Sherwood Forest Lake Fishing in Polk County, Florida

• Overview

  Polk County in Florida is where Sherwood Forest Lake sits. The bank is 118 feet above sea level. Around 83 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Shoreline comes to about 1.5 miles, small enough to learn in a day. Supplies mean a trip to Gibsonia, 4 miles off. Then Combee Settlement, 5.5 miles, and Polk City, 6.3 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Sherwood Forest Lake

  National mapping records it as a reservoir rather than a natural lake. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Open occurrence data for the surrounding area lists largemouth bass, bluegill and redear sunfish. Presence in the area does not guarantee a fish in this exact water on the day. Read Sherwood Forest Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August to average close to 82°F, with January the cold end at about 60°F. Warm water year-round keeps fish moving through every month. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to be out. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. Expect Sherwood Forest Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Sick Lake is 0.6 miles distant. None of that is settled for Sherwood Forest Lake in what we hold.