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Site design and creation by Stuart Valentine. Copyright 2006 - 2008.
Guana Lake Fishing
Fishing Reports
Weather
About Guana Lake
History: The land for Guana Lake was purchased with Conservation and Recreational Lands (CARL) Save Our Coast funds by the State of Florida in 1984. The tract was privately owned and open to the public for hunting and fishing prior to state acquisition. During the period of private ownership, the Guana River was dammed in 1957, to flood the upstream marshes in order to enhance wintering waterfowl habitat. The result was the creation of the present scenic Guana Lake.
Location: The main lake entrance is located 7 miles north of Vilano Beach and 10 miles south of Mickler Road in South Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida on Highway A1A in the Guana Tolomoto Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Guana Lake Fishing
Lake Access
Onshore fishing: Fishing from Guana Lake's shore is very limited and is only possible at the south end of the lake (reserve entrance area) along the earthen dam.
Species Present
Seatrout, also known as speckled trout, spotted trout, or just trout, get up to 30 inches in length in Guana Lake (9 pounds) and average 15 to 20 inches. Seatrout are most attracted to moving baits, travel in large schools, and are very aggressive.
Redfish, also known as red drum or reds, have been caught up to 40 inches in length in Guana Lake (25 pounds) and have recently been averaging 16 to 18 inches. Redfish are more likely to take a live or dead shrimp, travel in pods of about ten or twelve, and are famous for their long, powerful runs.
Black drum can exceed 36 inches in Guana Lake (25 pounds) with catches of 20 to 26 pounds being reported in the fall of 2006 in both the north and south end of the lake. The average drum weighs only a few pounds. These fish are strictly bottom feeders and are most attracted to smelly, dead shrimp.
Numerous other species inhabit the lake, owing to the lake’s proximity to the ocean, including flounder, catfish, small sharks, sting rays, jacks, croaker, ladyfish, and bluefish.
Guana Lake is also famous for its blue crabbing and shrimping opportunities. And plentiful bait-sized mullet can be taken, especially in the northern part of lake, with a cast net.
Article links:
Guana Rules & Regulations
License type required: Saltwater (16 years of age or older)
Alcoholic beverages: Prohibited
Maximum motor size: 10HP; no jet skis allowed
Maximum # poles per person: 3
Camping: Not allowed
Fish Limits:
Seatrout: Five per person per day; not less than 15 inches nor more than 20 inches except one fish over 20 inches per person per day. The closed season for seatrout in Northeast Florida is the month of February.
Redfish: One per person per day; not less than 18 inches nor more than 27 inches. No closed season.
Black drum: Five per person per day; not less than 14 inches nor more than 24 inches (one over 24 inches allowed). No closed season.
Flounder: Ten per person per day; not less than 12 inches long. No closed season.
Fishing Methods
Recommended Baits
Live & dead baits: Nearest bait shop - Mike's Place
Seatrout: Live shrimp, live mullet, cut fish
Redfish: Live shrimp, dead shrimp, cut fish, blue crab pieces
Black drum: Dead shrimp (the older, the better)
Popular artificial baits (most effective for trout):
Topwaters:
Jigs:
3" chartreuse Gulp jig
Cajun Thunder jig
Soft lures:
Norton Sand Eel
Other:
Bite-A-Bait Fighter (floater/diver)
52 series Mirrolure (diver)
Cajun Thunder Float rigs with a DOA or live shrimp
Article links:
GuanaLakeFishing.com
Feedback
Featured Trip
Out of the Past
Current
Weight Estimator
| Fish | Approximate Weight (pounds) | ||
| Length | Redfish | Blk drum | Seatrout |
| 14 | 1.10 | 1.50 | 1.10 |
| 15 | 1.50 | 2.00 | 1.30 |
| 16 | 1.80 | 2.20 | 1.50 |
| 17 | 2.20 | 2.60 | 1.80 |
| 18 | 2.40 | 3.30 | 2.00 |
| 19 | 2.90 | 3.70 | 2.40 |
| 20 | 3.50 | 4.40 | 2.90 |
| 21 | 4.00 | 5.10 | 3.30 |
| 22 | 4.60 | 5.70 | 3.70 |
| 23 | 5.30 | 6.60 | 4.20 |
| 24 | 6.00 | 7.50 | 4.60 |
| 25 | 6.80 | 8.40 | 5.30 |
| 26 | 7.50 | 9.50 | 6.00 |
| 27 | 8.40 | 10.60 | 6.60 |
| 28 | 9.50 | 11.70 | 7.30 |
| 29 | 10.60 | 13.00 | 7.90 |
| 30 | 11.70 | 14.30 | 8.80 |
| 31 | 12.80 | 15.90 | |
| 32 | 14.10 | 17.40 | |
| 33 | 15.40 | 19.00 | |
| 34 | 16.80 | 20.70 | |
| 35 | 18.30 | 22.50 | |
| 36 | 20.10 | 24.50 | |
My Guana Lake Stats
| Event | Number | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Most fish caught in one trip | 40 | 10/26/02 |
| Most redfish caught in one trip | 37 | 10/26/02 |
| Most fish caught in a single spot | 33 | 10/10/03 | Most redfish caught in a single spot | 28 | 10/26/02 | Rod & reel combos taken by fish | 7 | Various | Rod & reel combos recovered | 5 | Various | Most spots on a redfish | 21 | 05/15/04 | Heaviest & longest redfish (31") | 13 lbs. | 02/15/04 | Heaviest trout | 6 lbs. | 06/06/03 | Heaviest black drum | 26 lbs. | 07/15/06 |
Let's Go Fishing!
Questions or Comments?
Drop me a line...
Stu Valentine, Editor
Size: The 2,300 acre Guana Lake is about ten miles long and 200 to 400 yards wide. It is best fished from a small boat.
Water depth: Guana Lake averages about four feet in depth and ranges from six inches to six feet.
Tidal activity: Tidal flows are considerably slower than those in the Intracoastal Waterway due to a dam, which regulates the level of the lake. Tide heights above five feet, which occur around full and new moon phases, allow water to flow into and out of the lake.
Water type: Guana Lake is freshwater (extreme north end) to very salty (south end) and contains mostly saltwater species.
Facilities & improvements:
South end: Restrooms, running water, asphalt parking area, unimproved boat launch (sand), Gate convenience store nearby (basic tackle, dead bait)
North end: Concrete boat ramp, portable toilet
Parking capacity:
South end: More than adequate (approximately 15 vehicle/ trailer spaces and about 30 vehicle only spaces)
North end: Limited (approximately 12 vehicle/trailer spaces)
Recommended Sites
General: Fishing from a boat is recommended because there is limited shoreline from which to fish and because there is a great deal of surface area to cover. It's worth noting that plenty of fish can definitely be caught without a motor.
The fish in Guana Lake are considerably more active in the mornings and evenings, with activity slowing considerably by noon and picking back up around 4:00 to 5:00 PM.
As the water warms up in the late Spring, topwater action can be very good early and late in the day, especially for trout. As the water cools, the redfish action picks up, with the best month being October. The black drum action picks up in the late summer and early fall and lasts through the colder months.
But fish can be caught in every month in Guana Lake, rain or shine, hot or cold.
Seatrout: Most anglers use artificial baits (see examples below) to catch these bass-like predators. Live bait with a float is also effective. Since trout travel in large schools, once you find them, you may catch quite a few. The larger (female) trout are solitary and will also readily take a piece of cut fish from the bottom.
Redfish: Reds can easily be caught with dead shrimp or cut fish fished on the bottom. It’s probably not worth it to spend more on live bait. Reds also can be taken on baitfish flies, gold spoons, bucktail jigs, and floating or swimming plugs and jerkbaits.
Black drum: These are the hogs of the lake and can get quite large. Fish with dead shrimp on the bottom. Night fishing for drum is best. Be sure to use a minimum of 20-pound test line.
Article links:
Guana Fishing Guide
Guana Fishing Poll
Welcome!
Jacksonville Kayak Fishing provides kayak anglers with the information they need to enjoy kayak fishing in the greater Jacksonville, Florida area.
Visit YouTube.com for some of the funniest fishing videos ever, including Bill Dance bloopers, crazy frog fishing, carp fishing, bass fishing, and much more.
What's a Gheenoe? It's a canoe that's extremely stable, allows the option of putting an outboard motor on the stern, and which is perfect for fishing in Guana Lake.
Don't have a boat? Need an experienced guide to help you fish Guana Lake? Visit Jim Anderson's Fish Factor Charters.
Featured Visitor Report
South Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Boat fishing: There are two boat launches, one at the south end of the lake and one six miles north of the main facility entrance (called Six Mile Landing). Interactive Google aerial photos: North end -Six Mile Landing South end - dam area
Fees: There is a $3 fee to enter the reserve (south end); this fee allows you to fish from the shore at the south end and to launch a trailered boat. Be sure to have the correct change, as the entrance is usually not manned. Annual passes are available for $50 plus tax. There is no fee to launch from the north ramp.
Hours: Fishing from the north launch is allowed 24 hours a day (See Closures below). The hours for the south end are from 4:00 AM until 11:00 PM. Vehicles remaining in the parking area after 11 PM are subject to a $250 fine and possible towing.
Closures: Fishing in the northern half of the lake is closed from November 10th until about February 10th due to hunting. activities. Mid-lake sign
Drawdowns: Periodic Spring drawdowns are carried out, which lower the lake’s depth and reduce the fishing area drastically, allowing fishing in the south end of the lake only.
Launch
Dam
Guana River
Guana Lake
| Key: | Legal | Illegal | No Data |
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Submit a Guana Lake Fishing Report
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# of redfish
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# of trout
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See the Rules & Regulations section for exceptions
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