The Kit Lake Solace

JUNE 2026

It was a month of contradiction on Kit Lake, my home water in central Florida’s largemouth bass country.  Baitfish delays held up our fly fishing. Planes were quickly boarded then deplaned. And we needed to fish slow presentations, but low water and tall vegetation required quick presentations.

Early in the month, storms were rare, so the after-work crowd could head straight to the water and fish until someone called them home. After the hot days, evening hatch anglers came into their own. They waited for the heat as cumulous clouds built, headed to the water as the tops of the tall clouds picked to a blue hue, then fished with one eye out for lightning as those clouds fell but did not storm.

The storms have yet to fill Kit Lake, though. Water was so low on most flats that grass waved above the water’s surface like bonefish fins. So, bluegill were caught in areas of open water. Anglers who found walls of vegetation attracted their ambush strikes with skinning flies like large Hare’s ear nymphs.

     Bass have moved from this clogged shallow area. Sunrisers could use top water like Boogle Bug electric damsel bullet heads in size 6 in about five feet of water. For most of the day, the baitfish chase was on. Bass found their happy spot between warm and warmer layers of water about fifty yards offshore. Striped EP bait fish flies, sunk with split shot or a sinking fly, match the baby bass and bluegill that are showing themselves. Bass are also biting in areas of structure and shade. The Sprinter caught a nice bass on a rust-colored crawdad fly in a pocket of Lilie pads in 5 feet of water

Clearing water and pictures make next month one for preparation with an eye on the future.