Harris Chain of Lakes

Largemouth Bass:

As spring moves onward, we transition into post-spawn conditions throughout the Harris Chain. Fish will begin their move to deeper water from their typical spawning locations (canals, shallow emergent vegetation), ready to spend the summer in cooler water. Early on, transitional zones such as mouths of canals will be key areas to target with lipless crankbaits, swimbaits and soft plastics likely producing. The best color to use will depend on water clarity, with green water lending itself better to a darker color bait, and with natural colors suited best in clearer water. A Texas-rigged worm will always get some hits in the Harris Chain along any emergent vegetation.

With bass being more active, this is the season for some awesome topwater action (frogs, devil’s horses) when fishing early in the morning or later in the evening. The Bluegill spawn starting in this quarter will draw bass to bedding areas (shallow water near docks, canals, seawalls, or shell bars), as they look for an easy meal. A jig or crankbait will likely get some attention. As fish move offshore, deep diving crankbaits can effectively target whatever depth fish may be at. This would be the time of year to start fishing the numerous fish attractors located throughout the Harris Chain, which can be found under the “Fish Attractor” tab on this site. Offshore shell beds may also offer a good post-spawn bite, as they seem to concentrate bass throughout this time of the year. The best lakes to fish this season seem to be Dora and Beauclair, along with Lake Griffin. Make sure to submit any “trophy bass” (>8lbs) to the TrophyCatch program to collect some great prizes.

Bream (Bluegill and Redear):

Bream species begin to spawn in this quarter, with Redear Sunfish (aka Shellcracker) normally starting a bit earlier, followed by a prolonged Bluegill spawn throughout the summer months. These species are easy to catch, put up a fun fight, and are good eating— providing a wonderful opportunity to introduce new anglers to the sport. Many anglers believe the full moon bites for both species cannot be matched. Look for beds in nearshore vegetation such as lily pads and once you find them, determine the right depth by varying how far off the bottom you fish. A cane pole with a bobber and either worms, crickets or grass shrimp will always be the ticket. If you want some artificial action, try a small spinner (beetle spin, inline spinner) around the beds. The Harris Chain is renowned for large Redear, with lakes Griffin and Dora and both Haines Creek and the Dead River as good spots to start. Large Bluegill can be found in any lake in the Chain, but Lakes Harris and Dora are great places to begin. Bream species are great for shore-based fishing, with public docks providing ample opportunity throughout the spring and summer.