Lake Ellen in Hillsborough County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Lake Ellen in Hillsborough County, Florida. The land about it is warm bottomland. Surface area runs to about 5 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Hillsborough County. Nearest place of any size is Greater Northdale, 1.2 miles away. The big place round here is Tampa, 13 miles distant. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Lake Ellen

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Public wildlife records from this area list largemouth bass, bluegill, dollar sunfish, swamp darter and warmouth. Check the state or provincial list before planning around one species. Take Lake Ellen a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 82°F in July and bottoms out near 60°F in January. The whole calendar is open, with dawn and dusk the productive hours in summer. March through May is the strongest run, with autumn a second stretch. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. At Lake Ellen the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Public data has parking about half a mile from the shore. There is a mapped landing stage half a mile away. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Lake Helen at 0.2 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the position at Lake Ellen before loading the car.