Osborne Chain-of-Lakes

Coming into the fall season, Lake Ida and Lake Osborne are providing excellent numbers of Butterfly Peacock Bass and Largemouth Bass. Early morning and late evening, when temperatures are lower, have proven to be the most productive times to fish. However, the fishing will improve throughout the day as temperatures decrease during the fall. The majority Largemouth Bass can be found offshore but will begin to return to shallower water in the coming months. Fishing lures such as crankbaits, jigs, and plastic worms work well to target bass. The best methods to catch Butterfly Peacock Bass are using in-line spinners, feather jigs, flies and live shiners. The Osborne Chain-of-Lakes is also a great area to panfish including Bluegill and Redear Sunfish. Anglers should target panfish around areas with vegetation using small jigs or live worms for the best results. Anglers can capture exotics such as Mayan Cichlids, Clown Knifefish, and Bullseye Snakeheads along the Osborne Chain-of-Lakes. FWC personnel continue to monitor and replace fish attractor buoys on Lake Ida and Lake Osborne to make it easier for anglers to identity fish attractor sites. For more information about the attractors and their exact locations visit the FWC Fish Attractor Web Page.