Butterfly Lake, Florida: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Pinellas County end of Florida holds Butterfly Lake. The land about it is warm bottomland. About 21 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Ground here is low by Florida standards. Gandy sits 3.7 miles from the bank. Lealman lies 4.3 miles off, West and East Lealman another 5 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Butterfly Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. This is tidal water: the state of the tide decides where fish sit, so plan the session around it. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Nearby survey and observation records mention flathead grey mullet, blackchin tilapia, bluegill and pinfish. On Butterfly Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 83°F and January reads 61°F. Year-round warmth means year-round fishing, with early starts in summer. The first and last hours carry the summer; the middle is slow. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. That is the shape of the year on Butterfly Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. There is a car park half a mile from the bank. Bluegill and other panfish take small jigs or worms under a float near any cover. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Crescent Lake, 2.8 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. The position on Butterfly Lake is worth confirming on the day.