie at the end of your line. During low water the canal can be tough to navigate. Kissimmee grass, bulrush, and cattail are the predominant vegetation. Maximum depth is 10 feet. There are three boat ramps on Lake Parker. A city ramp and park is located off Lake Parker Avenue on the west shore, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ramp off U.S. Route 92 on the south shore (Sertoma Park), and a county ramp on the east shore on Lake Parker Drive. Bank fishing areas can be found at both parks. The water level in Lake Parker is
low now, but should come up once summer rains start. Hydrilla has expanded and
now covers most shallow areas of the lake. Bluegill (bream) are biting on
crickets and red wigglers. Bream catches should improve as many anglers switch
from black crappie (specks) to bream for the summer months. Specks can still be
caught by drifting live Missouri minnows, or trolling with Hal-Flies and small
spinners over open water, with chartreuse, pink, and white the best colors to
use. Many specks have been caught while fishing from the pier in the southeast
corner of the lake by the power plant. Largemouth bass can be taken on live wild
shiners fished below a cork or free-lined. Try flipping plastic worms in Junebug
and red shad colors in and around cattails and bulrush (buggy whips). Catfish
can be caught on chicken livers and commercial stink baits. Sunshine bass
(hybrid stripers) were stocked in the spring, and should begin to be caught as
the water begins to cool at the end of summer. For more information call Phillips Bait and Tackle at 863/666-2248 PEACE RIVER (Polk, Hardee, Desoto, Charlotte Counties): Peace River (Polk, Hardee, Desoto, Charlotte Counties): This scenic river runs south for over 100 miles from Lake Hancock, north of Bartow to Charlotte Harbor. Popular with canoeists, the Peace River offers excellent fishing for largemouth bass, bream, and catfish. Snook weighing over 30 pounds migrate from Charlotte Harbor and are caught year round as far north as Fort Meade. Bass, snook, and catfish prefer deep holes around tree snags where flow is strong. Tarpon are also caught in the lower Peace River. Commission maintained boat ramps are located near Fort Ogden at Deep Creek off CR 769 (Kings Highway) in Desoto County, and near Wauchula on CR 652 in Hardee County. Depending on water levels and other conditions, additional limited-access points are sometimes available. Locations follow: US 98 east of Ft. Meade; west of US 17 at Gardner; west of US 17 at Brownville; west of Arcadia off SR 70; and at Lettuce Lake south of CR 761. Bank fishing opportunities are available near Gardner. The drought has left the river very low, making even canoe passage difficult. Summer rains and tropical weather should make the river navigable by mid summer. The fishery has recovered from the hurricanes in 2004, as all species of fish have been found in our sampling. Fishing will be slow in the river until the river level stabilizes. Fish around snags and deeper holes in the river with live wild shiners and soft plastic lures to catch largemouth bass. Catfish can be caught on chicken livers, commercial stinkbaits, and frozen shrimp in deeper holes and near snags. Black crappie (specks) can be found in backwater areas; use live Missouri minnows fished around snags or drifted in open water for best results. Snook can be caught in the lower river with live finger mullet around bridges and docks, or try using larger artificial baits such as the DOA BaitBuster and MirrOlures for some great action. Snook season is closed from May through August, so you must release any snook you catch. Spotted sunfish (stumpknockers) can be caught in and around snags (downed trees) in pool areas of the river on red wigglers. Stumpknockers are fun to catch with ultralight spinning gear, and put up quite a fight for their size.
NOTE: Low water will be an issue
through next year unless the area receives large amounts of rainfall in the next
month or so. Bluegill (bream) fishing is good,
with the warmer water concentrating fish in spawning areas where they can be
caught with crickets and red wigglers. Catfish can be caught on chicken livers
and commercial stinkbaits around deeper holes. Bank fishing opportunities here
are excellent. Largemouth bass fishing is picking up. Use live wild shiners for
the best action, and try plastic worms in Junebug, red shad, and Christmas
colors fished slowly along the edges and near drop-offs. Black crappie (speck)
fishing is slow, but a few fish can still be caught. Live Missouri minnows and
small jigs trolled or drifted are the best bets for specks. For more information contact Phillips Bait and Tackle at 941/666-2248.
LAKE TARPON (Pinellas County): Lake Tarpon is a 2,534-acre Fish Management Area near Tarpon Springs, in Pinellas County. Although the largemouth bass population and size structure is excellent, fishing pressure is relatively low. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) fisheries biologists regularly sample bass during electrofishing surveys on this lake. In fact, Lake Tarpon is rated one of the Top 10 bass lakes in the state of Florida by FWC fisheries biologists. Primary largemouth bass fishing areas are found among the weeds which rim the shoreline. Bulrush (buggy whips), cattail, and tape grass beds are good places to try. Offshore humps, particularly with submerged vegetation, are productive and bass will school and chase shad in open water during the summer months. Public boat ramps are located at the county parks off U.S. Route 19 and County Road 611 (also known as East Lake Road). These parks are open sunrise to sunset and also offer fishing piers. Redear sunfish (shellcracker) can
be caught all year from the shell bars on crickets and red wigglers fished below
a slip bobber near the bottom, and bluegill can be caught on crickets and grass
shrimp fished along shoreline vegetation. Bream are spawning in areas 3-5 feet
deep over clean bottom. Largemouth bass fishing has been good, with 2-4 pound
bass making up the bulk of the catch. Try fishing a Texas-rigged plastic worm or
slow-rolling a spinnerbait around the shell bars near deep water. Bass have been
schooling around the mouth of the outfall canal, and if you can match the size
of baitfish they are chasing, you can have a 30 to 40 fish day. Live wild
shiners should be very productive when drifted over grass beds or dropped into
holes in the grass. Black crappie (speck) fishing has slowed with the warmer
water temperature. Try drifting live Missouri minnows, or trolling small jigs
and spinners in open water to find the schools. The next-best bet is a small
green tube jig drifted over grass beds. For a local map of the area click here, use your browser's back button to return. For more information contact the Tarpon Turtle at 727/934-3696. TENOROC (Polk County): Tenoroc Fish Management Area, located northeast of Lakeland, offers a unique fishing opportunity. Tenoroc is an old phosphate mine where 14 lakes ranging in size from seven to 227 acres provide quality public fishing. All anglers are required to register at the area headquarters where a daily use fee of $3 is charged. Access quotas control the number of anglers on all lakes and harvest restrictions on sportfish ensure angler satisfaction. Limitations on the use of boat motors also apply here. Special opportunities are available to children and physically challenged anglers; bank fishing access is provided on many lakes. This intensive management philosophy has created some of the best catch rates in the state for a variety of sportfishes. Two types of lakes offer different fishing challenges. Unreclaimed lakes have steep banks, brush-covered shorelines and generally greener water color. Reclaimed lakes have gently sloping shorelines vegetated with cattail, bullrush and other aquatic plants. Lakes vary in depth and offer shoreline opportunities, as well as open-water structure fishing. Roads and grounds are well maintained and modern boat ramps are provided on most lakes. Selected lakes also have restrooms and picnic pavilions. Tenoroc is nationally noted for largemouth bass and provides excellent fishing for panfish (bluegill and redear sunfish), black crappie and several varieties of catfish. Seasonal patterns are well established for these fishes and appropriate fishing techniques are updated quarterly in this report. Most bass anglers prefer to fish the reclaimed lakes, while panfish and crappie anglers target unreclaimed lakes. Nevertheless, all species can be caught in both, so anglers can choose the type of area they wish to fish. The site also has a shooting and training facility on the property. Water levels are very low. Lost Lake
East and Pasture Pits (now called Pine Lakes as of July 1) are closed, and
Hydrilla and Shop lakes are hand-launch only due to low water. All other
lakes are low, so launch at your own risk. Bluegill (bream) and redear
sunfish (shellcracker) fishing is improving with warmer water temperatures, and
is good in lakes 3, 4, Fishhook, and Horseshoe. Fish around shoreline cover with
red wigglers and crickets fished below a cork for the best catches. Largemouth
bass action has improved with the warmer water temperatures, and lakes 3, 4,
Fishhook, and Horseshoe are providing the most consistent catches. Bass are in
deeper water around points and humps. Try fishing these areas with plastic worms
in red shad and Junebug colors, or with deep diving crankbaits in shad imitating
colors. Catfish angling is best in lakes B, Legs, and Halfmoon. Fish with
chicken liver, commercial stinkbaits, and nightcrawlers around the deeper holes
for the best action. Black crappie (speck) fishing is slow, but they can still
be caught. Drift live Missouri minnows in 6-8 feet of water or troll small jigs
and spinners in the same areas. Use a depth finder to locate dredge holes and
fish them until you find the one holding the specks. NOTE: Low water will be an issue
through next year unless the area receives large amounts of rainfall in the next
month or so. WALK-IN-WATER (Polk County): Also known as Lake Weohyakapka, this
7,528-acre anglers' favorite is located south of State Route 60, 10 miles east of
Lake Wales off Walk-in-the-Water Road in Polk County. Predominant vegetation is
cattail, bulrush (buggy whips), Kissimmee grass, and hydrilla. Tiger Creek flows
in from the southwest and Weohyakapka Creek flows from the north end of the
lake. Maximum depth is 12 feet. Nationally known for largemouth bass fishing,
Lake Walk-in-Water provides both large numbers and trophy-sized fish. Drifting
live shiners over offshore hydrilla is the most consistent technique, but many
bass are caught on artificials as well, particularly topwater lures. There is a
county boat ramp on the west shore at the end of Boat Landing Road.
NOTE: Low water will be an issue through next year unless the area receives large amounts of rainfall in the next month or so. For more information contact the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 863/648-3202.
WINTER HAVEN CHAIN OF LAKES (Polk County): Located within the city of Winter Haven, nine lakes compose this 6000-acre chain where fishing and boating are extremely popular. Boat and shore access to the South Chain are available at lakes Summit, Shipp, Howard, Cannon, and Hartridge. The North Chain can be accessed through lakes Conine, Rochelle, and Haines. Fish attractors are located and marked in lakes Summit, Winterset, Cannon, Smart, and Haines. Bass anglers achieve success by "flipping" plastic worms around shoreline plants such as cattail and maidencane, as well as docks. Low water has made it difficult to pass through some of the canals between lakes in the chain. Bluegill fishing should improve with warmer water temperatures. Use crickets and red wigglers fished below a cork near shoreline vegetation. Black crappie (speck) fishing will be slow until water temperatures cool in the fall. Drift live Missouri minnows or troll with Hal-Flies and small spinners over grass beds for the best action. Largemouth bass fishing is improving, with most fish being caught on live wild shiners and plastic worms fished slowly around cattails and bulrush (buggy whips). Try using a lipless crankbait along deeper grass beds. Some bass will move to deeper grasslines to find cooler water; if you can locate them, you can catch some quality fish.     The Division of Freshwater Fisheries Mission and Goal [ FISHING RULES | FISHING LICENSES | FISH IDENTIFICATION | FISHING TIPS | FISHING SITES & FORECASTS | | FBCC | BOAT RAMPS | PIERS | FISHING LINKS | FISHING MAPS | | FISHERIES PUBLICATIONS | FISH BUSTER COLUMN | FISHERIES NEWS | FISHERIES OFFICES-PROJECTS | | FISHERIES PERMITS | BIG CATCH PROGRAM | SPORT FISH RESTORATION | BASS TAG FOR CARS | | DIVING/PHOTOGRAPHY | JOE BUDD AEC | WOMEN'S OWN | FISHING CALENDAR | | FREQUENTLY ANSWERED QUESTIONS | FUNSTUFF & GAMES | RECORD FISH | FISH ORLANDO! | | SPONSOR OPTIONS | FISH MANAGEMENT AREAS | MULTIMEDIA SHOWS AND PHOTOS | | SITE MAP | LINK TO US | CUSTOMER SURVEY | ASK FWC ] NOTE: Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records; request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing. MyFWC.com • Copyright © 1999-2008 State of Florida • Privacy Statement • EEO/AA/ADA Advertising Statement & Disclaimer | |||||||||||||||||
