Lake Gordon Fishing in Polk County, Florida

• Overview

  You will find Lake Gordon in Polk County, Florida. The setting is open low country. Compared with other Florida water on our list, it sits high. Lake Hamilton lies 0.6 miles from the water. It is 21 miles to Lakeland, the nearest city. Within a short drive: Lake Lee some 0.5 miles off, Lake Sara sits 0.7 miles out, Crystal Lake some 0.8 miles off, Lake Ruth sits 1.4 miles out and Lake Dell some 1.7 miles off. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Lake Gordon

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Fish reported in the area, according to open records, include blue tilapia and Florida largemouth bass. Treat it as evidence of what swims in the area. On Lake Gordon the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August runs about 82°F on average, January about 61°F. Nothing shuts down for cold, so the question is when in the day to go. The first and last hours carry the summer; the middle is slow. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. The season on Lake Gordon rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Lake Lee at 0.5 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the position at Lake Gordon before loading the car.