Lake Tallavana in Gadsden County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lake Tallavana is set in Gadsden County, Florida. The surface lies 194 feet up. It runs to roughly 153 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Around 2.9 miles of margin, front to back. It is high ground by Florida standards. Havana sits 3.5 miles from the bank. It is 16 miles to Tallahassee, the nearest city. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Lake Tallavana

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Documented catches and surveys in the area cover blackbanded darter, bluegill, redbreast sunfish, brown darter and largemouth bass. Local agencies keep the authoritative list for each water. On Lake Tallavana the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 81°F and January at 50°F. The calendar barely matters here; the time of day does. March through May is the strongest run, with autumn a second stretch. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. The season on Lake Tallavana rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Lake Yvette sits 4.6 miles off and takes the overflow. The position on Lake Tallavana is worth confirming on the day.