Algae Alert in Apopka; Burn Bans and Watering Restrictions Hold

The Florida Department of Health issued a blue-green algae alert for Northwest Recreation Pond in Apopka last week. Residents and visitors were advised not to drink, swim, wade, run personal watercraft, or otherwise contact water where a bloom is visible. It's the first confirmed cyanobacteria advisory in the immediate area this spring.

On the Water

Shellcrackers are still bedding on Lake Kissimmee, with bluegill staging alongside them — the Apopka Chief column that's been tracking the bite has them holding into early May. Bass on the Harris Chain and Kissimmee Chain are still working the tail end of the shad spawn, though water temps are climbing and crappie have moved off the peak pattern to deeper grass edges. On the St. Johns from Astor down to Hontoon Island, schooling bass are still chasing lipless cranks and swimbaits.

No local tournament finished inside the past two weeks worth reporting. The MLF Bass Pro Tour ran Stage 2 in Oconee County, South Carolina, where Takahiro Omori took his first Bass Pro Tour win.

Worth Knowing

SWFWMD's Modified Phase III Extreme Water Shortage Order remains in effect through July 1. Outdoor watering is limited to one day per week with stricter hours across the 16-county district, which includes Polk, Hillsborough, and parts of Lake and Sumter. Private wells are included.

Burn bans are still active across most of Central Florida as of late April. Orange and Seminole counties are on the published list, along with several others in the WESH compilation from April 24. Conditions remain dry. If you're clearing brush near a dock or seawall project, check your county before you light anything.

FWC's Cast for Cash program is now live statewide. Anglers get paid for recording trip data that helps the agency track species movement and invasive removals — it's the same incentive model FWC and SFWMD have used on the python and lionfish side, extended to freshwater work.

Coming Up

The 2026 tournament calendar on the Harris Chain and Kissimmee Chain has gone quiet through the rest of spring after the BFL Phoenix event on April 11 and the late-January Bassmaster Opens on the Kissimmee Chain. Xtreme Bass Series 2026 dates on the Winter Haven Chain have not been posted publicly yet. We'll list them here when they're confirmed.