Lake Sheffield in Pinellas County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Pinellas County, Florida, this is Lake Sheffield. It sits 2.9 miles in from the sea. At roughly 3 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Our Pinellas County list holds plenty of bigger water. The closest town, West and East Lealman, is 1.9 miles away. St. Petersburg sits 1.9 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lake Sheffield

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Public wildlife records from this area list Florida gar, bluegill, Nile tilapia, blue tilapia and largemouth bass. Records show what people reported, so treat the list as a guide to what lives in the area. On Lake Sheffield the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 83°F, the coldest about 61°F. Warmth runs the whole year, so timing is about the hour, not the month. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer squeezes it into the edges of the day. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. At Lake Sheffield the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Public data has parking about 170 yards from the shore. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Leslee Lake is 0.4 miles distant. Nothing here settles the position at Lake Sheffield for certain.