Lake Kissimmee

Lake Kissimmee ★★★★★ 5 1 reviews
5 1

About Lake Kissimmee

Lake Kissimmee covers some 38,000 acres from the Kissimmee River’s mouth on the north end to the river’s exit near US Highway 60 on the south end. Surrounded by the Lake Kissimmee State Park, and is the fourth lake in the Kissimmee chain of lakes known for its fantastic bass fishing.

What is Lake Kissimmee, Florida, famous for?

Lake Kissimmee is world-famous for its catches of big largemouth bass and cowboy heritage, yet the fishing pressure is relatively light due to the vegetation’s expanse and the many places for bass to hide out and ambush baitfish. Bass can live to a ripe old age without many anglers’ encounters since there are impossible places to reach with any conventional boat.

We specialize in largemouth bass, bluegill, black crappie, and shellcracker—part of the Kissimmee Chain of lakes. Expansive stands of native aquatic grasses at Philadelphia Point, North Cove, and Brahma Island provide anglers with cover to flip plastic baits or slow-troll golden shiners for spawning bass in winter and spring. Rattling crankbaits, soft jerk baits, and Texas or Carolina-rigged plastic worms fished in open water or along edges of vegetation are productive during summer and fall.

Something for Every Angler

Fly fishermen have success wade fishing along the miles of shoreline on Lake Kissimmee. Lake Kissimmee is rich with wildlife, including bald eagles, white-tailed deer, bobcats, turkeys, and giant alligators.

Reserve a Spot For Trophy Bass Fishing

Tips For Successful Bass Fishing in Lake Kissimmee

After the spawning season, a somewhat smaller shiner, like a hatchery shiner, may be better in warmer weather, as the bass fishing begins feeding on shad and small shiners. You can depend on us to recommend the correct size shiner for the present condition. Our fishing guides go to great lengths to get the proper size shiner when fishing Lake Kissimmee.

Fishing shiners often include a bobber, free-lined in heavy cover, or a small bobber tied to the line as a “strike indicator.” Shiners will often become agitated and even jump out of the water when the bass is stalking them; it sometimes emulates a topwater lure strike. The bobber acts as a strike indicator and has less resistance to the vegetation than you would think. The bobber stop allows the bobber to slide up the line as the bass runs into the shoreline covered with the shiner.

Shiner Fishing Lake Kissimmee

Fishing with Live Bait fished in the heavy cover will often bring feeding bass to the attack. Wild shiners are much preferred since they are hardy and more active than hatchery-raised shiners during certain times of the year. Central Florida bass goes for shiners in all sizes, but giant bass goes for a shiner in the 4 to 6-inch long range. Shiners over 6 inches are used with no upper limit on shiner size since a 2 lb. bass might well decide to eat a shiner 7 inches long.

The moon phase and time of the year dictate the feeding habits of the bass!

Methods of hooking the shiner are either through the lips then out one nostril. In the back, just below the tail end of the dorsal fin. Both methods have their drawbacks. The shiner hooked through the back can swim naturally but is commonly pulled backward when reeled in, which leads to a much shorter life span—repeated reeling and casting results in a sluggish or dead shiner. Hooking is the lips, impeding the shiner’s swimming ability slightly but extending the life span before dying.

Lake Kissimmee Artificial Lure Fishing

Every day visitors catch many largemouth bass on various artificial lures in Lake Kissimmee. Choose your lures based on the water color, temperature, wind, cover, and time of year. Plastic worms always are a good bet, as are rattle traps, buzz baits, weedless spoons, spinnerbaits, and frog baits. Numbers of bass are taken regularly on top waters and shallow crankbaits. Flipping and pitching the weed lines can land you a trophy bass in the day’s heat.

Kissimmee Chain Panfish, Crappie, and bluegill catch at Lake Kissimmee/Lake Hatchineha can be fantastic! An ultralight and 4 lb test with a Beetle Spin, live minnows, and a pole can wear you and the fish out. Most times, there’s not much problem getting 30 or more fish in a few short hours. Casting Beetle Spins at a Hydrilla bed can produce many species of bluegill, shellcrackers, catfish, and buckets of Speckled Perch (crappies), and those guys will give a 4lb test outfit a real fight.

Top Targeted Fish Species

Largemouth Bass

Crappie Lake kissimmee, Lake Wales in polk county

Black Crappie

Bluegill fishing Lake Kissimmee State Park

Bluegill

Redear Sunfish

See all fish species >>>

Why use a Lake Kissimmee Fishing Guide?

With Lake Kissimmee located where it is, it’s considered Central Florida Fishing. With our Lake Kissimmee guide service, you will enjoy all of Central Florida and Kissimmee fishing at its best. We are a complete guide service, located off Mack road Lake Wales near Disney, Epcot, Universal Studio’s, Islands of Adventure, Sea World, and other Orlando Central Fl attractions. We fish freshwater lakes, especially for big bass; we suggest Lakes Kissimmee and Lake Tohopekaliga.

Our licensed guides offer expert local knowledge, fully equipped boats, and exceptional service. Central Florida is known for its lite winters, fair fishing, excellent golf courses, and fun family activities. Let Bass Online charter your next fishing trip, which will help you make your next vacation a memorable one!

To find out more about our guide service, please browse our web site. We also offer Central Florida bass fishing reports. There are bass photos as well as pictures of other great catches that were made right here in the Central Florida area on the Lake Kissimmee chain.

Lake Kissimmee Reviews

Maybe the Best Lake in Florida

Lake Kissimmee
★★★★★
One of the best fishing lakes and experiences I’ve ever had. Capt Bill put us on the fish in multiple areas around the lake. He has a sweet boat and professional fishing gear. My wife always goes with me, and she caught a huge 26” bass. Next time we come to Florida we are going back to Lake Kissimmee for another trip. I definitely recommend this guide and lake its an awesome combination.
- Troy S
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Lake Kissimmee History

Lake Kissimmee drew down in 1995-1996. Part of the lake’s drawing down included creating 24 miles of new shoreline as a priority, where they scraped the muck off the bottom of the lake to reveal clean sand underneath. These areas are now prime bass spawning habitats. The new bass population became evident in 1998, and the effects of the draw-down will continue to affect the lake over the next 15 years.

Increasing awareness of the benefits of catch-and-release fishing impacts the significant bass population all the way south to Lake Okeechobee.

Lake Kissimmee State Park

The Lake Kissimmee State Park has animals; white-tailed deer, Bald eagles, Sandhill cranes, Turkeys, and Bobcats are in the park, located on the shores of lakes Kissimmee, Tiger Lake, Lake Tohopekaliga, and Rosalie.

Visitors to Lake Kissimmee State Park marina enjoy boating, canoeing, camping, and fishing in the picturesque lakes. Nature students can hike over 13 miles of trails to observe and study the abundant plant and animal life, more than most Florida State Parks.

Lake Kissimmee State Park also has six miles of hiking trails that are open to equestrians. A large, shaded picnic area with pavilions is available in areas.

The Lake Kissimmee State Park has a full-facility campsite, marina, and primitive camping facility. The youth camping area can accommodate up to 50 people. The dark skies make stargazing a popular nighttime activity for campers.

The park Lake Kissimmee State is located off State Road 60, 15 miles east of Lake Wales, a few miles south of Orlando, and one of the top Florida State parks.

Campgrounds near Lake Wales

Attention: Camper, please be aware that occasionally, on holiday weekends entrance of the campsite can become backed up. Lake Kissimmee’s boating noise is noticeable at the campground. Pet owners are allowed, but check local pet camping rules!

We only offer 30 amp electric service. During peak season, our campground may experience low voltage.

Firewood is available from the park concession from Friday – Sunday.

No generators after sunset.

Park Lake Kissimmee State History of the Area

European man arrived in Florida in the 1500s but didn’t feel his presence until the 1800s. Fort Gardiner was built nearby during the third Seminole War as a temporary fortification. Later, they used timber and turpentine for lumber. The town of Rosalie was built and later abandoned after the turpentine industry pulled out of the area and it became cow hunters.

During the Civil War, the land used for a cow camp for raising cattle was shipped to the Confederate Army or traded with Cuba for supplies. After the war, cow hunters’ cattle were the primary industry, and this continues to the present-day got its cowboy heritage.

Currently in Florida State Parks

In 1969, Florida purchased 5,030 acres of land from the William Zipprer estate for use as a state park. Lake Kissimmee State Park opened to the public in 1977. An additional 900 acres were purchased in 1997 and added to the park’s western boundary.

Kissimmee Reports

Where is Lake Kissimmee Public Boat Ramp?

There are two public boat ramps on Lake Kissimmee and the park located off Camp mack road. Lake Kissimmee South Ramp is located in Lake Wales, Florida 33898. The second public boat ramp located on the Northeastern side of the lake at 4900 Joe Overstreet Rd, Kenansville, FL 34739.

Kissimmee Map

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