The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for Aug. 16-19, 2026, gives anglers a weak first quarter moon phase and after today, ideal weather conditions to catch fish. All fishing factors considered, anglers out on the water today will have less than ideal wind speeds but bright sunshine will force fish to remain tight to oxygen producing cover.

Monday through Friday an ideal west wind will provide much needed cooling for anglers who fish during the overhead major period during the afternoon and early evening hrs. Bright sunshine is predicted for the next three days and normal thunderstorm activity is in the forecast for the second half of the week, which will necessitate that anglers have a lightning escape plan ready if they choose to fish the major feeding period of the day.

The moon will arrive at the low position in five days, which means the daily lunar effect will not be much of a factor in the formation of daily feeding efforts. Therefore, fish will be mainly influenced by daily oxygen production with minor influence from the overhead moon during the afternoon and early evening hrs.

So, the greater the oxygen production the greater the fishing will be. And there’s a flip side of this rainy season fishing truth, the more the angler is miserable due to the high heat, humidity and bright sunshine, the more active the fish are and conversely, the more comfortable the angler is the less bites occur. Cloudy overcast high wind days with consistent rainfall and thunderstorms almost always shuts down feeding activity due to the rapid decline in oxygen rates.

During the months of August and September if fish can’t find depths of sixteen feet or deeper which has healthy thriving vegetation, a stressed state occurs within the fish, which completely shuts off digestion and feeding, resulting in a loss in weight.

The best fishing days of the next eight weeks will occur when the lunar influence is at a monthly high rate and bright sunshine occurs with little to no cloud cover, rainfall, and thunderstorm activity. So, we hope that the first twelve days and the last seven days of September does not have much if any tropical weather. The remainder of this month will not have any more high lunar influence days---the full moon phase will produce a 5-rating at best and I’m betting there will be a tropical occurrence when it occurs.

So, fishing deeper lakes with less turbid water is the best fishing strategy until water temperatures decline into the ideal feeding temperature range of 70-82 degrees, which usually doesn’t occur until late October early November.

Major Solar-Lunar Period: Today the moon is overhead t 4:41 p.m. producing a 6-7 feed rating from 3-6:30 p.m. Daily the overhead moon occurs later by an average of 45 min. and remains at the same feed rating until next weekend when it begins to gradually diminish to a 4-rating by Sunday evening.

Minor Solar Lunar Periods: Today the moonrise occurs at 10:48 a.m. producing a 5-feed rating from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Daily the moonrise occurs later by an average of 58 min and gradually improves to a 6-feed rating during the second half of the week---becomes major period.

A second minor period happens today when the moon is underfoot at 4:19 a.m. producing a 4-feed rating from 3-5:30 a.m. Daily the underfoot moon occurs later by an average of 45 min and remains at the same feed rating until the second half of the week when it will gradually improve to a 5-feed rating by next weekend.

A third minor period happens today when the moonset occurs at 10:25 p.m. producing a 4-feed rating from 9:30-11:45 p.m. Daily the moonset occurs later by an average of 35 min and gradually diminishes to a 2-3 rating by the midweek and will remain at the same rating through the second half of the week.

Best Fishing Days: Today through Friday the overhead moon occurs during the highest oxygen rating of the day—afternoon to early evening hrs.--and will therefore produce the best fishing during those periods. Also, an ideal west wind is forecasted to produce 10 mph speeds during the major feeding period Monday through Friday.

Anglers can expect the consistent west wind to cause fish to move eastward as they follow the wind-drive food chain. And wave action will definitely help mask the angler’s presence and the ‘fakeness’ of artificial baits.

Bright sunshine is forecasted today through Tuesday which will cause fish to hold tight to protective vegetation cover, which will have a high level of dissolved oxygen as well.

Lake Istokpoga S68 Spillway and Lake Level Status: Lake level average is currently at 37.12 NAVD88 with four S68 spillway gates closed. The NAVD88 Offset to NGVD29 is + 1.16 feet = 38.28NGVD29. Current maximum high level is 38.25’ NGVD29 and the low level is 37.50’ NVGD29.

Prime Monthly Periods: August 25-30 weak full moon phase, Sept. 6-12 new moon phase, 23-29 full moon phase., October 7-13 weak new moon phase, 23-28 full moon phase. Note: September and October’s last quarter moon phases occur during the lunar high and orbit perigee and will produce a 7-8 feed rating during the sunrise and sunset periods.

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Dave Douglass has been an artificial bait only bass fishing guide since 2005, and the writer of the Highlands News-Sun fishing forecast article since Oct. 2016 and previously the writer of the Highlands Today fishing forecast article which began in Nov. 2005. Contact email DavidPDouglass@hotmail.com or phone 863-381-8474.

The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for Aug. 9-12, 2026, gives anglers a 7-day new moon phase and a rainy season weather forecast which pr…

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for Aug. 2-9, 2026, gives anglers the last quarter moon phase, which occurs Wednesday, and a rainy season weather forecast pattern which promises a slightly lower daily average temperature, which always is good news this time of year.

All fishing factors considered, anglers will have the best success fishing during the underfoot moon which becomes stronger daily this week. But the weather forecast for the first half of this week predicts much more cloud cover then bright sunshine. If true, oxygen production will suffer and subsequently fish will feed at a lower rating. Hopefully the weatherperson is not correct over the next four days.

Nevertheless, since fish are currently in a daily midday to late-afternoon feeding pattern, they will continue to feed during this period but will gradually start feeding later daily by about a half hr. And during the second half of the week, the extended forecast predicts bright morning and afternoon sunshine, which combined with a strengthening lunar affect, will result in normal feed rates.

All through the Heartland, water is flowing and water bodies are rising. Fish will move into the influent and effluent areas of lakes and rivers and will also move up into shoreline areas closest to their summer deep-water homes, but only briefly when oxygen production is peaking for the day.

So, fish the flowing water just prior to thunderstorm development and you should do fairly well this week.

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for July 26-29, 2026, gives anglers a medium strength full moon 7-day phase, which begins today, and a typical rainy season weather forecast. All fishing factors considered, anglers can expect cloud cover to be a factor this week. Which means anytime there happens to be several hours of bright sunshine, you should expect fish to feed at better than average rates.

Full moon fishing will suffer if there happens to be nighttime cloud cover. Significant cloud cover is forecasted for every night but Tuesday and Wednesday night. So, you can expect good full moon fishing both nights.

Usually, anglers can expect good midday fishing when the moon is underfoot during a full moon phase, especially when nighttime cloud cover prevails. But during the rainy season, when tropical weather produces predominate cloud cover and overcast conditions during the daytime, dissolved oxygen production suffer, which means fish feeding activity suffers. If the weather forecast is accurate, this week will experience a noticeable decline in feeding activity during major and minor period.

If fish can’t adequately breathe, they can’t feed normally if at all. Several days of overcast conditions during the summer heat, means fishing will suffer due to fish entering a stressed state. However, the deeper you fish, the better your odds of finding fish with enough oxygen to feed near normal rates. Shallow lakes will suffer this week, if the weather forecast comes true.

Cloud cover diminishes full moon fishing this week, maybe?

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for July 19-26, 2026, gives anglers the first quarter moon phase and a rainy season weather forecast that is predicting bright sunshine during the morning and early afternoon hours which if correct, will cause fish to feed normally in oxygen producing areas.

All fishing factors considered, bright sunshine, few clouds and thunderstorm activity, plus ideal wind speeds of 10-13 mph from the south, will create above average feeding activity during the hours leading up to the sunset and solar noon periods.

Fish will be holding tight to protective cover in deeper vegetation areas but will move up to traditional feeding areas when oxygen production peaks during the midafternoon hours—the long the sun shines brightly, the longer the fish will remain in the shallow areas of oxygen producing vegetation.

If the weather forecast proves to be incorrect, expect fish to remain deeper where cooler water high oxygen levels occur naturally. The key for fish to feed normally is oxygen. If they have at least 5ppm dissolved oxygen they can feed and if the level drops below that, fish begin to enter a state of stress and suspend feeding activity. And if greater depths are available, they will move deeper in search of oxygen. If not, fish become stressed and begin to lose weight.

My favorite rainy season fishing areas have 12-18 feet of water, thriving healthy grass and an elevation change within the grass bed. And I prefer to wind-drift through the area using long casts, light fluorocarbon line and tackle with a Florida rigging which presents a dark green fat short plastic bait to the big girls waiting to ambush unsuspecting prey below.

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for June 21-24, 2026, gives anglers the first quarter moon phase and a rainy season weather forecast. But the good news is bright sunshine is predicted for today and Monday and an even mix of sun and clouds Tuesday and Wednesday, so fish should be feeding normally in the oxygen producing vegetation areas.

When it comes to fishing during the Florida rainy season, it’s all about the oxygen, as in, is there enough of it for fish to digestion their food. Therefore, anglers do well to find the deeper healthy vegetation which is where the majority of the fish populations will be holding.

In lakes which do not have deeper vegetation areas consisting of 12–18-foot depths, expect fish to be in the deepest water they can find because the cooler the water the greater the dissolved oxygen rate. In the shallow lakes fish will move up into the high-temp shallows after periods of extended sunshine to feed briefly when oxygen production is occurring. They will move deeper afterward to experience better digestion rates in the higher oxygenated depths.

A west to southwest wind will peak during the afternoon at 10 mph today but Monday through Wednesday a less than desirable speed of 5-8 mph is forecasted. Thursday a south wind begins and is also forecasted to be weak, producing daily top speeds of 6-8 mph when thunderstorm development occurs. And next weekend an east wind is predicted to produce a daily top speed of 10 mph which should make full moon fishing during the midday a little better.

So, the name of the game is oxygen. The anglers who find it will have fairly good success and those that don’t will not. The anglers who fish the deeper lakes will greatly increase their odds of catching fish. And to have success in shallow lakes, you’ll need to know exactly how fish move when oxygen production occurs. The daily feeding effort will be short and occasionally sweet for anglers who get the timing right.

Deeper lakes and open water fishing strategies are my preference during the Florida rainy season.

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for June 14-21, 2026, gives anglers the second half of a very strong super new moon 7-day phase and a rainy sea…

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for May 24-27, 2026, gives anglers a fairly strong first quarter moon phase, bright sunshine for the next three days along with ideal wind speeds from the southeast. All fishing factors considered, anglers will enjoy above-average fishing during the sunrise hours today through Wednesday with fish holding tight to protective cover as they feed.

Wind speeds will be at the high end of the ‘ideal fishing wind’ range, climbing to 15 mph by midday, but perfect wave-action speeds will make fishing during the early morning prime underfoot period very good. During the second half of the week the winds will come from the south with 6-8 mph speeds, heavy cloud cover, and afternoon thunderstorms and general rainfall.

So, fishing will be good for the next 3-4 days and then become much more challenging due to fish being away from cover and having very little lunar influence triggering feeding activity. During the rainy season weather pattern and when the moon is weak, fish primarily feed during the brightest sunlight period of the day, which are usually during the midmorning to noon hours. If solar noon happens to have bright sunshine, peak feeding for the day will occur.

Lakes are still producing very high dissolved oxygen within vegetative areas due to the bright sunshine prevailing most days. And therefore, fish are still able to feed at very high rates. But once the rainy season overcast heavy cloud cover days prevail fish will migrate deeper to the cooler oxygenated water and if they do move up to find food in the shallow it will only be briefly, just long enough to find a meal and return to the depth where digestion occurs at normal or higher rates.

So, if you want to find feeding fish during the rainy season you are going to have to learn where the deeper secondary homes are of the fish. If there happens to be adequate vegetation in these deeper summer home areas, fish will not need to move into the shoreline shallow to feed.

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for May 17-24, 2026, gives anglers the second half of an exceptionally strong super new moon 7-day phase and ideal spring weather conditions followed by a rainy season weather pattern forecasted to begin Tuesday.

All fishing factors considered, with the strongest lunar influence of the year occurring today through Tuesday fish are feeding in large numbers, all at the same time, and for at least 1 hr. longer than the normal 3-hr feeding period—90% of the population aggressively feeding for 4 hrs. centered on the overhead lunar period.

A medium east wind will be producing 15 mph speeds during the prime overhead fishing period today through Tuesday so anglers will need to work some wave-action and occasional gusts above 15 mph. However, fish will be holding tight to protective cover today and Monday, but some cloud cover will trigger some movement away from cover in some areas of the heartland.

A 50-50 sun-to-cloud ratio always causes a higher level of ‘fish adjustment’ activity due to fish moving away from and back to cover when clouds briefly block direct sunlight.

Water temperatures are ideal for promoting a very high daily feed rates as fish put on at least half of their annual weight gain during the April through early June period. And atmospheric pressure change will not be a factor this week---pressure change seldom occurs once the rainy season weather pattern becomes the normal condition.

Anytime the wind direction remains consistent the wind-driven food chain causes a significant percentage of the fish populations to move in the direction the wind is blowing. Currently a consistent east wind has been occurring for the past three days and is forecasted to continue for the next 10 days or longer, which is typical during the rainy season pattern. So, expect fish to be on the move westward.

A strong super new moon comes along every year usually during two consecutive months between April – June. And the May super new moon always offers the best weather factors, mainly ideal water temperatures which enable high digestion rates and subsequently high feed rates for extended periods.

Great fishing is occurring, time to get out on the water. The fishing experience of a lifetime is waiting.

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My hope is that you will find this article to be thought provoking enough to incentivize you to further your ability to know the law and to effectively run your gun in an act of self-defense. To rece…

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for May 10-17, 2026, gives anglers heavy cloud cover, pre-front conditions and a rainy season weather pattern with a strong new moon 7-day phase beginning Wednesday. All fishing factors considered, anglers will have to work at finding feeding fish due to the heavy cloud cover which will continue for the next four days.

Fish will be away from protective cover which usually means daily feeding numbers will be weak and feeding efforts short. But feed rates will climb to above average rates when the wind’s shift from the south to the west as a minor low-pressure system enters the state Monday.

Wednesday a strong new moon phase begins causing the major if fish populations to feed at the same time, which will be during the overhead moon during the morning. Thursday through next Sunday sunshine will prevail, fish will move tight to cover, and there is supposed to be just enough atmospheric pressure upward movement to cause fish to move to the shallows, opportunistically feeding as they adjust.

So, your best bet is to fish during the overhead moon period this week. Find where fish are holding during the first half of the week because you will want to know where fish are holding instead of hunting for them when the strong super new moon phase occurs during the second half of the week.

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for May 3-10, 2026, gives anglers the last two days of the full moon phase and ideal spring weathe…

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The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for April 19-22, 2026, gives anglers the second half of a very strong 7-day new moon phase and a typical spring weather forecast. All fishing factors considered, anglers will have pre-front conditions today as a west wind signals the arrival of a high-pressure system. Monday a strong northerly wind will produce 20-mph speeds followed by a 20-mph east wind Tuesday. Wednesday through Saturday an ideal 10-12 mph east wind is predicted.

Cloud-cover will be a factor today, Monday, and Wednesday with bright sunshine Tuesday and the second half of the week. Temperatures will drop Monday through Thursday but not enough to become a factor to adjust to. Atmospheric pressure change will not be a factor if the predicted 0.08 in hg daily change becomes true.

With the pre-front conditions occurring today as the moon arrives at the orbit perigee, two days before the lunar high, I predict fish will be feeding aggressively today through the midweek. I also would not be surprised to hear of well above average catches today from the midmorning hours through the mid-to-late afternoon hours. The lunar influence will be strong today.

Anytime there’s a strong new moon combined with ideal weather changes, fish adjustment increases substantially resulting in very aggressive feeding during the major lunar period of the day. The next five days the lunar factor will increase the numbers of feeding fish and the feeding duration which will make midafternoons through the early evening hours very good—1:30-6 p.m. to be exact.

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