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Conway Chain of Lakes comprises four interconnected lakes: East, West, Middle, and South. Because of the canals’ unique sizes and positions, the four water bodies align themselves almost entirely in an east-west direction, with the South and West Canals being the Longest. Anglers with little experience of the area can sometimes get confused, as evidenced by the names of Little Lake, Middle Lake, and Lake Gatlin on Google Maps, located in Belle Isle, FL.
They are positioned in the southeast Orlando, FL area, collectively referred to as the South Lake Conway, Conway South, Conway Big Lake, but it’s all part of the Conway chain of lakes. The deepest places are over 30 feet deep, but the average depth is around 8 feet.
The chain has nearly 1,800 acres of water, all lined with upscale real estate, and many private docks to fish. The ultra-clear water and hard sand bottom, with peppergrass beds, eelgrass, and hydrilla scattered offshore, will make you want to go fishing more. It can be quite an effort, especially on weekends in public access areas. The entire experience is worth the effort, thanks to the outstanding fishing and beautiful water, which are in short supply.
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Largemouth bass fishing is good every season, even in summer when the bass are often schooling on shad in the open water. One of Conway Chain of Lakes’ big “claims to fame” is its schooling bass.
The key fact is that schooling activity for largemouth bass often seems to be best during pre-cold front conditions, and summer feeds with 10 to 15mph winds in Big Lake Conway. Schooling bass is generally done by watching for surface activity or by observing birds feeding, all while fishing. Most schooling fish occur in offshore areas, but deep-water access points are also significant areas in Little Lake Conway.
Bass fishing, using Jigging spoons, topwater lures, soft jerk baits, and white spinnerbaits, is one of the best choices to catch these schooling fish. However, it is crucial to remain flexible. As all bass fishing goes, what’s worked today will often be ignored tomorrow.
During the morning hours of bass fishing running around the Conway Chain of Lakes, you will notice the lakes are immaculate, which dictates Fluorocarbon lines. Depending on the time of year, you can spend most of the time on the Lakes, especially fishing in deeper waters. It’s one of Central Florida’s best topwater lakes and a great place to practice techniques like the drop shot rig.
The Drop shot fishing technique and tips is not common practice in Central Florida or even Orlando Florida, but this is a great place to build confidence in using it. It works well first in the morning, set up over 22-foot water, and the bass will stack up. As mentioned above, schooling activity is robust in most early mornings.
It has been known that schooling can continue till 11 am. On Lake Conway and Little South Lake, try a spook-type baits, which work great for picking them off on the surface, besides. Is there anything more fun than that!
Fishing the chain may not be the best water to drive to in Central Florida to catch fish on the weekends with a personal watercraft. It has a suitable ramp on the chain to launch, but one boat at a time and has limited parking.
Being prepared is half the battle to start your day right and have it finish even better, especially if you plan to spend a full day on the Conway Chain of Lakes. The place of beauty, time fly by such plans on several hours or the whole day.
If you plan an Orlando, Florida, fishing trip, then the first thing to ensure you purchase is a Florida fishing license. These can be purchased at Walmart, your local tackle shop, or online. Florida residents can buy a year-long permit at a reduced price. If just visiting, they offer a 3-day license, which is only $17 plus tax.
During the summer months, be aware of your trip’s weather conditions that can change rapidly; it’s not always perfect Florida sunshine. During other months of the year, think comfortably. The majority of the time of the day, it’s t-shirt and shorts weather all day long.
The Popularity of the Conway Chain of Lakes has grown, and it’s easy to see why. Being just minutes from downtown Orlando, FL, and all that iDrive has to offer. An additional 15 minutes from the International Airport in Orlando, FL makes the Conway lakes easy to access for all outdoor enthusiasts looking for the perfect location and information.
It’s also only 15 minutes from the 2nd largest attraction in Orlando, Florida, Universal Studios. So, it’s between easy access to information, great shopping, incredible dining, and the iDrive convention center and entertainment district. These lakes make for a fantastic overall vacation experience in one of the world’s most popular destinations, where you can also catch fish.
Conway and Little Lake comprise four interconnecting lakes located in the Orlando, FL area, just a short distance from downtown Orlando, FL, and are typically referred to as the Conway Chain. Located in South Orlando, FL, this chain of lakes is about a 10-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport and about 20 minutes from Walt Disney World. These lakes offer excellent bass fishing opportunities year-round and also provide excellent crappie and bass catching.
Conway Chain of Lakes has nearly 1,800 acres of clear water with a maximum depth of 30 feet and an average depth of 8 feet. The Conway chain is connected by canals, which are very shallow and have low bridges that can limit boats or boats with a height of 8 feet or more. The largest of the four lakes is Middle Lake Conway.
Conway Chain of Lakes is a landlocked lake with no navigation beyond the chain itself. The primary water source is natural rainfall and runoff. Annual water fluctuations vary according to rain.
Lake Conway is a big urban Orlando, Florida, lake, like many Florida freshwater lakes, and public bank access is almost non-existent. Private property and high-priced homes line all of the shorelines. There is wildlife in some of the lakes, mainly the east lake, where a small submerged grass island is home.
Lake Conway and the Conway Chain have mostly clear, and hard sand bottom with peppergrass beds, eelgrass, and hydrilla scattered offshore. Water’s depth changes drastically on this chain, and there are many deep drops and humps to catch bass.
Water is crystal clear on all the lakes in the Conway Chain, in some cases, allowing anglers to see depths of twelve feet or more.
Let’s talk sunglasses for a moment; the right sunglasses with polarized lenses provide two functions. Firstly, it allows you to see the water depths deeply; the other is that it protects your eyes from the water and the sun’s glare.
It goes without saying in Florida that sunscreen is crucial when fishing in Orlando. Most boaters don’t realize it’s not the sun’s power in the sky, but the rays bounce off the water’s edge that does the damage. It goes without saying that the most common anglers bring a hat: the bigger, the better in this case.
We get asked a lot about shoes; this is not a simple answer. Closed-toe shoes are the best when captaining the boat or planning a fishing trip. Thinking ahead can prevent you from stubbing a toe or getting a hook in a toe. On the other hand, pleasure boating, wakeboarding, and the most comfortable shoes are always the best.
It’s always a good idea to bring a spare change of clothes and a towel for unexpected times. It could be a quick rain shower, another boat wave that splashes you, or you accidentally fall overboard. Having a clean and handy dry bag will make all the difference in the world.
The larger lakes have only two public boat ramps located off Hoffner Avenue, two blocks east of Orange Avenue (SR 527). Like the Butler Chain, public bank access is, for all practical purposes, non-existent.
There is no charge for launching; however, parking is limited. Find additional information on the map below or visit www.myfwc.com.
5509 McCawley Ct, Belle Isle, FL 32809 – Venetian Boat Ramp
5638 Randolph Ave, Orlando, FL 32809 – Randolph Avenue Boat Ramp
One older Conway Chain guide report found bass holding in roughly 15 to 16 feet of water along offshore grass ledges during a sharp winter cold front. A-rig style presentations, larger worms and free-lined wild shiners all produced in the deeper zone. The durable lesson is to move off the shallow pattern after a major temperature drop and use nearby offshore grass edges as the first high-confidence depth change.
Planning update: The Conway Chain is southeast of Orlando. Check Orange County’s Ferncreek Boat Ramp listing for current access details and the Lake Conway Water and Navigation Control District for waterway management context. The chain has multiple connected water bodies, so a single lake acreage would be misleading. Bass anglers can compare weed edges, docks and open-water transitions; conditions and navigation can change. Review FWC freshwater rules, explore Orlando fishing, and confirm lake, date and price through the live product links before booking.
