On the Water
What's happening on Central Florida's waterfronts — tournament results, lake conditions, and waterfront news across the five-county region.
Water Shortage Order Extended to March 2027; Xtreme Bass Closes Three Central Florida Divisions
SWFWMD pushed its one-day-per-week watering restrictions six months past their Oct. 1 expiration, out to March 31, 2027, and the Xtreme Bass Series closed its Harris Chain, Toho and Citrus division seasons.
September 29, 2026
Gill Takes the Pro Circuit Championship on the Kissimmee Chain; Water Shortage Order Back Before the Board
Drew Gill erased a five-pound deficit with a 31-13 limit to win the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Championship on the Kissimmee Chain on Sept. 20, and Orlando's Bobby Bakewell finished third
September 22, 2026
Lakeland Starts Fining Watering Violations; Quilatan Takes Gator Division AOY
Lakeland attached $50-to-$500 fines to the Phase 3 watering restrictions on Sept. 8, and Windermere's Dylan Quilatan closed out the BFL Gator Division season with the Angler of the Year title
September 15, 2026
Pro Circuit Championship Comes to Big Toho Sept. 18-20; Lake Bessie Ramp Closed Two Weeks
Major League Fishing's Pro Circuit Championship runs the Kissimmee Chain out of Big Toho Marina Sept. 18-20, and Windermere has closed the Lake Bessie ramp for about two weeks.
September 8, 2026
Williams Team Wins at Panasoffkee; Driest Year on Record Drops Lake Levels Across Central Florida
Central Florida just logged its driest year on record, with Orlando 15.29 inches below average and lake levels well below normal
August 4, 2026
ICAST Cup on Big Toho This Week; Water Shortage Extended Through October
Major League Fishing runs the ICAST Cup out of Big Toho Marina this week, and SWFWMD's extreme water shortage now holds through October 1
July 14, 2026
Topmiller Takes the AFT Division 21 Finale and AOY on the Kissimmee Chain
James Topmiller swept the win and the Angler of the Year title at the AFT Division 21 finale on the Kissimmee Chain
June 30, 2026
FDEP Issues Algae Warning for Lake Okeechobee; Apopka Restoration Passes 10,000 Acres
FDEP has issued an algae bloom warning for Lake Okeechobee, the latest bloom advisory in a season that's already seen alerts north and south
June 23, 2026
Drought Orders Hold Lawn Irrigation to One Day a Week
Blue-green algae alerts surface in Flagler County and on Lake Okeechobee as the regional drought drags into June
June 9, 2026
AFT Division 21 Finale on the Kissimmee Chain This Weekend
Jeremy and Ben Smith put 28.71 pounds on the scales to win an Xtreme Bass Series event, and AFT Division 21's two-day finale lands on the Kissimmee Chain this weekend
June 2, 2026
AFT Division 21 Finale Runs the Kissimmee Chain June 6–7
AFT Division 21 returns to the Kissimmee Chain June 6–7 for its two-day season finale
May 26, 2026
Lefebre Wins Heavy Hitters on Orange Lake; Burn Bans Spread Across Central Florida
Dave Lefebre took the MLF Kubota Heavy Hitters title on Orange Lake, and burn bans tightened across Central Florida last week
May 25, 2026
SJRWMD Declares Phase III Extreme Water Shortage, Expanding Restrictions into Lake County
Heavy Hitters wrapped on Orange Lake this weekend while drought tightens watering rules across the district
May 19, 2026
Gunn Wins AFT Division 21 on Lake Toho; Heavy Hitters Open Saturday on Orange Lake
Matthew Gunn takes the AFT Division 21 on Lake Toho, and the MLF Heavy Hitters field heads to Orange Lake this weekend
May 12, 2026
Algae Alert in Apopka; Burn Bans and Watering Restrictions Hold
Apopka issued a blue-green algae alert for Northwest Recreation Pond, and SWFWMD's Phase III water restrictions remain in force through July 1
May 5, 2026
Shellcrackers On in Lake Kissimmee; Phase III Restrictions Still in Effect
Quiet tournament week locally; shellcracker bite firing on Lake Kissimmee while Phase III water restrictions remain in force across Polk
April 28, 2026
Red Flag Warnings in Eight Counties; Polk Under Phase III Through July 1
Red flag warnings and a quiet tournament week have shifted attention from the leaderboards to the lakeshore
April 26, 2026
Quilatan Dominates Harris Chain BFL; Extreme Drought Restrictions Hit Polk County Lakes
Windermere's Dylan Quilatan posts a 34-pound bag to win the BFL on the Harris Chain while Polk County enters extreme drought restrictions through July
April 22, 2026