Lake Hester in Polk County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Lake Hester in Polk County, Florida. It sits in open low country country. It covers about 8 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is a small entry by Polk County standards. Haines City sits 1.8 miles from the bank. Davenport follows at 4.3 miles, then Lake Alfred at 4.8 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lake Hester

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Records collected within a few miles name largemouth bass, Florida gar, longnose gar and redear sunfish. Take it as evidence of what swims here, not a promise for one session. The near bank of Lake Hester is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, August reads 82°F and January reads 60°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. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. Plan around that when you fish Lake Hester.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. A carry of half a mile from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. There is a pier recorded roughly 0.9 miles away. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Lake Confusion sits 0.3 miles off and takes the overflow. Nothing on Lake Hester should be assumed from this page alone.