Quilatan Dominates Harris Chain BFL; Extreme Drought Restrictions Hit Polk County Lakes

Dylan Quilatan of Windermere put together one of the more impressive local tournament performances this spring, weighing a five-bass limit of 34 pounds, 7 ounces to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League event on the Harris Chain of Lakes on April 13. The tournament launched out of Venetian Gardens in Leesburg, and the weight was the kind of number that turns heads on a chain that regularly produces quality fish but doesn't always give them up that easily in a single day.

Tournament Results

MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League — Harris Chain of Lakes (April 13) Quilatan's 34-7 bag topped the field in the fourth of five regular-season BFL events on the Harris Chain. The entire bay at Venetian Gardens was off-limits per MLF rules, pushing the field out onto the main lakes. Full standings haven't been published in detail beyond the winner, but 34 pounds as a winning weight signals the post-spawn bite on Griffin, Eustis, Harris, and Dora was cooperating for at least some of the field.

Xtreme Bass Series — Johns Lake Division (March 21) Josh Davis and John Brazzell won their second event of the season on the Johns Lake division, weighing 17.16 pounds to top a 22-boat field. Johns Lake sits just west of the Butler Chain in Orange County.

Xtreme Bass Series — North River Division, St. Johns River (April 4) Michael Hall and Cody Morgan continued their dominant season out of Palatka with a 28.55-pound bag, their third win in four North River division events. That's a 22-boat field they've now beaten three times running.

Xtreme Bass Series — Istokpoga Division (April 4) Eli Kline and Zack Marine topped a 16-boat field on Lake Istokpoga with 20.25 pounds.

The Xtreme Bass Series has also announced that its Central Florida divisional event will move to the Kissimmee River, launching out of Westgate River Ranch Resort. No specific date has been confirmed yet.

On the Water

The 75th Annual All American Water Ski Tournament ran at the historic Cypress Gardens site in Winter Haven. Meika St. Onge of Cypress Gardens won the novice swivel event, with Mazie Smith taking second. The All American has been held on the Winter Haven Chain for decades, and hitting 75 years is a milestone that speaks to how deeply water skiing is embedded in that stretch of lakes.

Conditions & Notices

Extreme Drought — Polk County and West Central Florida The Southwest Florida Water Management District declared Modified Phase III "Extreme" water shortage restrictions effective April 3 through July 1, 2026. These are mandatory, not voluntary. Polk County Utilities has moved to a once-per-week watering schedule based on address. The restrictions cover Winter Haven, Lakeland, and surrounding areas.

For waterfront property owners on the Winter Haven Chain, Lakeland lakes, and the southern Polk lakes like Crooked Lake and Lake Clinch, this matters beyond lawn irrigation. Extended drought means lower lake levels across the board. The Winter Haven Chain lakes are relatively shallow and respond quickly to dry conditions — low water can expose docks, make canal navigation tighter, and stress littoral vegetation. Anyone who went through the 2023-2024 dry spell remembers how quickly lakes like Shipp and Eloise can drop.

Lake Tohopekaliga in Osceola County is managed on a separate schedule by the South Florida Water Management District, but drought conditions across the region generally mean conservative water management everywhere.

Coming Up

The MLF Toyota Series visited the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes earlier this season (March 4–6). No additional major pro-level events on Central Florida lakes have been confirmed on the current published schedules for the coming weeks. The Bassmaster Elite Series is wrapping its swing on the Arkansas River and does not have a Florida stop scheduled in the near term.

The Xtreme Bass Series continues its divisional schedule across multiple Florida waters, including the Johns Lake and Central Florida divisions. Check xtremebassseries.com for updated event dates.