Fishing Twin Lakes in Putnam County, Florida

• Overview

  Out in Putnam County, Florida, sits Twin Lakes. It stands 85 feet above sea level. With some 65 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. About 1.3 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. Some 2.3 miles away sits Interlachen, the nearest settlement. Gainesville is the closest city, 29 miles away. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Twin Lakes

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Nearby survey and observation records mention blackbanded darter, largemouth bass and brown darter. Presence in the area does not guarantee a fish in this exact water on the day. Twin Lakes responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 81°F in July and bottom out at 55°F in January. The water stays warm and open throughout. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to be out. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. At Twin Lakes the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. For a change of water, Lake Ida is 0.6 miles distant. Check the position on Twin Lakes before loading the car.