July Lake Toho fishing report
July 10, 2020 Kissimmee 1 photo
Bass (Largemouth)
Bass (Largemouth)

Trip Summary

It’s the middle of the summer and we’re in what I believe is the secret best big bass time of year. While it is widely known that the best time to catch big bass in Florida is during the winter when things cool down. Nearly everyone I know who lives here has caught their BIGGEST during the summer, including myself. All between June-September. We catch a lot of 8-10 pound bass in the winter but it always seems like the heat of the summer is when the ones over 10 pounds are caught. All of the lakes 3 biggest bass that have been caught were caught at this time. The 17lb lake record, the 16lb that Ed Chancey caught, and the 15lb caught by Captain Jamie Jackson. I wanted to start with this because every year at this time, I get excited. Now lets get into whats happening. The fish have been doing exactly what you expect them to be doing at this time of year, which is much the same as last months fishing report. The best bite has been in the morning. They condense most of their feeding into the morning hours at this time of year. The fishing has been fast early and then slowing to a steady bite after the first two hours. After 11am the bite slows dramatically unless you have a cloudy day. Plus it starts getting hot by then so you’re done also. They’re in basically 4 different things. 1. Running water 2. Hydrilla 3. Shell beds 4. Brush piles. Running water: The locks on all of the lakes are full open right now with all of the rain we’ve been getting, which means fish are stacked up in the cooler water flowing in these areas. You can catch them fast and quick early in the morning for basically the first two hours using crankbaits, topwaters (if they’re busting the top), jerkbaits, and weigthless flukes. The problem with these areas is that their are a lot of smaller fish. Don’t get me wrong you can pop off a 7 or 8 pounder randomly but the majority will all be around 2 pounds. Hydrilla: Much of the fishing at this time of year is focused around the hydrilla. Any hydrilla outside of the Kissimmee grass lines will hold fish. It’s as simple as that. Whether it’s off-shore or near the grass lines their will be fish in it. It’s just a matter of how much and where they are in it. And the best way to find that out is by fishing. Speedworms, frogs(this is the best time of year to throw a frog), chatterbaits, and swimjigs have all been working. Shell beds: Now shell beds can be tricky. They can be tough to find and they usually only bite for the first 2 hours in the morning and then they’re done so you’ve got a short window to catch them. But if you can find one you can really catch them right now. July is without a doubt the best month for shell bed fishing. Both numbers of fish and big fish will be in these areas. They can be caught off of soft plastic worms(or any finesse worm), rattletraps, or topwater if they’re busting the top. Brush piles: Brush piles are like shell beds in the sense that they are hard to find. There are some that are marked with buoys but all of the best ones are unmarked. Once you find some though this is where your best late morning-mid day day bite is going to be. Worms, jigs, and crankbaits have all been working. To sum it all up this is the time of year where you may just catch some of the biggest bass in the lake, and the hydrilla, shell beds, and brush piles are where you’ve got your best chance to catch one. Bass wishes, Capt. AJ
Arthur Jackson
Kissimmee, Florida, United States
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Want to get away from Orlando’s busy streets and experience its most treasured natural resource? You’re in the right place, Lake Toho is the #1 big bass lake in the state and we fish it full time. This beautiful lake is located near Disney Wor...

Other reports from this captain

Summer Lake Toho fishing report
Summer Lake Toho fishing report
June 9, 2025
The bass fishing on Lake Toho this summer has been some of the best and most consistent we've ever seen, and it's due to some unique circumstances. We've been getting more rain than usual along with the lake having more hydrilla in it than ever before, and both have actually made for some excellent bass fishing. The water, which typically has a algae bloom at this time of year, is the cleanest I have ever seen during the summer, and the bass are loving it. Mainly because of the extra rain we've been getting, there has been a lot of water flow between the lakes keeping the water fresh and clean. We are averaging an incredible 30+ bass a day right now on just our 4 hour trips. With 40+ fish days happening multiple times a week. The bass are schooling up like crazy in the large open areas out in the offshore hydrilla, and in the areas of running water throughout the lake. Once you find one of these schools, it's just one after another. The bulk of the fish we are catching right now on our charters are coming off of shiners. With the live bait you can get in these schools and start catching. But for artificials, the bite has been largely on flukes, speedworms, and chatterbaits in the hydrilla. And jerkbaits, and rattletraps in the areas of running water, with some topwater action early. You want to look for large mats of hydrilla and peppergrass, throwing speedworms and chatterbaits around the thicker hydrilla, and flukes and jerkbaits around the thinner areas of hydrilla and peppergrass. For the areas of running water, focus on the entrances and exits where the water flows in and out of the lake. Keep an eye out for schooling fish busting on bait as the fish in these areas can move quickly and the quickest way to locate them is when they show themselves. This summer has been the best that I have seen in years for bass fishing on Lake Toho. So if you're in the area on vacation or live around here, come spend a morning on Toho, and I promise you won't be disappointed. -Captain AJ
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Spring Lake Toho Fishing Report
Spring Lake Toho Fishing Report
March 23, 2025
Spring has sprung and so have the bass! With the fish mainly into the post spawn season now and the weather becoming consistent, the bite on Orlando’s Lake Toho has become very consistent. We’re averaging 15-20 bass on our 4 hour charters with our captains getting over 30 some days. The size has been good also, 3 pounders have been the average size with 4 pounders being very common, along with 7+ pounders being reeled in by a few of our charters everyday! All in all the lake is setting up for a killer summer of fishing with areas of the lake being opened that haven’t been fishable in years because of all the topped out grass, since they sprayed much of the grass back in February. With the bass being in the post spawn, the bulk of the bass have moved out of the shallower spawning flats. While there are still fish to be caught up on the outside edges of the kissimmee grass and lily pads, most of the bass have moved offshore into the hydrilla, peppergrass, and eelgrass. You want to look for submerged hydrilla and eelgrass, not matted out to the top, and for the peppergrass you want to fish the outside edges of the topped out grass. Once you’re on one of these offshore grass patches a number of lures have been working. Flukes, jerkbaits, speedworms, chatterbaits, and rattletraps have all been producing fish daily. But if you’re looking to book a charter, than wild shiners is what I would recommend using. You’ll get the most out of your day with them catching both bigger numbers and bigger fish. Hope you guys get a chance to experience the epic fishing we have here on Orlando’s Lake Toho this spring. Captain AJ
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