Lake Rousseau

Lake Rousseau has been one of the best Largemouth Bass fishing lakes across the state over the last year and boasted 62 approved TrophyCatch submissions between January and September 2022. This was third behind other excellent bass fisheries at Fellsmere Reservoir and Rodman Reservoir. Largemouth Bass anglers should expect this trend to continue into the new year and bass fishing to be top notch this spring. Largemouth Bass anglers should monitor water temperatures and look for signs of spawning activity as the lake temperature approaches 65°F. Areas of sparse vegetation and sandy bottom will attract bass looking to spawn. Finding open areas edged by eelgrass or hydrilla, and fishing those edges using rubber worms should produce strikes from lurking bass. Use snagless rigged worms and lures to fish over and through patches of vegetation. During the cooler winter months, Black Crappie fishing should improve. Anglers report the best catches coming from the deeper waters in the west end of the lake, trolling in front of the Inglis Dam and through the barge canal. While it is cold, expect the bass to be dispersed throughout the deeper portions of the lake. Target the stump fields and areas of vegetation away from shore. Panfish should be abundant throughout the lake. For most of the quarter, expect the panfish to be offshore in deeper water while the lake is still cool. On warm days, these fish will migrate into shallower waters looking to feed. Anglers should target the late afternoon/dusk hours of warm, sunny days to take advantage of this shoreward movement. Typical live baits will work well- crickets, nightcrawlers, grubs, grass shrimp. In deeper water, 1/16 oz. or smaller beetle spins tipped with grubs or worms can be bounced along between patches of vegetation or on the edges of stumps. Catfish anglers should target deep water areas in the reservoir, particularly the western end near the Dam. Fish cut baits on the bottom near stumps or other submersed structures. Don’t soak one piece for too long, or the bait will lose its scent and its effectiveness. Catfish have a strong sense of smell; the smellier the better.