Pine Lake Fishing Guide, Hillsborough County, Florida

• Overview

  Set in Hillsborough County, Pine Lake is a Florida water. The setting is open low country on every side. The water measures roughly 8 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. It is a small entry by Hillsborough County standards. The nearest place of any size is Lake Magdalene, 0.9 miles away. Carrollwood is 1.4 miles and University 2.2 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Pine Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Public wildlife records from this area list largemouth bass, bluegill, dollar sunfish, swamp darter and warmouth. Check the state or provincial list before planning around one species. Pine Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 82°F and January near 60°F. Winter is simply the pleasant end of an unbroken season. Late winter and spring fish steadiest here. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Pine Lake. Warm spells bring fish up, cold snaps push them down.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. There is a car park half a mile from the bank. Reserve land runs up to the bank here, so read the notices. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Noreast Lake sits 0.2 miles off and takes the overflow. Where Pine Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.