Lake Bennet in Orange County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Orange County entry here is Lake Bennet, in Florida. The surroundings are warm bottomland. It covers about 24 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. You are 1.2 miles from Ocoee. The nearest city of size is Orlando, 9.3 miles away. Water in the same corner: Lake Lily 0.6 miles, Lake Pearl within 0.8 miles, Lake Bonnet 1.1 miles, Starke Lake within 1.2 miles and Lake Olympia 1.2 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lake Bennet

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Public wildlife records from this area list largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, threadfin shad and blue tilapia. Use it to know what is possible here, not what is certain. Fish Lake Bennet to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 82°F and January reads 59°F. Cold never shuts this water down; heat is the only limit. Season rules are a separate question. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer squeezes it into the edges of the day. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. The season on Lake Bennet follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Lake Lily, 0.6 miles away. Check the position at Lake Bennet before loading the car.