By
Carolee Anita Boyles Carolee Boyles BLOG
If you get to south Florida and have a day to go fishing, you may think about Florida Bay or the Keys or going offshore on a chartered boat. But there’s plenty of good fishing in southeast Florida that any angler reach.
Fish Management Areas are lakes and ponds designated and managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC) to increase fishing opportunities in urban areas, and let anglers reach fishing waters easily and conveniently.
Okeeheelee Park (Palm Beach County)
Okeeheelee Park Fish Management Area is 157 acres, with an intensively managed area of 11 acres. It’s a clear sand-bottom lake with plenty of native submersed vegetation. Fish species include channel catfish, largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, Mayan cichlid, and spotted tilapia.
John Cimbaro, the fisheries biologist who manages the Community Based Fisheries Project for the FWCC’s South Region says fishing for channel catfish in this lake is excellent.
“Fishing for largemouth bass is good, with many smaller fish for light tackle,” he said. “Fishing for bluegill is good; it’s fair for the other species.”
There’s excellent shoreline access around most of the lake.
“A number of weed-free bank access zones are maintained in both the fish feeder section and the rest of the lake,” Cimbaro says. He says the four fish feeders are the best locations for catfish, sunfish, and tilapia.
“Bass and sunfish can be found near any of the installed fish attractors,” he said. “Bass also associate closely with stands of spikerush and bulrush found throughout the lake.”
Take I-95 to Forest Hill Boulevard and head west. The park entrance is between Jog Road and the Turnpike overpass, although the Turnpike doesn’t exit here. Enter at the second entrance (not the Okeeheelee Golf Course entrance) and stay right to reach the section of the lake that has fish feeders. Staying on the main road will take you to the non-feeder portion of the lake.
Tropical Park (Dade County)
Tropical Fish Management Area is one of four lakes in Tropical Park, named North Lake. It’s twelve acres, with a rocky bottom.
“It has steep shorelines and is very clear most of the year,” Cimbaro said. “It has an abundance of submerged native vegetation.” The lake contains channel catfish, largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, and spotted tilapia.
“There’s fair shoreline access around the southern lobe of the lake, particularly off the fishing peninsula,” Cimbaro said. “Anglers can access the lake via the jogging path leading from the park’s Boxing Center.”
Four fish feeders in the lake are the best locations for channel catfish, sunfish, and spotted tilapia.
“Catfish can also be found by fishing the deep area around and off the fishing peninsula,” Cimbaro said. “Bass can be found associated with submerged vegetation around the entire lake. Bass also suspend along the steep shoreline dropoff of the fishing peninsula and can be found near the riprap on both sides of the vegetation enhancement site.”
Fishing is allowed on the other three lakes in the park, but isn’t worth the trouble when a resource like the Fish Management Area is available.
Take the Florida Turnpike to the SW 40th Street (Bird Road) exit. Go east to Tropical Park, which is on the south side of the road. You also can take State Road 826 (the Palmetto Expressway) to SW 40th Street. Head west and get into the left hand lane immediately to turn into the park.
Plantation Heritage Park (Broward County)
Plantation Heritage Park pond is fairly small, about 6.4 acres.
“It’s a clear, sand-bottom lake with shallow shorelines and ‘shelves’ with some deep holes near the center,” Cimbaro says. “There’s excellent shoreline access, with one side of the lake almost entirely open to fishing on foot; the other side has a number of open areas between cattail stands.”
The pond contains channel catfish, largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, and spotted tilapia. There are three fish feeders and an aeration system in place to enhance fishing and improve water quality.
“The fish feeders are the best locations for catfish, sunfish, and tilapia,” Cimbaro said. “Catfish can also be found in the deeper holes of the lake. Bass will be located near any standing vegetation in the lake, and also patrol the edges of the dropoffs present.”
From Interstate 95 go west on Davie Boulevard until Davie Boulevard turns into Peters Road. Continue west to South Fig Tree Lane and turn right (north) there. The park entrance will be on the right.
Caloosa Park (Palm Beach County)
This lake is four acres in size, with a sand bottom.
“There’s excellent shoreline access around nearly the entire lake,” Cimbaro said. “However, some parts of the shoreline are very soft. Two fish feeders, native vegetation plantings, and an aeration system enhance the fishing and the lake habitat.”
The lake contains channel catfish, largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, Mayan cichlid, and spotted tilapia. Cimbaro says the best fishing in the lake is for channel cats, which he terms “excellent.”
“Fishing for largemouth bass is poor in the lake, because there are few bass present,” he said. For the other species, he termed the fishing “fair.”
The best action for most species, Cimbaro suggested is around the fish feeders.
“The two fish feeders present in the lake are the best locations for the channel catfish, sunfish, and spotted tilapia,” he said. “The small ‘cove’ in the northeast corner of the lake is good for Mayan cichlid, especially around the submerged tree stumps there. The few bass available in the system are dispersed throughout the lake.”
Take I-95 to Woolbright Road and head west. Turn left (south) on Congress Avenue. The park entrance will be on the left (east) side of the road past SW 23rd Avenue/Golf Road, and is marked by a sign. The lake itself is in the back of the park where the road loops around.
Brochures for all these lakes can be found at http://www.myfwc.com/RECREATION/FW_sites_FMA_index.htm at the bottom of the page.
