With a varied shoreline featuring numerous nooks, crannies, open bay areas, passageways and channels leading from one locale to another, anglers will certainly enjoy a diversity of cover, structure and scenic beauty.
For example, plenty of 8- to 10-inch bluegills are available for flyrodders, canepolers and those using light spinning tackle. Small poppers and sinking flies will provide "wand wavers" with oft-frenzied action on blues as well as shellcrackers that frequently run from 10 to 12 inches in length. Those using live baits for bluegills and shellcrackers won't go wrong by employing such old standbys as wiggler worms and crickets, while small spinnerbaits are almost guaranteed to produce hefty panfish stringers. Though black crappie (speckled perch) are less populous, those caught on Missouri minnows and tiny jigs tend to run quite large too, said Kolterman. If catfish are targeted, fisher folks can do well, with fish weighing above the statewide average.
Historically, Johns Lake was a semi well-kept secret shared by only a few angling insiders. These 2,424 acres lie in Lake and Orange counties on S.R. 50 west of Winter Garden. A Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission boat ramp is located just south of S.R. 50. Sooner or later, word was bound to seep out and, today, this gem is becoming known to more aficionados yearning to war with hefty largemouth bass, scrappy bluegills, powerhouse shellcrackers, tasty crappie and an excellent catfish population. Fluctuating water levels in recent years have contributed to an even better fishery, and Waltonions might want to consider this hot spot as a 1999 angling destination. According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists Bret Kolterman and Eric Unkenholz, electrofishing surveys continually confirm that fish here seem to run larger than in other comparable lakes. "This is one of the few lakes where we see that mid-range bass between 16 and 20 inches are predominant," said Kolterman. He goes on to point out there are quite a number of trophy-sized largemouth too, with many in the 8- to 12-pound class. Thanks to stocking sterile triploid grass carp into the lake during the late 1980s and early 1990s, weeds no longer present a problem at Johns Lake. "However, there's enough cattail, spadderdock, water lily, maidencane and pickerelweed to provide adequate bass cover," Kolterman advised. Also dispensing cover and attracting fish are several private docks scattered about the moderately-developed lake. public boat ramp and sufficient parking is located one mile west of the Turnpike exit off Highway 50, or five miles east of Clermont off 50. Half of this watery span is situated in Lake County while the other half slops over into Orange County. Currently, Johns Lake is a particular favorite for a select few because they're the only ones in on the secret.