Banana River (Brevard)
Anglers can expect to find shallow seagrass and mangrove-based ecosystems at Banana River. The northern part is an important spring habitat for the east coast population of manatees. Activities such as sail boarding, kayaking, duck hunting and bird watching are continued throughout the year.
Clermont Chain (Lake)
Clermont Chain, the Fish Management Area, is comprised of eleven lakes, most of which with dark water, however Lake Minneola’s is relatively clear. Bluegill and redear sunfish can typically be found around the shallow water near vegetation. Worms, crickets and grass shrimp are excellent options for bait. Catfish and bass are also popular catches, using chicken liver and plastic worms as bait, respectively. Black crappie is not as plentiful, but still a good catch. Use minnows as bait around deep grassy areas.
Lake Minneola offers a free fishing pier and a boat ramp with a fee. Another boat ramp is available north of Lake Louisa.
Crescent Beach (St. Johns)
A short distance from St. Augustine, Crescent Beach is a great spot for coastal angling. Redfish, flounder, mahi, sea trout and marlin are all popular catches. Fish from the pier or take a deep sea charter for the larger sport fish.
Flagler Beach (Flagler)
Between the Intracoastal and the Atlantic, the Flagler Beach deep channel offers an abundance of snapper, tarpon, snook, redfish and whiting. Blue crab is also a great potential catch and can be lured with raw chicken.
Boat access is available from the county dock or through Gamble Rogers Memorial State Park. On foot, anglers can fish from the Flagler Beach Pier.
Kenansville Lake (Indian River)
At one time a cattle pasture, this 2,500-acre area has been flooded into a shallow pond. Averaging a 3-foot depth, fishing is often very successful. Bluegill and redear are most commonly found during spawning; try the areas near the levees for the best catches. Black crappie can be found in the deeper waters using a jig pole. Largemouth bass are catch-and-release only.
Due to the low water level and the submerged posts, boaters should be especially careful. There is a boat ramp on-site and the nearby town of Kenansville supplies gas and bait.
Lake Blue Cypress (Indian River)
Cypress and water lilies line the shoreline of this 6,555-acre area, and easily marked fish attractors offer the easiest angling. Bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, crappie and catfish are all popular catches.
Boaters can access the lake by the boat ramp. A fishing pier, restroom facilities and picnic tables are available, and fishing is permitted from the pier and bank. A nearby marina offers fuel.
Lake Crescent (Flagler & Putnam)
A tributary of the St. Johns, the 15,960-acre Lake Crescent offers excellent fishing. Bass and crappie spawn in the lake, and sometimes inhabit the vegetation into the spring and sometimes summer. Bluegill and shellcracker spawning should yield productive catches.
A boat ramp and small parking lot is available on the west shore off of Highway 17, and fishing is allowed from the bank.
Lake Conway (Orange)
The hard, sandy bottom and vegetation of this 1,800-acre chain is a great place to catch bass. Try jig spoons, spinnerbaits, topwater lures and soft jerk baits. Jigs and beetle spins should also bring in a good catch of crappie.
Lake Garcia Reservoir (Indian River)
As part of the Blue Cypress Water Management Area, this 3,149-acre reservoir’s shallow waters harbor bass, bluegill and black crappie. During rainy day, look for bass where water moves into Lake Garcia at the southwest and northeast corners, or near the outflow at the northwest corner. Fishing with live minnows as bait on the west side should bring in plenty of black crappie.
A boat ramp, parking lot, picnic area and restrooms are located on-site. Boaters who are unfamiliar with this area should pay close attention to navigational hazards.
Lake George (Volusia & Putnam)
Lake George offers a vast amount of vegetation, which makes for an excellent fish habitat. There are jetties on the south end of the lake, which offer good bass harvests. For bait, live shiners and crankbaits will work best here, but experiment with floating worms or live minnows near the eelgrass beds. Bluegill and redear are best caught with crickets and worms, respectively.
A small boat ramp is open to the public. The water level stays at about 9 feet, but large boats will have no problem navigating the channel.
Lake Harris (Lake)
The 13,788-acre Lake Harris offers a decent largemouth bass population with plastic worms, crankbaits or live shiners as bait. Stick to the areas around the S.R. 19 bridge and the grassy shoreline. Bluegill and redear are more prevalent in warmer waters. Try grass shrimp, crickets and worms near the 9th Street Canal for bream catches.
Off Highway 27, Singletary Park offers access to the lake, as does a public boat ramp in Leesburg’s Venetian Gardens. Florida Avenue in Astatula provides another ramp. Hickory Point recreational area’s boat ramp has a usage fee.
Lake Ivanhoe (Orange)
Wacky-rigged plastics or fluke juniors can help lure bass near the lake’s many drop-offs. Aerator diffusers, easily located by bubbles, may draw schooling activity.
Lake Jessup (Seminole)
Known as being one of the top fishing areas in this section of the St. Johns, Lake Jessup is a great spot to find bluegill, redear sunfish and black crappie, which prefer minnows and spinners. The waters are known for being teeming with alligators. For the adventurous, there are airboat ride opportunities nearby.
Lake Kissimmee (Osceola)
Largemouth bass can be found within the native vegetation like knotgrass, maidencane and lily pads in Lake Kissimmee. Spinnerbaits will act as the prime artificial lure here, as will soft jerkbaits and plastic worms.
Lake Monroe (Seminole & Volusia)
A 9,406-acre lake in the middle of the St. Johns River, Lake Monroe should provide excellent opportunities in the bulrushes, provided high enough water levels. The bulrushes on the west side have seen plenty of bass and redear. Bluegill and crappie harvests will be spotty, but a combination of full moon, deep water and vegetation will not disappoint.
The intersection of 17/92 and I-4 features a public boat ramp, as does the Monroe Harbor Marina in Sanford. The lake’s north side has a ramp off Enterprise Road.
Lake Panasoffkee (Sumter)
Lake Panasoffkee, with shallow, spring-fed water covering more than 4,000 acres, offers a good amount of bass, bluegill and redear. Bass will be found around grassy areas at all hours of the day. For them, try topwater lures and plastic worms as bait. Redear and bluegill will flee when they see a boat through the clear water, but can be caught with a mixture of patience and night fishing.
A public boat ramp is available on C.R. 470 on the Outlet River.
Lake Tohopekaliga (Osceola)
Also known as Lake Toho, the 18,810-acre lake offers fish attractors for successful fishing. Largemouth bass are often found near Goblets Cove, Lanier Point, Brown’s Point, and Little Grassy Island. Live and artificial bait should yield good catches, especially golden shiners and dark-colored plastic worms. Bluegill are especially plentiful during the full moon. Sandy, vegetated areas pocked with small holes are signs of bedding. In those areas try live bait or small jigs.
A large, six-lane boat ramp with floating courtesy dock is available on Lakeshore Boulevard. A parking lot accommodates 84 cars, and restroom and picnic facilities are located on-site. Fishing from the pier and the bank
are permitted.
Lake Washington (Brevard)
Lake Washington, at 4,362 acres, is Brevard County’s largest lake. Largemouth bass provide prime fishing. Stick with crankbaits, spinnerbaits and live worms to bait them. Black crappie respond best to minnows and small jigs.
Lake Yale (Lake)
Largemouth bass are usually found among the vegetation area in Lake Yale. Shiners, plastic worms, topwater plugs and spinnerbaits work well as bait. Bluegill and redear sunfish will be plentiful as spawning continues. Using worms, grass shrimp and crickets as bait near shoreline vegetation should bring in a good haul.
Boat ramps are available off C.R. 450 west of Umatilla, and in Marsh Memorial Park, which permits bank fishing.
Ocala Forest Lakes (Lake & Marion)
The Ocala National Forest houses around 600 lakes. The plentiful amount of space should provide ample fishing opportunities. For first timers, stop by the forest’s welcome center and pick up a fishing booklet for more detailed information about park’s fishing opportunities. Bluegill and redear typically spawn in shallow water near vegetation. To see if they were there, look for a honeycomb-like pattern of holes on the lake bottom. Worms and crickets work best as bait. Lake Bryant is known for its amount, as well as trophy sized largemouth bass. Several restrictions exist for largemouth bass possession, so double-check with park rangers regarding the regulations.
There are a number of boat ramps in the forest, but low water levels sometimes keep larger vessels from launching.
Oklawaha River (Lake, Marion & Putnam)
Staring in Lake County, Oklawaha River flows into the St. Johns River. Black crappie fishing is slower in warm weather, while bluegill, redear and catfish should be plentiful year-round. Try grass shrimp and worms to bait the redear, or chicken livers for the catfish. The shallower, clearer waters towards the lower section house largemouth bass and spotted and redear sunfish. Drift shiners in holes along the riverbank for bass; try live worms and grass shrimp for the sunfish.
Several public boat ramps are open along local highways.
Rodman Reservoir (Putnam)
From Highway 316 near Fort McCoy to Highway 19 near Palatka, this 9,500-acre reservoir is a prime location for largemouth bass. Stick to the deeper areas during warmer weather and try deep-diving crankbaits. Addition common catches include bream, redbreast sunfish, warmouth and bluegill.
Boaters should take caution around floating logs.
Sebastian Inlet (Brevard)
As one of the best fishing spots along the East Coast, the Sebastian Inlet harbors blue marlin, grouper, amberjack, wahoo and dolphin in its warm waters. Spotted sea trout are another common catch, especially around grassy areas in the summer. In colder weather, follow them to the deeper open water. Snook, redfish, bluefish and Spanish mackerel should be plentiful, as well.
Starke Lake (Orange)
To catch some of the plentiful largemouth bass, stick close to fish attractors, which are marked with yellow buoys. Texas-rigged plastic worms usually bait well. If temperatures are below 80 degrees, try submerged eel grass and peppergrass below 5-10 feet of water.
Stick Marsh (Indian River)
This 6,500-acre impoundment of the St. Johns Water Management Area is an excellent spot for catching bass, bluegill, redear, crappie and several species of catfish. The “no harvest” regulation prohibits the harvesting of largemouth bass—something catch-and-release anglers will appreciate. Heavy rains mean feeding activity near control structure inflows and outflows.
The marsh offers a double-lane boat ramp, air boat launch site, restrooms and parking lot. Boaters should be careful of the navigational hazards throughout the area.
Turkey Lake (Orange)
Using lipless crankbaits and spinnerbaits, largemouth bass may be pulled out of deeper pads and grassy bottlenecks, where they’re commonly found. Although public boat access is restricted, anglers can choose to participate in a Boat Loaner Program for a small fee.
Indian River Lagoon (Brevard, Indian River & St. Lucie)
This 155-mile stretch of water is extremely fertile, offering more than 1,300 plant species, 300 bird species and 700 fish species, of both the fresh and saltwater varieties. Crevalle jack is plentiful in the lagoon and feeds on baitfish close to the surface. The eight-pound sheepshead is another popular catch. Stick to seawalls, oyster bars and inshore tidal creeks, as these are good congregating spots.
