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

• Overview

  The Orange County entry here is Lake Palmer, in Florida. Height above sea level is 98 feet. The water covers some 46 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The bank runs about 1.0 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Bay Hill at 0.8 miles is the nearest place to stop. Beyond it, Windermere at 1.6 miles and Lake Butler at 2.2 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lake Palmer

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. 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. Public wildlife records from this area list blue tilapia, bluegill, largemouth bass, Florida gar and spotted sunfish. It is a record of sightings and surveys, so use it as a guide. On Lake Palmer the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 82°F; the cold one sits at 60°F. Heat, not cold, decides when to be on the water. The first and last hours carry the summer; the middle is slow. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. Time your trip to Lake Palmer by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Launching is possible: a slipway lies half a mile off. You can park half a mile away and walk in from there. Fishing from a pier is possible half a mile away. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Lake Louise sits 0.4 miles off and takes the overflow. Ask locally about Lake Palmer if anything is unclear.