Where To Fish in Orlando, Florida

Florida has been ranked the "fishing capital of the world" and is often referred to as the "bass capital of the world" because of the world-record-breaking bass people catch. Although fishing probably isn't the first thing to come to mind when you think of Orlando, Florida, Orlando is actually home to some of the best bass and redfish fishing on the planet.

Before You Go:

To fish in this state, you need to purchase a Florida fishing license, unless you qualify for one of the following exemptions:

• Children under 16 years of age
• Seniors over the age of 65 with proof of age or residency, or possessing an optional resident 65+ Hunt/Fish Certificate
• Fishing on your private homestead
• Florida residents certified as totally and permanently disabled Florida residents who are members of the U.S. Armed Forces, who are not stationed in the state and home on leave for 30 days or less
• Individuals who are observing or filming someone else who is fishing and are not assisting in the take in any way
• For more information on exemptions, check out the full detailed list of rules and exemptions on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commissions website.

Lake Tohopekaliga (Lake Toho)

Lake Tohopekaliga, known by the locals as Lake Toho, is a 22,700-acre lake conveniently located in the city of Kissimmee. Lake Toho also happens to be home to the best largemouth bass fishing in the world. The lake is famous for the record-breaking bass anglers bring in each year.

Lake Toho is legendary for the sheer volume of huge bass it produces. According to the Florida Wildlife Commission, the lake sports one bass over 10 pounds per every 10 acres of water. In fact, the heaviest bass ever caught was taken right from lake Toho. If you're a bass fisherman, this lake is the perfect place for you!

Mosquito Lagoon

Mosquito Lagoon has some of the best fishing in the Orlando area. You can catch all sorts of fish here, from speckled trout and snook to tarpon, black drum and so much more. If the diversity of fish species didn't sell you on Mosquito Lagoon, it's also considered the redfish capital of the world because it's the only body of water on the planet where you can catch redfish year round.

Mosquito Lagoon's clear shallow water makes it an ideal place for some year-round sight fishing. The advantage of fishing in Florida is that it's warm year round, so you can always catch fish no matter the time of year. The lagoon is easy to fish from the shoreline, and it's boat friendly if you want to fish off of your kayak, rowboat or motorboat.

Indian River Lagoon

The Indian River stretches all the way from north of Titusville, Florida, approximately 150 miles south to Jupiter. The Indian River Lagoon is world-renowned for its record-setting redfish. The southern portion of the river is also famous for the massive speckled trout and snook fishermen have caught. You can also catch huge tarpon, which use the riverway like a highway.

You can fish the Indian River Lagoon all year round, and the river system lends itself to all sorts of fishing strategies. There is great access to the waterways for sight fishing on grass flats or working the docks and bridges. The lagoon is also great for fishing from a boat. Whether you're a fan of fishing from a kayak or motor boat or chartering a fishing vessel, Indian River Lagoon has something for you. You can even rent rods and reels from the bait and tackle shops on the docks if you don't have the right equipment.

Port Canaveral

If you want to have an awesome deep-sea fishing excursion, we'd recommend you go out to Port Canaveral, where you can experience some of the greatest deep-sea fishing near Orlando. Port Canaveral is only an hour drive from downtown Orlando and sports some of the best deep-sea fishing around. You can catch grouper, red snapper, amberjack, king mackerel, sharks, woohoo, kingfish, barracuda, sailfish, tarpon, mahi, yellowfin tuna, blue marlin, white marlin, swordfish, tilefish, snowy grouper and yellow edge grouper, just to name a few. There is a reason they call Florida the "fishing capital of the world".

We recommend chartering a deep-sea vessel so you can get the best deep-sea experience possible.

Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay is only an hour and a half drive from Orlando and is home to some of the best inshore fishing in the U.S. Tampa Bay is one of the largest estuaries (a brackish transition zone where the ocean meets freshwater rivers) in all of Florida, which makes it the perfect habitat for desirable fish species.

On an inshore fishing trip, you can catch all sorts of fish, such as grouper, blackfin tuna and amberjack, among others. Along the undeveloped shoreline in the southern end of Tampa Bay, there is great juvenile snook, redfish, trout, snapper, kingfish and tarpon fishing.