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Tenoroc Fisheries Office
3829 Tenoroc Mine Road Lakeland, FL 33805  Phone: 863/499-2421 Fax: 863/499-2692 Manager: Mr. Danon Moxley Email: danon.moxley@MyFWC.com |
Tenoroc is a 7,300-acre Fisheries Management Area and special aquatic
education facility.
For more details, see Tenoroc's own Web Page. |
OVERVIEW
Located two miles northeast of Lakeland, Tenoroc Fish Management Area is a 7,300-acre tract of land that was mined for phosphate until the mid-1970's. In 1982, Borden inc. donated this property to the State of Florida. Approximately 1,000 acres of lakes, locally referred to as "phosphate pits" remained from mining operations.
Numerous phosphate pits exist in Polk County and many support outstanding sportfisheries for largemouth bass and panfish. Unfortunately, most such areas are privately controlled and are off-limits to the general public. The donation of Tenoroc provided the State with a unique challenge to develop recreational activities on this disturbed land site. Of those activities considered, public fishing was the primary use requested by local residents.
In 1983, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists began to evaluate the fisheries at Tenoroc, develop a fish management plan, and implement extensive research studies. Research was directed at testing a variety of restrictive harvest regulations on largemouth bass in an attempt to maintain high quality fishing success. These studies yielded important information to biologists that now directly benefits anglers. Based on these findings, Commission biologists continue to manage Tenoroc fish populations that attract and satisfy thousands of visitors annually.
FISHERIES RESEARCH & MANAGEMENT
The rapid increase of Florida anglers, coupled with improved fishing expertise, has resulted in unprecedented demands on available fish resources. Recent survey results also indicate most largemouth bass anglers desire to catch more fish of quality sizes, and want better opportunities to catch trophy-sized bass. To meet these needs, progressive research strategies and management techniques for bass and other sportfishes have become necessary to ensure the future of Florida fishing.
Fishery research at Tenoroc originally focused on restrictive regulations to limit harvest of largemouth bass and attempt to meet high angler expectations. A wide variety of experimental bass harvest regulations were evaluated including various length limits, reduced bag limits, total catch-and-release, and gear restrictions. Fishing quotas were also established for each lake to keep fishing pressure at controlled levels. By rigidly controlling bass harvest, biologists found that bass lived longer, and as a result, grew larger. Research also revealed higher catch rates were maintained by releasing bass, which were often "recycled" and caught again and again by other anglers. Since many bass fishermen were already practicing "catch-and-release", this approach to regulating fisheries quickly became popular with Tenoroc anglers.
Research findings revealed that restrictive harvest regulations were extremely beneficial in maintaining better quality bass fisheries and angler success. By comparison, in other "control" lakes with liberal state regulations that allowed more bass to be harvested, bass populations and catch rates deteriorated rapidly. Of all the bass regulations evaluated, however, the no-harvest restriction proved to produce the most positive and consistent results. Based on this research and the support of Tenoroc fishermen, our current management strategy now relies on total catch-and-release, or very limited harvest of largemouth bass.
Tenoroc research also determined that black crappie (speckled perch) populations were drastically reduced by excessive harvest, Although crappie are much less susceptible to overfishing than largemouth bass, it became necessary to implement special, restrictive size and bag limits on this fishery. As a result, biologists expect crappie fishing success to improve to previous levels. By restricting the number and size of crappie that anglers may take home, our goal is to increase average sizes and extend the duration of these typically cyclic fisheries.
Other sportfish and food fish species at Tenoroc, including bluegill, redear sunfish (shellcracker), white catfish, and yellow and brown bullhead, are much less affected by fishing pressure and require little management. Channel catfish and sunshine bass (striped bass hybrids) are also stocked periodically in several lakes as additional food fish species.
FISHING OPPORTUNITIES
Tenoroc currently has 14 lakes open to the public (see area map), with seven public boat ramps, four fishing platforms, abundant bank-fishing access, picnic facilities and rest rooms. In fiscal year 1997-98, Tenoroc had nearly 19,000 visitors the vast majority of whom were satisfied anglers. They spent 66,500 hours fishing, with nearly half of them targeting bass, and a fifth looking for bream or crappie, others sought sunshine bass and catfish, or had no specific preference.
REGULATIONS
Many of the ponds at Tenoroc have specific fishing regulations. You should be thoroughly acquainted with these rules before fishing on Tenoroc. Remember to check in at the main desk and be certain to ask any questions you have about the regulations on the pond you wish to fish. You can also normally get some very good advice about which ponds have the most active fisheries and what they are biting. (Also check out tips for general fishing advice).
If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact Danon J. Moxley
Manager, Tenoroc FMA
ANGLER SUPPORT
The success of Tenoroc's fishing program depends highly on the support of our sportsmen. Compliance with fishing regulations is essential to properly manage gamefish populations. Every Tenoroc angler has a personal obligation to help perpetuate good fishing opportunities' project biologists also need cooperation from anglers in accurately recording catch information on provided creel forms. Creel data reflect how fish populations respond to regulations, other management strategies, and fishing pressure. Data also help indicate problems or undesirable trends that need to be corrected. Please help by providing complete and honest information when filling out creel forms.
FISHERIES DIRECTION AT TENOROC
Fishing will always remain a Commission priority, however, the Division of Freshwater Fisheries' emphasis has shifted from research to management and an expanded aquatic education function at Tenoroc. New management direction will also include habitat enhancement efforts and additional fish stocking measures when appropriate. Plans to improve angler access (including physically challenged anglers) and provide additional fishing areas have been implemented. Fishing events for children and other groups are ongoing to attract new anglers to a lifetime sport.
Additional recreational uses including small game hunting, target shooting (visit the Tenoroc Shooting Range site), hiking, horseback riding, picnicking, and wildlife observation are presently available at Tenoroc.
