Fishing Lake Stella in Polk County, Florida

• Overview

  Lake Stella lies in Polk County, Florida. Country round the bank runs to open low country. Surface area runs to about 5 acres — small enough to read in one session. Our Polk County list holds plenty of bigger water. The nearest place of any size is Auburndale, 0.2 miles away. Lakeland sits 9.9 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lake Stella

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Nearby survey and observation records mention largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, threadfin shad and blue tilapia. The records cover the area rather than this water alone. Lake Stella gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 82°F, the coldest about 61°F. Warm water year-round keeps fish moving through every month. Shade and hour of day matter more than month. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. That is the shape of the year on Lake Stella. Long daylight spreads the feeding across more hours.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. A car park sits roughly 150 yards away. A jetty or pier is mapped about half a mile from here. A toilet block sits half a mile away. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Should this one be busy, Lake Hart is 0.9 miles off. Rules at Lake Stella are worth checking on the day.