Fishing Bonny Lake in Polk County, Florida

• Overview

  Look for Bonny Lake in the Polk County part of Florida. Everything around it is scrub and brush. At about 31 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Compared with other Florida water on our list, it sits high. Nearest town is Mulberry, 3 miles off. Further out sit Lakeland Highlands (4.5 miles) and Fuller Heights (4.7 miles). It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Bonny Lake

  National mapping records it as a reservoir rather than a natural lake. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Fish reported in the area, according to open records, include blue tilapia, Florida gar and gizzard shad. The list reflects reported sightings and surveys rather than what is stocked. Bonny Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August runs about 82°F on average, January about 61°F. Summer is the season to work around, not winter. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer squeezes it into the edges of the day. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. That shapes the year on Bonny Lake. Rain lifts the level and moves fish about.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, South Bear Branch is 1.7 miles off. Where Bonny Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.