Heading down to Lake Apopka on Wed March 4th and returning to Jax on Sunday the 8th.

Any advice or help would greatly be appreciated!

My neck of the woods!

https://theapopkavoice.com/stories/big-florida-lake-ranked-as-the-most-polluted-in-the-us,141696

"Lake Apopka, Florida’s fourth largest lake, was once a world-class bass fishing destination before nutrient pollution turned it into an ecological cautionary tale. In the mid-20th century, agricultural discharge and pesticide use devastated its water quality and wildlife. Though massive restoration efforts have improved conditions, the lake still faces ongoing challenges — phosphorus levels remain high, algal blooms are a persistent threat, and wetlands continue to recover."

That lake has an interesting history. But to make long story short, the lake was destroyed over the last 100 years since the 1926 land boom in Florida.

Farms and ranches surrounded that lake starting back in early 1900's and were directly behind the destruction of that lake as it became the dumping ground for farm and ranch waste like fertilizers, pesticides, and cow manure which made the water nutrient rich that led directly to a plant overgrowth explosion that caused untold tons of dead rotting plant material that covered the once sandy bottom with more than 10 feet deep of rotting plant muck effectively killing the lake for fishing for decades.

So today biologists with the FWC have been hard a work restoring that lake because Florida at state level government wants to turn Florida into a multi-billion dollar fishing tourism destination and hope the next world record bass comes from here because of the fantastic work efforts of biologists working along with earth shaping constructing companies who are hired to come in and reshape the land either under the lake itself or surrounding it. And that is the key secret to what is happening at Lake Apopka today.

All of the farms and ranches are now gone. Much of the land around the lake is now in state possession. And that land is being used to dig out the muck in the lake and spread it around and mix it into the soil surrounding that lake.

But to clean the water, the state has basically turned a growing number of our lakes into swimming pool operations. So the way swimming pools are cleaned is how our lakes are now being cleaned.

They design and build natural plant filter tanks along the shore. They design and build massive pumping stations sucking out the polluted waters and flowing it through natural plant filters that remove all of the nutrient loading contained in the water so that only clean clear water is pumped back into the lake.

So, what I would suggest you look for when on that lake are the new inflows and outflows. Also look for scraped sandy shallow lake bottom that biologists have been developing to give fish a nice place to spawn. So at this time of the year you should see bass on the beds so the big girls will be there.

I call you attention to another lake #10 at Tenoroc Mines wildlife management area where state biologists began their water restoration efforts over 40 years ago. In the following video listen to what bass fisherman John says about the inflow fish and outflow fish. Very important details fishing surrounding the pumping of water!

John is not even casting at the outflow. He is just dipping into the water what looks like a rooster tail and pulling fish out one after another including an 8.6 pound tagged bass he got $100 cash for from the state.

You will find this same water pumping going on in Lake Apopka now. So paying attention to the public data on water pumping in that lake is something to key in on. It could mean the difference between catching fish or not catching fish. The above video shows how important this is!

So I would call your attention to the Lake Apopka BMAP or plan for lake restoration providing key details on what you will find there and how to take advantage of it to your fishing success:

AI Overview

The

Upper Ocklawaha Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) is a comprehensive strategy adopted to restore Lake Apopka by reducing nutrient pollution, primarily phosphorus. Phase I was adopted in 2007, with a second phase in 2014, focusing on, marsh flow-ways, urban stormwater management, and restoring agricultural lands to reduce algae-causing nutrient loads.

Here is a direct link to the 277 pages of the BMAP plan to restore lake Apopka:

https://onlinetools.sodapdf.com/document/3de90b37-cfce-4384-af29-449b60028036?ref=sodapdf.com%2Fsodalite&uid=1019209&venid=web-opera&wid=7773

https://www.sjrwmd.com/projects/lake-apopka-project/

And here is that plan in action:

The long version. An hour long detailed history of Lake Apopka:

https://lake.wateratlas.usf.edu/waterbodies/lakes/7800/lake-apopka

https://lakecountyfl.gov/water-authority/water-resources/nutrient-reduction-facility-project

Critical details on the water pumping stations water flow data accessible 24/7:

Critical Infrastructure

A group layer containing the layer themes from the Critical Infrastructure developed by Balmoral and FDEP. This group is part of the assets from the Statewide Critical Assets Dataset.

https://onlinetools.sodapdf.com/document/2c231ca1-e055-4f9e-8631-3804542b651e?ref=sodapdf.com%2Fsodalite&uid=1019209&venid=web-opera&wid=7773

I hope this information will help you familiarize yourself with what all is ongoing at Lake Apopka right now, the same information many Florida tournament fishermen access as well.

I tried locating the LakeWatch bathymetry maps, but they are now offline. So I did find an older 1969 map that shows the lake's historic lake bottom shape that may still be of use today. I will try and locate in my own files the modern sonar map I use. The state has yet to publish a new map that includes all the water restoration construction details, but those can be found in the bidding contract blueprints which are public info and can be dug up with lots of work searching for them. Good luck!

3 hours ago, Ski said:

Heading down to Lake Apopka on Wed March 4th and returning to Jax on Sunday the 8th.

Any advice or help would greatly be appreciated!

Bet you didn't expect that one above....

A-Jay

@Ski Let us know how you do down there. Tight lines!

@A-Jay that was a good one😂

My wife is from that area and I went to high school in Apopka. I sure do miss fishing them Florida lakes. Good luck @Ski and @FloridaFishinFool great report

On 2/25/2026 at 10:31 AM, FloridaFishinFool said:

My neck of the woods!

https://theapopkavoice.com/stories/big-florida-lake-ranked-as-the-most-polluted-in-the-us,141696

"Lake Apopka, Florida’s fourth largest lake, was once a world-class bass fishing destination before nutrient pollution turned it into an ecological cautionary tale. In the mid-20th century, agricultural discharge and pesticide use devastated its water quality and wildlife. Though massive restoration efforts have improved conditions, the lake still faces ongoing challenges — phosphorus levels remain high, algal blooms are a persistent threat, and wetlands continue to recover."

That lake has an interesting history. But to make long story short, the lake was destroyed over the last 100 years since the 1926 land boom in Florida.

Farms and ranches surrounded that lake starting back in early 1900's and were directly behind the destruction of that lake as it became the dumping ground for farm and ranch waste like fertilizers, pesticides, and cow manure which made the water nutrient rich that led directly to a plant overgrowth explosion that caused untold tons of dead rotting plant material that covered the once sandy bottom with more than 10 feet deep of rotting plant muck effectively killing the lake for fishing for decades.

So today biologists with the FWC have been hard a work restoring that lake because Florida at state level government wants to turn Florida into a multi-billion dollar fishing tourism destination and hope the next world record bass comes from here because of the fantastic work efforts of biologists working along with earth shaping constructing companies who are hired to come in and reshape the land either under the lake itself or surrounding it. And that is the key secret to what is happening at Lake Apopka today.

All of the farms and ranches are now gone. Much of the land around the lake is now in state possession. And that land is being used to dig out the muck in the lake and spread it around and mix it into the soil surrounding that lake.

But to clean the water, the state has basically turned a growing number of our lakes into swimming pool operations. So the way swimming pools are cleaned is how our lakes are now being cleaned.

They design and build natural plant filter tanks along the shore. They design and build massive pumping stations sucking out the polluted waters and flowing it through natural plant filters that remove all of the nutrient loading contained in the water so that only clean clear water is pumped back into the lake.

So, what I would suggest you look for when on that lake are the new inflows and outflows. Also look for scraped sandy shallow lake bottom that biologists have been developing to give fish a nice place to spawn. So at this time of the year you should see bass on the beds so the big girls will be there.

I call you attention to another lake #10 at Tenoroc Mines wildlife management area where state biologists began their water restoration efforts over 40 years ago. In the following video listen to what bass fisherman John says about the inflow fish and outflow fish. Very important details fishing surrounding the pumping of water!

John is not even casting at the outflow. He is just dipping into the water what looks like a rooster tail and pulling fish out one after another including an 8.6 pound tagged bass he got $100 cash for from the state.

You will find this same water pumping going on in Lake Apopka now. So paying attention to the public data on water pumping in that lake is something to key in on. It could mean the difference between catching fish or not catching fish. The above video shows how important this is!

So I would call your attention to the Lake Apopka BMAP or plan for lake restoration providing key details on what you will find there and how to take advantage of it to your fishing success:

AI Overview

The

Upper Ocklawaha Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) is a comprehensive strategy adopted to restore Lake Apopka by reducing nutrient pollution, primarily phosphorus. Phase I was adopted in 2007, with a second phase in 2014, focusing on, marsh flow-ways, urban stormwater management, and restoring agricultural lands to reduce algae-causing nutrient loads.

Here is a direct link to the 277 pages of the BMAP plan to restore lake Apopka:

https://onlinetools.sodapdf.com/document/3de90b37-cfce-4384-af29-449b60028036?ref=sodapdf.com%2Fsodalite&uid=1019209&venid=web-opera&wid=7773

https://www.sjrwmd.com/projects/lake-apopka-project/

And here is that plan in action:

The long version. An hour long detailed history of Lake Apopka:

https://lake.wateratlas.usf.edu/waterbodies/lakes/7800/lake-apopka

https://lakecountyfl.gov/water-authority/water-resources/nutrient-reduction-facility-project

Critical details on the water pumping stations water flow data accessible 24/7:

Critical Infrastructure

A group layer containing the layer themes from the Critical Infrastructure developed by Balmoral and FDEP. This group is part of the assets from the Statewide Critical Assets Dataset.

https://onlinetools.sodapdf.com/document/2c231ca1-e055-4f9e-8631-3804542b651e?ref=sodapdf.com%2Fsodalite&uid=1019209&venid=web-opera&wid=7773

I hope this information will help you familiarize yourself with what all is ongoing at Lake Apopka right now, the same information many Florida tournament fishermen access as well.

I tried locating the LakeWatch bathymetry maps, but they are now offline. So I did find an older 1969 map that shows the lake's historic lake bottom shape that may still be of use today. I will try and locate in my own files the modern sonar map I use. The state has yet to publish a new map that includes all the water restoration construction details, but those can be found in the bidding contract blueprints which are public info and can be dug up with lots of work searching for them. Good luck!

Great stuff in this post, thanks!❤️

I have written a number of articles and posts on Lake Apopka in the past. Lake Apopka currently has a good number of bass. It's shallow, murky and not the most beautiful lake in Florida. There is a large spring on the south western shore that pumps out clear water, but the rest of the lake's water is deeply stained. Many local tournaments have been won there for those who were willing to make the long run. The best lures we have found are spinnerbaits, Rattle Traps and anything that makes vibration. The fish will be holding close to cover. Top water lures are a waste of time, unless you find clear water which is doubtful. You will have to cover water to find fish. The bass tend to run large and healthy. Keep moving, stay confident and you will catch bass.

On 2/25/2026 at 10:31 AM, FloridaFishinFool said:

My neck of the woods!

https://theapopkavoice.com/stories/big-florida-lake-ranked-as-the-most-polluted-in-the-us,141696

"Lake Apopka, Florida’s fourth largest lake, was once a world-class bass fishing destination before nutrient pollution turned it into an ecological cautionary tale. In the mid-20th century, agricultural discharge and pesticide use devastated its water quality and wildlife. Though massive restoration efforts have improved conditions, the lake still faces ongoing challenges — phosphorus levels remain high, algal blooms are a persistent threat, and wetlands continue to recover."

That lake has an interesting history. But to make long story short, the lake was destroyed over the last 100 years since the 1926 land boom in Florida.

Farms and ranches surrounded that lake starting back in early 1900's and were directly behind the destruction of that lake as it became the dumping ground for farm and ranch waste like fertilizers, pesticides, and cow manure which made the water nutrient rich that led directly to a plant overgrowth explosion that caused untold tons of dead rotting plant material that covered the once sandy bottom with more than 10 feet deep of rotting plant muck effectively killing the lake for fishing for decades.

So today biologists with the FWC have been hard a work restoring that lake because Florida at state level government wants to turn Florida into a multi-billion dollar fishing tourism destination and hope the next world record bass comes from here because of the fantastic work efforts of biologists working along with earth shaping constructing companies who are hired to come in and reshape the land either under the lake itself or surrounding it. And that is the key secret to what is happening at Lake Apopka today.

All of the farms and ranches are now gone. Much of the land around the lake is now in state possession. And that land is being used to dig out the muck in the lake and spread it around and mix it into the soil surrounding that lake.

But to clean the water, the state has basically turned a growing number of our lakes into swimming pool operations. So the way swimming pools are cleaned is how our lakes are now being cleaned.

They design and build natural plant filter tanks along the shore. They design and build massive pumping stations sucking out the polluted waters and flowing it through natural plant filters that remove all of the nutrient loading contained in the water so that only clean clear water is pumped back into the lake.

So, what I would suggest you look for when on that lake are the new inflows and outflows. Also look for scraped sandy shallow lake bottom that biologists have been developing to give fish a nice place to spawn. So at this time of the year you should see bass on the beds so the big girls will be there.

I call you attention to another lake #10 at Tenoroc Mines wildlife management area where state biologists began their water restoration efforts over 40 years ago. In the following video listen to what bass fisherman John says about the inflow fish and outflow fish. Very important details fishing surrounding the pumping of water!

John is not even casting at the outflow. He is just dipping into the water what looks like a rooster tail and pulling fish out one after another including an 8.6 pound tagged bass he got $100 cash for from the state.

You will find this same water pumping going on in Lake Apopka now. So paying attention to the public data on water pumping in that lake is something to key in on. It could mean the difference between catching fish or not catching fish. The above video shows how important this is!

So I would call your attention to the Lake Apopka BMAP or plan for lake restoration providing key details on what you will find there and how to take advantage of it to your fishing success:

AI Overview

The

Upper Ocklawaha Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) is a comprehensive strategy adopted to restore Lake Apopka by reducing nutrient pollution, primarily phosphorus. Phase I was adopted in 2007, with a second phase in 2014, focusing on, marsh flow-ways, urban stormwater management, and restoring agricultural lands to reduce algae-causing nutrient loads.

Here is a direct link to the 277 pages of the BMAP plan to restore lake Apopka:

https://onlinetools.sodapdf.com/document/3de90b37-cfce-4384-af29-449b60028036?ref=sodapdf.com%2Fsodalite&uid=1019209&venid=web-opera&wid=7773

https://www.sjrwmd.com/projects/lake-apopka-project/

And here is that plan in action:

The long version. An hour long detailed history of Lake Apopka:

https://lake.wateratlas.usf.edu/waterbodies/lakes/7800/lake-apopka

https://lakecountyfl.gov/water-authority/water-resources/nutrient-reduction-facility-project

Critical details on the water pumping stations water flow data accessible 24/7:

Critical Infrastructure

A group layer containing the layer themes from the Critical Infrastructure developed by Balmoral and FDEP. This group is part of the assets from the Statewide Critical Assets Dataset.

https://onlinetools.sodapdf.com/document/2c231ca1-e055-4f9e-8631-3804542b651e?ref=sodapdf.com%2Fsodalite&uid=1019209&venid=web-opera&wid=7773

I hope this information will help you familiarize yourself with what all is ongoing at Lake Apopka right now, the same information many Florida tournament fishermen access as well.

I tried locating the LakeWatch bathymetry maps, but they are now offline. So I did find an older 1969 map that shows the lake's historic lake bottom shape that may still be of use today. I will try and locate in my own files the modern sonar map I use. The state has yet to publish a new map that includes all the water restoration construction details, but those can be found in the bidding contract blueprints which are public info and can be dug up with lots of work searching for them. Good luck!

Lake watch maps were the very best for about ten years. There were maps of big popular lakes but also small lakes that you would not think anyone would bother mapping. I used these for years and they helped me finding structure to concentrate on before taking a trip. University of Florida was responsible for this. So sad when they disappeared.