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. Largemouth bass fishing has been
good this spring, and should continue through early summer. 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.
Bass should be finished spawning by early April. Bass will begin schooling,
chasing threadfin and gizzard shad along weedlines and in open water areas. Use
shad-imitating baits and topwater lures for some fast action as summer
approaches. Bluegill (bream) and redear sunfish (shellcracker) fishing has
improved, with fish congregating in their usual spawning areas. Use crickets and
grass shrimp under a bobber 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 should remain good until the water
temperature warms dramatically. Drift live Missouri minnows and grass shrimp in
open water, or troll with Napier deer hair jigs and Hal flies for schooling
fish. Henderson’s Cove is producing good numbers of specks on the outside edge
of the pads near deeper water. 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
bobber. 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 artificials.
Check the FWC Saltwater Regulations to determine the latest seasons on snook in
the area. Catfish can be caught around the feeders on the ponds using chicken
livers and dough balls. Anglers have reported great fishing with ultra-light
tackle for tilapia (Nile perch) using pencil-eraser size bits of hotdog fished
around the feeders on Webb Lake. Commercial fish feed can be purchased 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 bobber
around shoreline structure (overhanging trees) and Kissimmee grass. Black
crappie (speck) fishing should be good until the water temperature warms in late
spring. Drift with live Missouri minnows around the drop-offs, or troll these
areas with Hal flies and small spinners for the best action. The reservoir is
one of the top spots for specks in Hillsborough County. 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 and live Missouri minnows being fished by catfish and speck anglers.
Sunshine bass are very aggressive eaters, and will also strike at a variety of
artificial lures. Try trolling Rapala Shad Raps and other deep diving crankbaits
for some good action until warmer water pushes them deep in the reservoir.
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 out of spawning
areas looking for a meal. Look for bass to feed heavily on threadfin and gizzard
shad, and small blue 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. 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. Largemouth bass can be taken on live wild shiners below a cork or
free-lined. Try flipping plastic worms in Junebug and red shad colors in and
around cattails and bulrush (buggy whips). Spawning should slow by early April.
The hourglass area on the north end of the lake has been holding quality bass
this year, but may be difficult to reach with the low water level this spring.
Catfish can be caught on chicken livers and commercial stink baits. 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 river is very low, but should begin to come up once the rains begin in early summer. Largemouth bass can be found around snags (downed trees) in the slower sections of the river. Try using spinnerbaits and stickbaits to entice these fish to bite. Bluegill and redear sunfish can also be found in and around the snags along the river bank. Snook can be caught in the lower river with live finger mullet around bridges and docks, or try using larger artificial baits such as DOA Baitbusters and MirrOLures for some great action. Spotted sunfish (stumpknockers) can be caught in and around snags in pool areas of the river on red wigglers. Stumpknockers are fun to catch with ultra-light 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
improving with the warmer water, and they can be caught with crickets and red
wigglers. Catfish can be caught on chicken livers and commercial stink baits
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. Many anglers target black crappie (specks) during the
winter months, but switch to bream during summer. Live Missouri minnows and
small jigs trolled or drifted are the best bets for good speck action. 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 (bream) can be caught on crickets
and grass shrimp fished along shoreline vegetation. Largemouth bass fishing has
been good, with two to four 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. Live wild shiners should be very productive when
drifted over grass beds or dropped into holes in the grass. Shad-imitating lures
are a good choice in late spring and through the summer as bass chase schools of
threadfin shad in open water. Lake Tarpon continues to produce good numbers of
large bass during the spring, making it one of Florida’s Top Ten Bass Lakes
every year. Black crappie (specks) 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 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. Bluegill (bream) and redear sunfish
(shellcracker) fishing is improving with warmer water temperatures. Fish around
shoreline cover with red wigglers and crickets fished below a bobber for the
best catches. Largemouth bass action has improved with the warmer water
temperatures, with consistent catches being reported in many of the lakes. 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 4, 5, and B. Fish with
chicken liver, commercial stink baits and nightcrawlers around the deeper holes
for the best catfish action. Black crappie (speck) fishing is still good. Lakes
2, 3, 4, 5, and F have been the most productive. Drift live Missouri minnows in
six to eight 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. Contact the Tenoroc Fish Management Area office
(863-499-2421) to check which lakes are accessible with the low water levels
this spring. 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 levels are making it difficult to get from one lake to the next on the Winter Haven Chain. Bluegill (bream) fishing should improve with warmer water temperatures. Use crickets and red wigglers fished below a bobber near shoreline vegetation. Black crappie (speck) fishing will be good until late April when warmer water temperatures cause most anglers to switch to bream fishing. Drift live Missouri minnows or troll with Hal flies and small spinners over grass beds for the best action. Largemouth bass fishing is slow, 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. Bass will finish spawning in April, so fish shallow areas with cattails, bulrush and Kissimmee grass (maidencane) with plastic lizards, crawfish and other soft plastics in Junebug, red shad and tequila colors.     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 | |||||||||||||||||
