Orange Lake

THE HEAGY BURRY BOAT RAMP AND ORANGE LAKE PUBLIC FISHING PIER HAVE BEEN CLOSED BY MARION COUNTY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE FOR REPAIRS AND UPGRADES. It is anticipated the ramp will re-open in late March 2026 if there are no further construction delays.

Florida Bass fishing has been on fire at Orange Lake and will continue to be the place to go in North Central Florida to tighten up a line and hope for that big one. Catches of over 20 bass a day and winning tournament weights of over 30 pounds are not uncommon. Statewide, Orange Lake has had the most bass over 13 pounds approved in the TrophyCatch Program over the past 5 years! We expect to continue to see lots of trophy sized bass being caught and impressive winning tournament weights this spring. Topwater plugs, frogs, and soft plastics are the bait of choice for many bass anglers fishing Orange Lake. There’s been some great Black Crappie (speck) fishing the past few years and spring 2026 should be no exception. Try drifting or trolling with minnows, jigs, and grass shrimp in open water and move up to the shoreline vegetation as the water temperatures start to warm and the fish move in to spawn. Hydrilla is abundant, especially in McIntosh Bay (southwest portion) and the south end of the lake, but there is still a lot of open water you can target when spider rigging or trolling. The panfish bite (Bluegill/Redear Sunfish) has been excellent and should pick up by March with good numbers of big fish ready to tighten a line. Try using crickets and grass shrimp to catch panfish up close to the grass and in the pads. Openings in thick hydrilla can also produce good numbers of crappie and panfish as well. Water levels are the lowest they have been in years. Unless the area receives significant rainfall, access could be difficult by spring, especially for bigger boats. It is always a good idea to check the FWC Rampfinder webpage to make sure ramps are still open.

FWC and other management authorities have regular meetings to seek stakeholder input on future lake habitat management strategies. For more information on FWC management activities at Orange Lake, visit the Orange Creek Basin Working Group webpage.