Eustis is a Central Florida city located in Lake County and part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Area. The city of Eustis, FL, is known as an arts and culture destination that proudly calls itself America’s Hometown. Eustis is also home to a variety of outdoor activities, including sailing, hiking, and fishing.
Eustis, FL Bass Fishing
Species such as bluegill, bass, and black crappie inhabit Lake Eustis and its canals, but certain areas are known to be consistently more productive. Numerous resident canals around Lake Eustis provide anglers with constant year-round bass fishing action. Texas-rigged worms with crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and topwater baits effectively catch larger bass in Lake Eustis. In Spring, the central lake fishing turns on, producing numerous tournament wins.
Top Lake Eustis Fishing Spots
North Shoreline
- Gator Hole is a backwater area along the northwest shore of Lake Eustis. This area is around a 200-foot hole averaging 12 to 15 feet deep, full of grass and structure, and known to hold trophy bass. A popular technique here is to drag large worms along the bottom slowly.
- The entire north shore of Lake Eustis is known to get more direct sun and warm up quickly than the other shorelines in the spring months. The first wave of spawning fish usually appears along the north shoreline of the lake and its bays.
East Shoreline
- The northeast shoreline has a small canal that leads into the Eustis City boat ramp. The boat docks on Lake Eustis are another known bedding area on the Florida lake.
- The east shoreline is best for fishing the deeper waters. Look for the shelves and deep holes.
The Dead River’s mouth and the larger bay to the north have good shorelines and vegetation in the open areas of Lake Eustis that often hold bass. Anglers catch other species such as hybrid striped bass and channel catfish here, too. The bridge located upstream usually has pads holding bass and crappie.
The Lake Dora Canal, located at the south end of Lake Eustis, holds quality fish but is sometimes congested with boat traffic. The city of Eustis put a public fishing pier with fish attractors in this part of the lake.
Bassville Park
hold large spawning females during the winter and spring months. The entire shoreline and boat docks of Lake Eustis often hold fish.
- The mouth of Haines Creek has good water flow and abundant vegetation, making it ideal for thriving bass. The Eugene J Burrell navigation lock and its adjacent spillway make for perfect fishing spots near me.
Species in Lake Eustis, FL
Lake Eustis is home to various popular sportfish and panfish. The most popular fish species caught here are largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, redbreast sunfish, chain pickerel, bowfin, and redear sunfish. Eustis Lake offers excellent numbers and sizes of fish, thanks to its high water quality, with the most popular spots being Gator Hole and near boat ramps.
Fishing Tips From The Local Experts
Largemouth bass prefer slightly murky water with cover and light current. Largemouths can be found in depths between one and sixty feet in water temperatures between 60 and 80. Fishers can catch redbreast sunfish in Lake Eustis on a lightweight tackle in warmer temperatures between 76 and 84 degrees. Redear sunfish are larger than most sunfish and rarely come up to eat topwater lures or flies; worms are usually best.
The Harris Chain
Eustis Lake is the central water body in the Harris Chain of Lakes. The lake’s shoreline is more developed than that of other water bodies in the Harris Chain, with almost the entire shoreline lined with lakefront homes. Lake Eustis covers about 7,806 acres and averages 10 feet deep, with a deep hole on the south end of Lakeshore Drive. It stretches from Eustis to Tavares, FL. Eustis Lake has easy access to all the other lakes in the Harris Chain of Lakes and is connected to Big Lake Harris via the mile-long Dead River and to Lake Griffin via Haines Creek.
The City of Eustis maintains public boat ramps on Lakeshore Drive just south of downtown. The well-known Buzzard Beach Boat Ramp is here at Lake Eustis, where many local tournaments take place. Lake Eustis and Lake Harris have the best water quality in the Harris Chain Lakes. These fisheries have a reputation for holding quality fish, with numerous bass weighing 10 pounds or more in some spots.
Local Eustis, FL Bass Fishing Guides
Meet the team of local Eustis FL fishing guides, we know the best spots, baits, and techniques to give you the most incredible fishing experience in Eustis.
Saltwater fishing
Eustis, FL, is about an hour from New Smyrna Beach on the east coast and an hour and a half to Homosassa on the west coast. Both spots offer incredible opportunities for inshore and offshore fishing. On an inshore fishing charter, you can catch Florida’s most popular saltwater gamefish species, such as tarpon, snook, redfish, and sea trout. On an offshore fishing charter, you can catch pelagic species such as Mahi Mahi, Cobia, Kingfish, and Barracuda.
Lake Eustis Things To Do
Indoor Attractions
Lake County is known for its beautiful lakes, rich history, and small-town charm. Popular attractions include The Clifford House, Trout Lake Nature Center, Lake County Museum of Art, and Avian Reconditioning Center.
Outdoor Attractions
Popular outdoor sites include Ferran Park, Hidden Waters Preserve Hiking Trail, Ocala National Forest, and Seminole State Forest. King’s Landing is a great spot to explore nature along the Wekiva River by renting a canoe.
