Fishing at Tower Lake, Polk County, Florida

• Overview

  Out in Polk County, Florida, sits Tower Lake. Height above sea level is 118 feet. It runs to roughly 67 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The bank runs about 1.1 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Nearest town is Haines City, 1.7 miles off. Lakeland is the closest city, 21 miles away. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Tower Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Fish reported in the area, according to open records, include largemouth bass, Florida gar, longnose gar and redear sunfish. That is what has been logged nearby, not a stocking list, so check local rules before you plan around any one species. The near bank of Tower Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 60°F in January and 82°F in August. Cold never shuts this water down; heat is the only limit. Season rules are a separate question. The first and last hours carry the summer; the middle is slow. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. At Tower Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is somewhere to leave the car, half a mile off. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Lake Brooks, 0.8 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. What applies at Tower Lake may have changed since it was mapped.