Fishing at McKay Lake, Orange County, Florida

• Overview

  McKay Lake lies within the bounds of Orange County, Florida. Everything around it is scrub and brush. It covers about 9 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Our Orange County list holds plenty of bigger water. Zellwood lies 3.4 miles from the water. Orlando sits 16 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on McKay Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Public wildlife records from this area list Florida gar, blue tilapia and brown bullhead. Check the state or provincial list before planning around one species. The near bank of McKay Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 82°F and January at 58°F. Nothing shuts down for cold, so the question is when in the day to go. March through May is the strongest run, with autumn a second stretch. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. It sets the rhythm of the year at McKay Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Catfish want bait on the bottom: cut bait or worms, a simple running rig, and patience after dark. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Holts Lake, 0.9 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Where McKay Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.