Have you ever heard of Lake Tarpon? I didn't either until I took a trip to Florida. Yeah, I know, Florida has many renowned bass lakes like Lake Okeechobee, Lake Toho, Lake George, Rodman Reservoir, Stick Marsh/Farm 13 Reservoir or the Everglades. So, why fish diminutive Lake Tarpon? Trophy Largemouth bass that's why! Ranked in the top 10 bass lake in Florida year after year, Lake Tarpon produces quality and trophy sized bass.

Buggy whips(Bulrush) and other species of aquatic vegetation lines the shoreline and out into many sections of Lake Tarpon

Buggy whips(Bulrush) and other species of aquatic vegetation lines the shoreline and out into many sections of Lake Tarpon

Lake Tarpon also known as, the "Jewell of Pinellas County" and is located 10 miles west of Tampa in Palm Harbor and Tarpon Springs. The lock and dam retaining Lake Tarpon was finished in 1968, although no locking is done at the facility. The 2,500 shallow water, pan shaped acre lake drains into Tampa Bay through a 2-mile long canal. It has an abundance of quality and trophy-sized Florida strained largemouth bass. It takes around 20 pounds to win most summertime bass tournaments.

Lake Tarpon like a number of other lakes located in west central Florida has a bowl shaped appearance. Aquatic vegetation like bulrushes or buggy whips, cattails, tape grass and eel grass which surrounds the shoreline, while grass beds extend out into the main lake and canals. Brush piles are located in various locations around the lake. There is an off shore hump, grass beds, and ledges that are productive areas that generate large stringers of bass for local anglers. The lake also has 12 dead end canals lined with boat docks on each side. Anglers with boats can utilize two of the public boat ramps within the county parks: Anderson Park on the west shoreline off US 19 or Chestnut Park located on the east shoreline off CR 611. A nominal fee of $5 is charged to launch your boat each time or a $100 annual pass can be purchased. Anglers interested in purchasing live bait or buying tackle can visit Tarpon Tom's on US Hwy. 19 N. or call (727) 772-0708.

Lake Tarpon produces giant largemouth bass even during the summer months. Brad Wiegmann of Springdale, Arkansas caught this bass while ripping lipless crankbaits through the grass in August.

Although Lake Tarpon is a relatively small impound, anglers fishing it for the very first time will find it extremely beneficial to hire a guide. The vast quantity of aquatic grass can be overwhelming for anglers fishing Lake Tarpon. I fished the lake with Executive Excursions fishing guides George Medders and Herb Stephen. Medders has an impressive resume fishing the BASS Tournament circuit and has over 30 years experience on Lake Tarpon, while Stephen has 16 years of guiding experience on Lake Tarpon. Medders and Stephan are extremely knowledgeable of seasonal patterns and productive locations for catching bass. Medders can be contacted at (727) 237-7033 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and Stephen at (727) 423-2409 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and their guide service is available year round. Knowing what grass bed, shoreline grass, or ledge can be productive, Medders and Stephen recommended the following suggestions for fishing Lake Tarpon during each of the subsequent seasons. In spring, anglers will find bed fishing for bass productive with golden shiner under a cork or trolling without a cork 3 to 5 feet deep, along with casting 6-inch worms or sweet beavers on a 1/8-ounce or 3/16-ounce weight. During post-spawn anglers can focus on the first drop 6 to 8 feet deep with worms, lipless crankbaits, spinnerbaits, or other fast moving lures to catch bass. Summertime moves the bass deeper to brush piles, ledges, grass beds away from the shoreline, and humps. All throughout the fall, bass will school up in the southern canal and be caught casting soft plastic jerkbaits, toads, or pop-r's. In the winter months, nothing thumps catching giant largemouth on live shiners fished along the edges of the shoreline. Both guides agreed that the bass on Lake Tarpon could be hard to pattern at times and seem very nomadic, following schools of baitfish or bream.

After fishing the "Jewell of Pinellas County", I found it easy to believe that anglers could catch a fish of a lifetime on Lake Tarpon. Probably the hardest decisions will be how many days you want to fish it and when will you catch that giant bass, not if.