Florida Fishing Regions

Dead Lakes
Located in both Gulf and Calhoun counties. This 6,700-acre lake is on the Chipola River near the town of Wewahitchka. Strangely beautiful, dark water, filled with cypress snags and stumps. The lake enjoys a wide reputation for its bluegill and shellcracker fishing in the spring. Best baits for bluegills are crickets and earthworms fished among the cypress trees. Shellcrackers are caught on earthworms. Bass fishing is good in the spring and fall on artificial worms and broken-back minnow lures.

Lake Wimico
This 4,055-acre natural lake is accessible only by boat via Intracoastal Waterway from Apalachicola or White City. Fresh- and saltwater species intermixed. This wide, shallow lake has good bluegill and shellcracker fishing in the spring and early summer. Best baits include crickets and earthworms. Some bass are caught during this time on artificial worms and crankbaits.

Lower Apalachicola River (Delta Section)
Numerous sloughs and streams including Brothers River, Howards Creek, Brickyard cutoff, Owl Creek, East River and others. Reached off SR 71 at Honeyville; over SR 381 to Willis Landing on Brothers River; and over U.S. Hwy 98 and U.S. Hwy 319 at Apalachicola. Sunshine bass may be caught during the spring and fall, primarily off sandbars. Best baits include live shad, spoons and jigs. Largemouth bass fishing is excellent in the spring using plastic worms and crankbaits.

In the summer, good strings of bass can be caught using live shrimp fished around grass flats and canals. Bluegill and shellcracker using earthworms and crickets. Fly fishing for bream is productive in the early morning and late afternoon. Nice channel catfish can be caught in the river channel using earthworms and crickets. Fly fishing for bream is also recommended in the early morning and late afternoon. Channel catfish can be caught in the river channel using earthworms and catalpa worms.