Florida is a state with many interesting juxtapositions. The vibrant beaches and nightlife of Miami abut the alligators and fan boats of the Everglades. It’s a land of retirees that becomes filled with young college students on spring break for a few weeks every year. But the contrast between the state’s saltwater and freshwater playgrounds is often overlooked. Being a peninsula, a large portion of the state is surrounded by salt water. In fact, it has the longest coastline, at 8,436 miles, of any state outside of Alaska. Naturally, when one considers enjoying the waters of Florida, the mind goes to sandy beaches, surfable waves, and deep sea fishing adventures.
Flying under the radar, however, are the state’s considerable number of large, freshwater lakes. Lake Okeechobee is the most notable, being one of the five biggest lakes in America outside of the Great Lakes. These freshwater oases provide a refreshing alternative to the drama of the coastline, their calm waters inviting you to just relax and enjoy. One such place, located between Tampa and the Gulf Coast, is Lake Tarpon, a haven for fishing, boating, and taking in the beautiful Florida scenery.
Lake Tarpon is a 25 mile drive northwest from Tampa and is only a few miles due east from the Gulf Coast. It’s a large lake, with a surface area of 2,534 acres (nearly four square miles), an average depth of around 7 feet, and a maximum depth of 14 feet. The lake is easy to access and close to most any amenity you could desire, being surrounded by residential neighborhoods, including Tarpon Springs, an under-the-radar seaside Florida village that feels like a Greek island getaway. However, once you’re on the lake, due to Florida’s famously flat landscape, all you can see is water, trees, and sky.
Lake Tarpon is a bass fishing paradise
Fishing is a popular pastime on Lake Tarpon, and rightly so as it’s ranked as a top-ten destination for bass fishing in the state by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The most productive areas to chase a trophy bass are among the bulrush, cattail, and tape grass beds that ring the 16-mile shoreline, as well as around submerged off-shore mounds covered with thick vegetation. Besides bass, other popular species include bluegill, redear sunfish, and black crappie…