Lake Munson

Water quality and fishing conditions at Lake Munson

Before fishing or planning to keep a catch, consult Leon County’s Lake Munson restoration and water-quality updates. The county documents past algal blooms, low oxygen, invasive vegetation and drawdown work, so conditions can differ from older fishing accounts on this page. For any harvested fish, check the Florida Department of Health fish-consumption guidance and current location-specific advisories. The FWC’s current freshwater regulations apply to fishing methods and harvest. If conditions are unsuitable, compare other Florida freshwater destinations near Tallahassee.

Lake Munson is a shallow reservoir on the southeast side of Tallahassee in Leon County, Florida. Historically known as Munson’s Mill Pond as early as the 1840s, in 1950 a permanent dam was constructed.

Lake Munson can be found on the Lake Munson USGS quad topo map. Lake Munson has a long fishing history, but conditions have changed with water-quality and restoration work. The latitude and longitude coordinates for this lake are 30.3694, -84.3082 and the altitude is 23 feet.

Lake Munson Fishing

Anyone interested in fishing Lake Munson should consult with local guides and resources before heading out to fish. Anglers who have fished Lake Munson are invited to submit reviews of the lake on our fishing forum. Tell us when you went, what you caught, how the fishing experience was overall. Thanks in advance for your reviews, they help to make fishing better for all anglers.

Feature Type: Lake
Latitude: 30.3694
Longitude: -84.3082
Elevation: 23 ft (7 m)

Lake Munson Historical Background

• Lake Munson was originally a cypress swamp and impounded for mill operations.
• Stabilized water levels and luxurious plant growth, especially water hyacinths, began the muck build-up process.
• Numerous fish kills occurred and active hyacinth spraying dominated work in the 1970’s.
• Hydrilla was introduced in the 1980’s creating a topped-out, weed-choked lake.
• Leon County began the Lake Henrietta resurrection, Munson Slough re-alignment, and Delta removal during a planned complete drawdown in 1999-2000.
• Upon refill, a strong fishery response resulted in high numbers of largemouth bass being produced.
• The return of hydrilla, prompted the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to implement noxious aquatic plant treatments.
• The exotic Island apple snail infested the lake and contributed to the massive reduction of submerged aquatic plants.
• Released nutrients allowed for extremely high densities of blue-green algae to flourish.
• Muck depth bathymetry and sediment analysis funded by Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission revealed muck depths up to 8 feet thick and was removed in 2012.

We truly hope your fishing adventures are enhanced by our Florida fishing website. The fishing site also provides users the ability to easily track fishing catches and experiences on Lake Munson with exact GPS location on the body of water. Check current conditions before fishing.