Karick Lake

On July 10, 2017, the FWC began working in partnership with the Florida Forest Service to conduct a renovation project on Karick Lake Fish Management Area. The drawdown has since ended, and the lake returned to full pool in February 2019. The renovation project included the removal of 63,865 yd³ of muck, the building of a new fishing pier, the planting of native plants, the installation of five fish attractor locations, and the stocking of Bluegill, Redear Sunfish (shellcracker), and Largemouth Bass. It’s been a couple of years and Karick Lake is starting to produce catchable sized fish again.

Karick Lake should produce plenty of Largemouth Bass this summer ideally sized for eating. Bass have long since left their beds and are becoming plumper. Anglers should target these fish in deeper water near the dam and around stumps in some of the coves. As water temperatures move into the 80’s, anglers will be more successful during the early morning and the early evening hours. In the hours mentioned above, noisy topwater or Rat-L-Trap style crankbaits can prove effective. While throwing the bait out and rapidly retrieving it may produce an occasional bite, anglers should find better success with an erratic action. As water temperature rises throughout the day, fishers may want to switch to soft plastics and try a slow retrieval to entice the lethargic bass. Fishers should avoid the shallow, densely vegetated patches around the lake. Ideally, anglers will better luck targeting the open water edges near the shoreline vegetation where bass often cruise.

As with Largemouth Bass, the most productive bream fishing seems to be early morning and evening. Larger Bluegill and Redear Sunfish may continue to bed, look for lighter colored areas on the bottom which indicate spawning activity. Anglers should fish these areas with live baits such as red worms, wigglers, and crickets. Fish the live baits on light tackle in three to six feet of water. Another productive method for catching hungry bream are artificial baits such as beetle spins, rooster tails, or curly-tailed grubs. When not targeting spawning aggregates, fishers should target deeper holes or the old creek channels. Bream often remain deep to escape the summer heat.

As always, Channel Catfish will be hard-pressed to resist a juicy beef or chicken liver, and earthworms. Fishing these baits on the bottom, in deep water off the fishing pier or near the dam, or with a float, suspending the bait over any available timber pile, should produce results. Anglers having trouble keeping messy livers on the hook should try wrapping it in surgical gauze or pantyhose. Additionally, using longer rods will add casting distance and, concurrently, increase the amount of water available for fishing.