Orlando Summer Bass Fishing Report – Lake Butler & Lake Conway (July 2026)

Summer is officially here in Central Florida, and despite the heat, the bass fishing on Lake Butler and Lake Conway has been very consistent—especially during the early morning hours.
The biggest key right now is simple:
Fish early, fish offshore, and stay around bait.

As water temperatures rise into the mid-to-upper 80s, bass are becoming more predictable in their summer patterns. They’re spending much of the day relating to:

• Offshore grass lines
• Deep ledges and drop-offs
• Hydrilla / pepper grass edges
• Shad schools
• Isolated hard spots and shell beds

Schooling bass have been active at first light, especially when shad get pushed to the surface. If you see bait flickering or birds working, get ready—things can get chaotic fast. Summer schooling activity around Orlando’s big water bodies is a common pattern, especially around vegetation edges and deeper breaklines. ​

Current Charter Restults

Our recent trips have been averaging:🎣 15–25 bass per trip
🐟 Average fish: 1.5–3 lbs
🏆 Bigger fish: 4–7+ lbs possible any day
Some mornings have been nonstop action when the shad schools fire up.
If you’re visiting Orlando this summer and want to experience some of Florida’s best bass fishing just minutes from Disney and Universal, now is a great time to get on the water.
Book Your TripReady to fish with us?
Visit Native Bass Fishing Charters or call (407) 455-4521 to book your guided bass fishing trip on Lake Butler or Lake Conway.
Fish on!

​Lake Butler Fishing Report

Lake Butler continues to produce quality fish and remains one of the best lakes near Orlando for both numbers and size.
The lake’s clear water means presentation matters. Long casts, lighter line, and natural bait colors are producing best. Butler’s sinkholes and deeper staging areas become especially important in summer as bass slide deeper after the morning feed.
Best Depth Right Now

• Early: 4–8 ft
• Mid-morning onward: 10–22+ ft

We’ve been finding fish around:

• Deep grass edges
• Offshore humps
• Sinkhole edges
• Suspended around shad schools

Best Artificial Baits

• Weightless flukes (white / pearl)
• 3/16 oz Texas rigs with speed worms
• Wacky rig senkos
• 1/4 oz swimbait jigheads
• Topwater walkers early

The fluke bite has been especially good when fish are schooling.

Lake Conway Fishing Report

Lake Conway has been producing excellent action for numbers.
Conway’s bass are heavily keyed in on shad right now, and many fish are roaming offshore rather than staying buried in grass all day. Summer bass on the Conway Chain often stack around deeper vegetation edges and feed aggressively around sunrise and sunset.
Best Depth Right Now

• Early: 5–10 ft
• Later: 12–18 ft ledges

We’re seeing two main patterns:
1. Morning SchoolersFast action when bass push bait up.
Throw:

• Flukes
• Swimbaits
• Lipless cranks
• Small topwaters

2. Offshore Dragging BiteOnce schooling slows:

• Drag worms slowly
• Work grass edges
• Target ledges near bait

This has been the most consistent way to keep catching after the morning rush.

​Summer Big Bass Tip

A lot of people assume winter is the only time for giants in Florida.
Not true.
Some of the biggest bass of the year are caught in summer because big females are feeding heavily around:

• Offshore bait
• Deep structure
• Grass edges with oxygen flow

One big mistake anglers make is fishing too shallow all day.
In summer:
If the shallow bite dies, don’t leave the area—back out deeper.
Very often the fish are still there, just 15–25 yards farther offshore.