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Freshwater fishing near Tampa
Tampa, FLBuilt from our data

Freshwater fishing near Tampa

10 stops10 watersUpdated Nov 6

10 freshwater spots within 75 minutes of Tampa, each with a full TripsQuick page.

The closest by road is Lake Thonotosassa, 23 minutes away.

Lakes near Tampa

1. Lake Parker

Lake Parker is a 38-minute drive from downtown Tampa. Launch at Lake Parker Park Public Boat Ramp, the public ramp on Lake Parker closest to downtown (≈ 32.6 mi). Public access on Lake Parker: 6 boat ramps. Surveyed depths reach 24 ft. Recorded here: Black Crappie, Blue Tilapia, Striped Bass, and Largemouth Bass.

Lake Parker138 min · 35.4 mi
Lake

Lake Parker

Polk

Lake Parker Park Public Boat Ramp22

max 24 ft · surveyed

Water page

2. Lake Thonotosassa

Lake Thonotosassa is a 23-minute drive from downtown Tampa. Launch at Baker Creek Public Boat Ramp (Closed at Night), the public ramp on Lake Thonotosassa closest to downtown (≈ 13.6 mi). Public access on Lake Thonotosassa: 1 boat ramp. Recorded here: Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Black Crappie, and Redear.

Lake Thonotosassa223 min · 16.8 mi
Lake

Lake Thonotosassa

Hillsborough

Baker Creek Public Boat Ramp (Closed at Night)20
Water page

3. Lake Bonny

Lake Bonny is a 39-minute drive from downtown Tampa. Launch at Lake Bonny Public Boat Ramp, the public ramp on Lake Bonny closest to downtown (≈ 32.9 mi). Public access on Lake Bonny: 1 boat ramp and 1 pier. Surveyed depths reach 14 ft. Recorded here: Largemouth Bass, Sunshine Bass, Brown Bullhead, and Channel Catfish.

Lake Bonny339 min · 35.7 mi
Lake

Lake Bonny

Polk

Lake Bonny Public Boat Ramp17

max 14 ft · surveyed

Water page

4. Keystone Lake

Keystone Lake is about 15.2 mi from downtown Tampa in a straight line. Recorded here: Largemouth Bass, Sunshine Bass, Brown Bullhead, and Channel Catfish.

Keystone Lake4≈ 15.2 mi
Lake

Keystone Lake

Hillsborough

19
Water page

5. Lake Hollingsworth

Lake Hollingsworth is a 43-minute drive from downtown Tampa. Launch at Lake Hollingsworth Public Boat Ramp, the public ramp on Lake Hollingsworth closest to downtown (≈ 31.7 mi). Public access on Lake Hollingsworth: 1 boat ramp and 1 pier. Surveyed depths reach 15 ft. Recorded here: Warmouth, Largemouth Bass, Redear, and Blue Tilapia.

Lake Hollingsworth543 min · 35.3 mi
Lake

Lake Hollingsworth

Polk

Lake Hollingsworth Public Boat Ramp19

max 15 ft · surveyed

Water page

6. Lake Howard

Lake Howard is a 53-minute drive from downtown Tampa. Launch at Lake Howard (West) Public Boat Ramp, the public ramp on Lake Howard closest to downtown (≈ 43.4 mi). Public access on Lake Howard: 2 boat ramps and 2 piers. Surveyed depths reach 16 ft. Recorded here: Largemouth Bass, Sunshine Bass, Brown Bullhead, and Channel Catfish.

Lake Howard653 min · 48.4 mi
Lake

Lake Howard

Polk

Lake Howard (West) Public Boat Ramp17

max 16 ft · surveyed

Water page

7. Lake Ariana

Lake Ariana is a 50-minute drive from downtown Tampa. Launch at Lake Lena Public Boat Ramp (smaller boats), the public ramp on Lake Ariana closest to downtown (≈ 40.3 mi). Public access on Lake Ariana: 3 boat ramps and 1 pier. Surveyed depths reach 23 ft. Recorded here: Black Crappie, Blue Tilapia, Largemouth Bass, and Sunshine Bass.

Lake Ariana750 min · 43.3 mi
Lake

Lake Ariana

Polk

Lake Lena Public Boat Ramp (smaller boats)17

max 23 ft · surveyed

Water page

8. Banana Lake

Banana Lake is a 45-minute drive from downtown Tampa. Launch at Banana Lake Public Boat Ramp, the public ramp on Banana Lake closest to downtown (≈ 33.9 mi). Public access on Banana Lake: 1 boat ramp. Surveyed depths reach 6 ft. Recorded here: Bluegill, Redear, Largemouth Bass, and Black Crappie.

Banana Lake845 min · 40.3 mi
Lake

Banana Lake

Polk

Banana Lake Public Boat Ramp17

max 6 ft · surveyed

Water page

9. Lake Rochelle

Lake Rochelle is a 55-minute drive from downtown Tampa. Launch at Lake Rochelle Public Boat Ramp, the public ramp on Lake Rochelle closest to downtown (≈ 45.4 mi). Public access on Lake Rochelle: 2 boat ramps. Surveyed depths reach 18 ft. Recorded here: Largemouth Bass, Sunshine Bass, Brown Bullhead, and Channel Catfish.

Lake Rochelle955 min · 48 mi
Lake

Lake Rochelle

Polk

Lake Rochelle Public Boat Ramp17

max 18 ft · surveyed

Water page

10. Lake McLeod

Lake McLeod is a 54-minute drive from downtown Tampa. Launch at Lake McLeod Public Boat Ramp, the public ramp on Lake McLeod closest to downtown (≈ 43.2 mi). Public access on Lake McLeod: 1 boat ramp. Surveyed depths reach 21 ft. Recorded here: Largemouth Bass, Sunshine Bass, Brown Bullhead, and Channel Catfish.

Lake McLeod1054 min · 48.6 mi
Lake

Lake McLeod

Polk

Lake McLeod Public Boat Ramp17

max 21 ft · surveyed

Water page

When the fish bite here

By our bite calendar, November is a slow month around Tampa for the fish recorded at these stops — the bars on each card show when each one picks up.

0stops

More fishing guides near Tampa

Where this guide comes from

Every sentence here is assembled from the data on the Tampa fishing page: road drive times where a route was built (≈ marks straight-line distances), access points from state registries, the species recorded in each water and our bite calendar, adjusted for latitude. Nothing is written by hand or generated by AI.

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Know the water and the fish before you drive out.

Depth surveys, stocking records and water samples, straight from the public registries that hold them — brought together for one question: is it worth the drive?

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