Best Times & Seasons to Catch Bass in Florida (Full Guide)

Florida offers some of the best bass fishing in the world thanks to it’s great year-round weather, abundance of lakes, and stead supply of big shiners and bluegills for bass to eat. Understanding the best times and seasons to fish for Florida bass will help you catch more fish.

The best time to fish in Florida for bass is February through May and September through November but great fishing is available year-round. Fish early mornings and late afternoons until dusk for the best bass fishing.

Within this guide, I will explain the best times to fish for bass regardless of whether you are fishing in the panhandle, by Orlando, or way down in the Everglades. We will also check out the best times of day to catch Florida bass and how storms can impact them.

Best Time to Fish for Bass in Florida

Largemouth bass are available year-round in Florida, but there are certain times that are better than others. Spring is one of the best seasons because it is when the bass start to spawn. There is no closed season for largemouth bass, so you can fish for spawning bass if you like.

When the bass are spawning, they will be in shallow water, on their beds. Male bass will be extremely defensive of their beds, and will rarely leave them until the eggs hatch, but female bass will be roaming around feeding. During the summer, the spawning season is just finishing up and the bass are hungry.

This is because they are worn out from spawning, but their metabolism is also much higher with the warmer water. During both of these seasons, you can find bass under cover. The most common cover they use are docks, weeds, fallen trees, and lily pads.

Check out this link here to view my complete bass fishing gear recommendation list, including rods, reels, baits, gear, etc. I have field tested a lot of bass gear and these are my recommendations.

Best Time for Florida Bass

When thinking about what time of day is best, you need to take into account the season as well. During the spring and summer, the water will be warmer, and the bass will be around cover more than usual to get away from the hot sun.

As for the winter and fall, the bass will usually only be under cover in the afternoon, or sometimes in the morning if the sun is out and it’s a hot day. 

Spring

The spring is a season where the time of day makes less of a difference. The water will be cooler in the morning, pushing the fish to go a bit deeper if it’s cold enough. There are times in the mid to late spring when the water will be warm enough for the fish to roam around during the morning and evening.

Generally, during the spring, the fish will be spawning and either on beds or roaming in the shallow. With all that being said, the best time to fish during the spring is in the late morning. This allows the water to warm up a bit, but not get too hot. This will make it so that the fish are more active and out from cover.

Summer

The best times to fish in the summer would be in the evening and morning, this is when the fish will be the most active and out from cover. In the summer, the largemouth will be under cover for most of the day, but the early morning and evening will give you an opportunity to find them elsewhere.

Another option is to fish for bass at night during the summer, if the water is warm enough during the day, the bass will move deep and only come out of the deeper water during the nighttime.

Fall 

During the late fall, the best time to fish is during the late afternoon. This allows the water to warm up and bring the fish closer to shore, making them much easier to find. During the early and mid-fall, the water will be warmer, making the morning and evening much more viable options.

Either way, the fall is when the bass will start to feed to bulk up for winter, so they will be actively feeding during most of the day.

Winter

The best time to fish during the winter would be late morning or early afternoon. This is when the water will begin to warm up but won’t be warm enough to push the fish to cover. In Florida, the water will never get extremely cold, but it will get cold enough to make the fish less active than normal. 

Recommended Bass Fishing Guides in Florida

These Florida-based charters have earned great reviews from anglers and will offer you a tremendous service. The captains are knowledgeable, friendly, and are sure to put you on fish. By clicking the links below, you will be taken to the charter’s respective profile on Fishing Booker where you can read reviews, learn more about the charter, view photos, and book online at the best rate.

Recommended Fishing Charters/Guides	Location
AJ’s Bass Guides	Kissimmee, FL
Fish With a Pro – Lake Okeechobee	South Bay, FL
Lake Toho Guides	Kissimmee, FL
Captain Erik’s Trophy Bass – Toho/Orlando	Orlando, FL
Fish With a Pro – Lake Osborne	Lake Worth, FL
Lake Toho Guides (St. Cloud)	St. Cloud, FL
Kissimmee Fishing Charter	Kissimmee, FL
Building Up Sports Academy	West Palm Beach, FL
Family Style Fishing	Orlando, FL
Capt Brett’s Everglades Charters	Fort Lauderdale, FL

Best Time of Day

Night fishing for Largemouth Bass in Florida

Fishing for largemouth bass at night is a popular method in Florida. It’s more popular during the summer than any other season because of the warmer water during the day. The warmer water during the day can push bass into deeper water, making them harder to locate.

At night, the water cools down considerably, but not to the point where the fish will be inactive. If the water is warm enough at night, but too hot during the day, night fishing can be a great opportunity to catch bass.

When night fishing, you’ll want to use bait or lures with plenty of scent or noise. Some lures included in that would be, poppers, spinnerbaits, or scented soft plastics. 

Impacts of Storms & Hurricanes

Tropical storms will have an impact on fishing, even if you’re in the middle of the state. Tropical storms can send heavy rain and high winds into the center of the state. So, it’s important to check the weather for the whole state, even smaller storms can affect the air pressure in different areas of the state.

Lower pressure systems are generally better for fishing than high-pressure systems and high-pressure systems are generally found before and during storms. These pressure changes sometimes cover a small area, but if the storm is big enough, a storm in the southern part of Florida can affect fishing in central Florida.

Best & Worst Months for Each Part of Florida

North Florida

In the northern part of Florida, the season will be about a month behind the lower parts of Florida. The fishing will still be good around the same time, but you can expect the peak season to be in late spring and early summer. At this point, the spawn will be in full swing, and the water will be warming up.

South Florida

On the south end of Florida, you can’t go wrong with whatever season you fish. The main fishery in this area is Okeechobee. Spawning on Okeechobee can start anytime as early as November and run as late as June.

The fishing during that time can be great, but the fishing in the summer and late spring is great as well. The water temperature will stay relatively warm year-round, making the bass able to grow at any time of the year, this is one of the reasons why Okeechobee is one of the best largemouth bass lakes in the country.

The south end of Florida also offers the Everglades, this area is great for every reason why Okeechobee is, but the Everglades are quite a bit different than Okeechobee. In the Everglades, the fish have cover from the sun and predators almost anywhere, and the water also stays relatively warm year-round.

The Everglades can hold some huge bass but can be difficult to navigate in some areas, making it a good idea to get a guide to take you through the area.

East Florida

The east part of Florida also has some great bass fishing. The area has plenty of lakes, and also the St. Johns River. The St. Johns River is the longest river in the state and can produce great bass fishing year-round.

The most popular time to fish the St. Johns River is in the late spring and summer. This is when the bass will be the most active because of the warmer water. The same applies to the lakes in the area. The winter and fall can also be productive, but the water will be cooler, slowing down the bass’ metabolism.

The northeast side is more affected by cooler weather than the south side of Florida because of the distance from the equator, in the winter, the water will be warmer in the southern parts of Florida than in the north and east parts.

West Florida

The western part of Florida is less known for its bass fishing when compared to the other parts of Florida, but they are still available to fish for. The western side of Florida has fewer lakes than the other parts of Florida, but there are still some there and also a handful of rivers that hold largemouth bass.

The seasons are basically the same as the east side, just a little bit warmer since it’s on the Gulf Coast rather than the Atlantic Coast, making the winds a bit warmer. When fishing the west side of Florida, you should try to get down there during the early spring or early summer.

Booking a Charter/Guide for Bass

A guide for largemouth bass can be very helpful, especially if you are on a larger water system like Okeechobee or the Everglades. The guide will know what spots to go to, what baits to use, and will be able to adjust for certain situations much better.

Most of the guides will know the body of water like the back of their hand and will be able to put you on fish quicker and more effectively.

Guides are not necessary for you to catch fish, but they will definitely help. They will also know how different weather patterns or seasons will affect the fish, making them a great option to catch more fish in unfamiliar waters.

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