Lake Ruth in Hillsborough County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Lake Ruth in the Hillsborough County part of Florida. The bank is 79 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to about 11 acres — small enough to read in one session. On size it sits at the modest end of our Hillsborough County list. For a base, Cheval sits 1.6 miles out. Beyond it, Lutz at 2.4 miles and Land O' Lakes at 4.3 miles. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Lake Ruth

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Fish reported in the area, according to open records, include largemouth bass, bluegill and bowfin. Records show what people reported, so treat the list as a guide to what lives in the area. Fish Lake Ruth where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 59°F in January to roughly 82°F in July. Cold never shuts this water down; heat is the only limit. Season rules are a separate question. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer squeezes it into the edges of the day. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. That is the shape of the year on Lake Ruth.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. There is recorded parking some half a mile off. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Failing this one, try Lake Virginia, 0.7 miles away. Treat access at Lake Ruth as something to verify.