Withlacoochee River

Water levels in the river can fluctuate with seasonal conditions. Anglers can stay up to date on river levels by visiting Southwest Florida Water Management District’s web page. Live shiners are a great option for targeting largemouth bass. Fish them around edges of vegetation and around hard structures. Recent reports have panfish being very active throughout the river. Crickets are the common bait, but worms and small pieces of shrimp have worked well too. As the days get hot and water temperatures increase, anglers should try fishing up the Rainbow River. This spring-fed river will remain cool when the surrounding waters are hot. Anglers fishing this river should heed all posted signage. Anglers targeting catfish should find submersed structures to fish around. Drop a stink bait upriver of a submersed log to draw out hungry catfish. There are a number of bait shops in the area prospective anglers can contact for up to date fishing information.