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

• Overview

  Lake Marie falls in Polk County, part of Florida. The ground round it is open low country. It runs to roughly 38 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Dundee is the closest town at 0.7 miles. Lake Hamilton follows at 2.1 miles, then Cypress Gardens at 5.3 miles. Nearby, in order: Lake Ruth (0.5 miles), Lake Josephine about 0.6 miles, Lake Menzie (0.7 miles), Lake Ada about 0.7 miles and Lake Trask (0.9 miles). This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lake Marie

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Open occurrence data for the surrounding area lists blue tilapia and Florida largemouth bass. The records cover the area rather than this water alone. Work Lake Marie in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put August at about 82°F and January near 61°F. Summer is the season to work around, not winter. March through May is the strongest run, with autumn a second stretch. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. The season on Lake Marie follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Mapping shows a jetty some half a mile off. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. For a change of water, Lake Ruth is 0.5 miles distant. Nothing on Lake Marie should be assumed from this page alone.