Bass Fishing; Lake Maps, Yale, Johns Lake, Clermont & National Forest

Lake County contains 167 square miles of water surface area with hundreds of fishable lakes. Many are now closed to the general public but a significant number have public boat ramps grandfathered in from the days when the county was less much populated. It would be impossible to list them all, so I have listed some of the most accessible. Lake Yale is technically part of the Harris Chain, but because it is landlocked and must be accessed by it's own separate ramp, I included it in this section.
Lake Yale Lake Yale contains 4,042 acres. This lake was very clear until about 10 years ago when weed spraying and the introduction of grass carp removed most of the cover. The introduction of grass carp has been the most troublesome. A few years ago, game officials began physically removing the carp and began replanting wide sections of the shoreline with reeds. During the drought lake levels were reduced to a point where it was not accessible to most anglers for a period of well over a year. The lake is now full and the new shoreline grasses are filling in the shoreline. This lake has always been a favorite of mine and is full of bass. They seem to run slightly smaller than in the main Harris Chain but make up for it in numbers. All the Harris Chain tactics outlined in this website work just fine. The lake is deeper than most and has a hard sand bottom, making it ideal for a Carolina rig. The large pad fields in the cove nearest to the Marsh Park boat ramp and in the area behind Rabbit Island hold bass year round. The entire southern shoreline borders a deep offshore ditch that runs down the lake creating a great drop off for Carolina rigging. Crankbaits take the larger bass in this lake. The lake can be accessed from a nice ramp in Marsh Memorial Park. The park is located a few miles north of Eustis off State Road 452. There is also a sand ramp on the north shore, but I don't recommend it unless you enjoy digging in dirt.
Clermont Chain Click here to download a printable map of the Clermont Chain The Clermont Chain is a beautiful chain of lakes near the City of Clermont, Florida. The lakes contain a good population of bass but the severe drought coupled with a dispute over access to the head waters in the Green Swamp area caused the lakes to lose almost 10 feet of water. The dispute has been resolved and a wet spring and summer has brought water levels back to normal. Tremendous development in South Lake County has had an effect on this chain. The once clear waters of Lake Minneola are now stained but the bass are still there in good numbers. The canals connecting the lakes are especially good. These lakes are best fished on the weekdays as jet-skiers and cruisers are a distraction on weekends.
John's Lake The John's Lake boat ramp is about 6 miles east of Clermont on Highway 50. Even with the development of most of the shoreline and it's close proximity to Orlando, this lake produces excellent bass fishing. Everything about this lake is right for bass. The water color is slightly stained, there are many rocky bottom structures and reefs throughout the lake and there is adequate cover despite the building of huge homes around the shoreline. During the drought this lake suffered from severe water level problems. Water levels have returned to normal and in the Spring of 2003, the State of Florida restocked the lake with 500,000 bass fingerlings. These bass are now reaching keeper size and the lake is regaining it's reputation as a great bass fishery.
Lake Dorr and the Forest Lakes Little Lake Dorr is in my opinion the most beautiful bass lake in Florida. Nestled in the Ocala National forest off highway 19, this lake looks like it came out of a picture postcard. Surrounded by pine forest covered hills, the black tannic colored water reflects a scene out of a Canadian nature documentary. Bass fishing in this lake is a bonus. Top water action can be good early in the morning with Carolina rigged worms working later in the day. The bottom is very hard and deep and the bass are beautiful and full of fight. The lake has a nice ramp in Lake Dorr Park off highway 19 just north of the City of Umatilla. Throughout the Ocala National Forest there are many other small forest lakes. Most of the bass caught in these lakes run about 1 to 3 pounds, but a few can be very large. The National Park prints a brochure that can be obtained at the park information centers detailing all the lakes and providing access information. Fly fisherman love these lakes as they are a treat to fish with light tackle.

In case you're wondering about Rodman Reservoir, Lake Toho or the St. Johns River, they are not in Lake County. Rodman is about 45 minutes north of my home in Eustis. Lake Toho is about an hour south and some of the best fishing on the St. John's River is only about 1/2 hour from my home. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Disney World and all the rest of the theme parks are about 45 minutes away (just in case your wife and kids don't fish!).
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