Lake Rousseau Fishing near Inglis, Florida

• Overview

  Lake Rousseau belongs to Citrus County, Florida. Elevation runs to 3 feet. Surface area runs to some 4.5 sq miles, so a boat and a plan are both worth having. There is roughly 20 miles of bank, and each arm behaves like its own water. It is the biggest water on our Citrus County list. For supplies, Inglis is 4.5 miles out. Citrus Springs is 7.8 miles and Dunnellon 8.2 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Lake Rousseau

  Under 17 ft is what our records show. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Species logged nearby in open biodiversity records include largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, bowfin and spotted sunfish. Use it to know what is possible here, not what is certain. On Lake Rousseau the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 81°F and January near 56°F. There is no cold season worth the name. March through May is the strongest run, with autumn a second stretch. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. The season on Lake Rousseau rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  It sits on public ground, so no permission beyond a licence is normally needed. A jetty or pier is mapped about half a mile from here. 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. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Hunter Spring Run, 9.3 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Signs at Lake Rousseau carry more weight than any list.