Sweet Water Lake Fishing Guide, Alachua County, Florida

• Overview

  Sweet Water Lake is set in Alachua County, Florida. It stands 69 feet above sea level. For supplies, High Springs is 4.3 miles out. Further out sit Alachua (13 miles) and Newberry (17 miles). Other water nearby: Downing Lake after 0.6 miles, Bagget Lake just 13 miles, Grass Pond after 13 miles, Deer Pond just 13 miles and Sampson Lake after 13 miles. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Sweet Water Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Public wildlife records from this area list spotted sunfish, brown darter and redbreast sunfish. Check the state or provincial list before planning around one species. At Sweet Water Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 81°F and January at 54°F. Wet and dry spells shape the year more than temperature. October and November give a second good stretch as it cools. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. Plan any trip to Sweet Water Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. You can camp 150 yards off, which suits an early start. There are toilets mapped about 160 yards away. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. The nearest alternative is Downing Lake, 0.6 miles out. Check the current arrangement for Sweet Water Lake.