Like offering a full canteen, to a dried-out angler crawling through the desert, the rains finally came, and we might just have some summertime freshwater fishing after all. Significant early-June rains brought up significantly, our North Florida lakes that had been low and losing more water for months.
Along with the St. John’s River and Santa Fe Lake, the productive reservoirs, Rodman and Rousseau, had been the still-accessible mainstays for freshwater loving locals. But this week’s long wet spell has (at least for a while) put several of our favorite bass and bream
producers such as Alto, Lochloosa, Orange, and Newnan’s back on the angler’s table, as well. The smaller lakes and ponds, of course, are again brimming.
At this point, the water has not risen enough to restore access onto every lake from every access point, but fishers with reasonably small vessels can now make it onto all of our lakes–with a bit of effort.
That’s quite a big improvement from May, and thanks to the rapid rise in levels, mid-June saw some of the best bass and bluegill catches of the year locally. To boot, all the new rainwater has not been excessive, to the point of darkening the gulf grass flats, causing trouble for near-shore trout fishers and scallopers. Just a nice couple-week rainy spell without a name attached, and just what the doctor ordered.
Gary Simpson
Gary’s Tackle Box
5721 NW 13th Street
Gainesville, FL 32653
garystacklebox.com / garystacklebox@gmail.com