May 19, 2026
Heavy Hitters Wraps on Orange Lake; Drought Deepens Across Central Florida
Heavy Hitters wrapped on Orange Lake this weekend while drought tightens watering rules across the district
The MLF Bass Pro Tour Kubota Heavy Hitters event on Orange Lake ran May 16, with the tour's top pros fishing the Cross Creek lake just north of our coverage area. Closer to home, the bigger story is water — St. Johns River Water Management District tightened its Phase III footprint last week as the regional drought deepens.
On the Water
Lake Kissimmee is still the panfish lake to be on. Bluegill and shellcracker have been holding on and around bedding areas through May, and crappie are still catchable along deeper grass edges as surface temps climb. Bass on the Kissimmee Chain are settling into post-spawn patterns — hydrilla mats and sand flats on Big Toho are holding fish.
The Harris Chain has shifted to summer rhythm. Early and late windows are producing on Lake Harris and Lake Dora, with bluegill bedding cycles continuing on the new moon.
Coming Up
AFT Division 21 Two-Day Season Finale — Kissimmee Chain, June 6–7. American Bass Anglers returns to the Kissimmee Chain for the Division 21 closer. Matthew Gunn took the May 2 Toho event heading in.
MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Championship — Kissimmee Chain, September 18–20. Distant, but on the calendar. The Pro Circuit returns to Kissimmee for its season-ending championship.
Worth Knowing
The St. Johns River Water Management District declared Phase III Extreme Water Shortage in response to worsening drought, declining groundwater, and reduced river flows. The order expands irrigation restrictions into parts of Lake County. On May 15, ClickOrlando reported the district describing its resources as "stretched across all of its main responsibilities" as the drought deepens.
SWFWMD's Modified Phase III order remains in effect across Polk and the Gulf Coast counties, holding lawn irrigation to one day per week through July 1. Polk County Utilities customers have been on shortened watering hours since April 3.
For lakefront owners: lake stages across the region reflect the dry stretch. If your dock sits in a shallow cove or your lift was set to last year's normal pool, walk it before the next outing. Exposed pilings, shifted bottoms near seawall returns, and shallow approaches to private ramps are all worth a look while levels are down.
Winter Haven's South Lake Howard Nature Park expansion continues, with the city adding kayak launch access, fishing areas, boardwalks, and expanded trails alongside new stormwater and wetland infrastructure.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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