Gravel pit lakes near Naples, FL

[FryDog62]

Have heard people talk about gravel pit lakes (or other freshwater bodies of water) in the Naples, FL area with good bass fishing. I’m sure some are private and/or fee lakes. I’m down there for Jan-Feb and open to any available options. If anyone knows of anything, let me know. I will have a kayak to access the water.  Thank you

[Don51]

That is a tough area to find public access spots to fish. It is heavily developed and most bodies of water are within housing developments and golf courses.  Perhaps someone will have a spot or two for you. Good luck!  

[TnRiver46]

Fish inshore salt down there! Or even the surf, I saw some guys catching nice pompano off a pier in Naples. Those green bass will be waiting for you back in MN 

[FryDog62]

Very true, have a friend down there with a salt boat and plan to get out 1-2 times. The other 58 days - I’ll be inland and pursuing greenies via kayak! 

[heyitskirby]

On 12/25/2021 at 8:51 PM, FryDog62 said:

Very true, have a friend down there with a salt boat and plan to get out 1-2 times. The other 58 days - I’ll be inland and pursuing greenies via kayak! 

 

You'll be near world class inshore fishing and you can fish bass the other 307 days of the year, try fishing as the locals do. 

[FryDog62]

2 hours ago, heyitskirby said:

 

You'll be near world class inshore fishing and you can fish bass the other 307 days of the year, try fishing as the locals do. 

Unfortunately we'll be inland quite a ways and may or may not have the ability to transport the kayak very far, especially to the ocean.  For the saltwater fishing, I'll have to rely on my friend who has a boat on Marco.  

 

But if I'm only able to fish largemouth on the lake we are staying at, that will be fine. We are frozen where I live now in Minnesota and our fishing season doesn't even open up again here until middle of next May.  That leaves us with only about 180 days a year to fish, so anything down there is a huge bonus!  

[TnRiver46]

5 hours ago, FryDog62 said:

Unfortunately we'll be inland quite a ways and may or may not have the ability to transport the kayak very far, especially to the ocean.  For the saltwater fishing, I'll have to rely on my friend who has a boat on Marco.  

 

But if I'm only able to fish largemouth on the lake we are staying at, that will be fine. We are frozen where I live now in Minnesota and our fishing season doesn't even open up again here until middle of next May.  That leaves us with only about 180 days a year to fish, so anything down there is a huge bonus!  

A girl I went to college with lives down there, her husband works on the Florida panther national refuge. It seems like there are a good many places where you can catch tarpon and snook pretty far inland in freshwater. Then again he has access to a lot of water than nobody else does 

[5by3]

Take 41 South of Naples towards the Everglades. Lots of freshwater canals, rivers, and ponds with bass, tarpon, and snook. Many are untouched since most people are targeting the saltwater. 

[heyitskirby]

On 12/27/2021 at 4:27 PM, FryDog62 said:

Unfortunately we'll be inland quite a ways and may or may not have the ability to transport the kayak very far, especially to the ocean.  For the saltwater fishing, I'll have to rely on my friend who has a boat on Marco.  

 

But if I'm only able to fish largemouth on the lake we are staying at, that will be fine. We are frozen where I live now in Minnesota and our fishing season doesn't even open up again here until middle of next May.  That leaves us with only about 180 days a year to fish, so anything down there is a huge bonus!  

 

I'm not real familiar with Naples, but you can catch inshore fish a decent ways inland and the best part is pinfish don't like fresh water, so even in brackish you won't have to worry so much about them stealing your shrimp.  

 

A kayak will put you anywhere you need to go.  Look for flats, not open water.

[FryDog62]

5 minutes ago, heyitskirby said:

 

I'm not real familiar with Naples, but you can catch inshore fish a decent ways inland and the best part is pinfish don't like fresh water, so even in brackish you won't have to worry so much about them stealing your shrimp.  

 

A kayak will put you anywhere you need to go.  Look for flats, not open water.

Funny, we’re on 400 acre freshwater lake... about 10 miles inland and someone said it’s rare but they will occasionally catch snook in there. Reportedly, someone caught a 40 incher a week ago. 
 

I might need a bigger net! 

[the reel ess]

I fished one in West Miami with a guide for peacocks. He said it was technically public land, but Cemex had leased the rights to mine it. You can get yourself on a list to go there, but I have no idea how. We had to sign in with a guard. There's a YouTube video of Bill Dance fishing with a guide there. There was a crane working in the corner when we were there. I caught some nice peacocks, but also a 7 lb. bass. It was artificial baits only, but the guide snuck some live shiners in. That's what we caught most of the bigger ones on. If you want his info PM me.

[TnRiver46]

On 2/1/2022 at 10:27 AM, the reel ess said:

I fished one in West Miami with a guide for peacocks. He said it was technically public land, but Cemex had leased the rights to mine it. You can get yourself on a list to go there, but I have no idea how. We had to sign in with a guard. There's a YouTube video of Bill Dance fishing with a guide there. There was a crane working in the corner when we were there. I caught some nice peacocks, but also a 7 lb. bass. It was artificial baits only, but the guide snuck some live shiners in. That's what we caught most of the bigger ones on. If you want his info PM me.

My buddy has worked for Cemex for 15 years…….. road trip!!!

[FryDog62]

35 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

My buddy has worked for Cemex for 15 years…….. road trip!!!

I’m buying!

[the reel ess]

18 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

My buddy has worked for Cemex for 15 years…….. road trip!!!

Well, I feel certain he could get you on the list.