Osborne Chain-of-Lakes

As spring fishing begins, Lake Ida and Lake Osborne are producing good catches of Butterfly Peacock Bass and Largemouth Bass. Fishing has been productive throughout the day as bass were getting ready to spawn. In the coming months bass will begin to move offshore after spawning and will begin to feed heavily. Fishing lures such as crankbaits, jigs, and plastic worms work well to target these fish. The Butterfly Peacock Bass fishing is doing well and can be caught with a variety of methods such as in-line spinners, feather jigs, flies and live shiners. They can be targeted around structure such as docks or sparse aquatic vegetation. In addition, Sunshine bass are being regularly caught in deeper areas of the lakes using live bait like shiners and shad. The Osborne Chain-of-Lakes is also an excellent place to target a variety of panfish including Bluegill and Redear Sunfish. Anglers should target patches of vegetation with small jigs or live worms for best results. In addition, the Osborne Chain-of-Lakes offers opportunities for anglers to catch several exotics including Mayan Cichlids, Clown Knifefish, and Bullseye Snakeheads. Cichlids can be targeted like panfish by targeting vegetation while Clown Knifefish are regularly caught on shiners near deeper water or structures like bridges. As for Bullseye Snakeheads look for shallow cover or thick vegetation to find them. FWC staff has replaced fish attractor buoys on Lake Osborne and Lake Ida to make it easier for anglers to see are fish attractors. For more information about the attractors and their exact locations visit the Fish Attractor page.