Fishing Carlton Lake in Hillsborough County, Florida

• Overview

  Hillsborough County in Florida is where Carlton Lake sits. It sits in open low country country. Around 34 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Head to Balm, 3.4 miles away, for anything you forgot. Wimauma is 3.5 miles and Sun City Center 6.8 miles. In the same area: Lake Wimauma within 4.3 miles, Hurrah Lake 6.9 miles away, Browns Lakes within 8 miles, Pelleham Branch 8.8 miles away and Hutto Lake within 9.1 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Carlton Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Public wildlife records from this area list bluegill, dollar sunfish, warmouth, spotted sunfish and swamp darter. Local agencies hold the definitive list for this water. On Carlton Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put August near 82°F and January near 61°F. Fish feed through every month here. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to be out. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. Plan around that when you fish Carlton Lake. Long daylight spreads the feeding across more hours.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. For the panfish, a small hook, a float and a piece of worm outfish everything fancy. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Lake Wimauma at 4.3 miles is the nearest alternative. Nothing here settles the position at Carlton Lake for certain.