Lake Surprise in Monroe County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lake Surprise is listed under Monroe County, Florida. The water sits 7 feet up. At some 454 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. Around 4.0 miles of bank, which is a long day on foot. It lies lower than most water we list in Florida. North Key Largo is the closest place, 7 miles off. Key Largo is 7.8 miles away, with Tavernier at 14 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lake Surprise

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. This is tidal water: the state of the tide decides where fish sit, so plan the session around it. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Nearby survey and observation records mention silver mullet, pinfish and horse-eye jack. Reporting is uneven, so absence from the list means little. At Lake Surprise the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August runs about 83°F on average, January about 68°F. Cold never becomes a factor on this one. October and November give a second good stretch as it cools. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Lake Surprise runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. There is a pier recorded roughly half a mile away. A rest area sits about half a mile from the water. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Lake Simmons sits 1.1 miles off and takes the overflow. Signs at Lake Surprise carry more weight than any list.