Clear Pond Fishing near High Springs, Florida

• Overview

  Set in Columbia County, Clear Pond is a Florida water. This is scrub and brush country. This is a pocket water of some 9 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. On size it sits at the modest end of our Columbia County list. High Springs is the closest place, 13 miles off. The big place round here is Gainesville, 33 miles distant. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Clear Pond

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Nearby survey and observation records mention Suwannee bass, largemouth bass and spotted sunfish. That is what has been logged nearby, not a stocking list, so check local rules before you plan around any one species. Fish Clear Pond where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 81°F, the coldest about 54°F. Cold never shuts this water down; heat is the only limit. Season rules are a separate question. March through May is the strongest run, with autumn a second stretch. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Expect Clear Pond to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Fox Pond, 0.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing here settles the position at Clear Pond for certain.