Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for June 28-July 5, 2026
Sunday's Comprehensive Fishing Article for Florida's Freshwater Anglers
Fishing the Midmorning to Midafternoon Hour is the Best Strategy
The Florida Freshwater Fishing Forecast for June 28-July 5, 2026, gives anglers a weak full moon 7-day phase which began Friday and a rainy season weather forecast. All fishing factors considered, anglers will have ideal sun-to-cloud conditions which will increase fish adjustment activity to and from protective cover, but the lack of wind speed will not provide much wave action if any at all. And as the week advances thunderstorm activity will be a concern if you fish during the underfoot period.
Again, as I’ve written for the past month, it bears repeating, oxygen levels will determine if you have a good day on the water or not. Fishing lakes and rivers which have healthy vegetation at depths of 8-18 ft will provide the best odds of catching fish. And fishing those areas after several hours of bright sunshine will also improve the odds of landing several fish.
Early morning anglers will need to know exactly where deeper vegetation is. The shallow vegetation uses the oxygen it produced twelve hours before, during the 3-8 a.m. hours, to recuperate, causing an oxygen-dead zone and if fish can’t access deeper water a fish kill event will occur. This same area will produce enough oxygen during bright sunny days to enable fish to feed normally during the 12-5 p.m. hours.
Fishing during the late morning to midafternoon hours when the moon is underfoot will be the best fishing period of the day over the next five to six days no matter what type of water body you fish.
And keep in mind that with the weak full moon lunar influence, which will be a positive fishing factor during the underfoot and overhead periods, about one feed rating point is all you will experience if you are out on the water when the high oxygen production period occurs. And that will be after several hours of bright sunshine-peak oxygen rates occur from 3:30-5:30 p.m.
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My personal rainy season fishing strategy is to fish water bodies with 14-18-foot-deep grass beds which I’ve found over the past 23 years in lakes like Kissimmee, June (which has improved over the past four years) Crooked, Buffum, and Placid.
The water temperature at those depths holds far more oxygen than the shallow hot water traditional feeding grounds are able to. A minimum of 5 ppm is required for normal digestion to occur.
I throw short fat heavy action baits which mimic the food chain which inhabits those deeper areas and use light tackle and fluorocarbon lines and Florida, Texas, Carolina, and Drop Shot rigging, switching between those four riggings until I achieve success.
And I prefer to not use an anchor but instead wind-drift through those areas which I’ve marked the parameters with floats. Most days the wind speeds are ideal for this type of fishing. The only exception is when I want the bait to advance down a grade into the sightline of the fish, which always faces uphill.
Bait color selection for these lakes is always bright due to the much clearer water than shallow lakes have. I prefer green, gold, yellow, brown, orange and silver color combinations with black weights with noise makers.
To attract the biggest bass in the lake you’ll need to employ long pauses followed by short advances, through grass beds. Patience is the name of the game. And when you feel the weight on the line, set the hook with authority, then free-spool the reel, allowing the big girl to take line with minimal thumb pressure on the spool. The objective is to tire out the fish, several times before attempting to bring her to the surface. 12-15 lb. test fluorocarbon must be managed carefully to successfully boat the big ones.
Major Solar-Lunar Period: Today the moon is underfoot at 12:26 p.m. producing a 7-8 feed rating from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Daily the underfoot moon occurs later by an average of 50 min and remains at the same feed rating until Wednesday when it gradually declines to a 5-6 feed rating during the midafternoon hours.
Minor Solar Lunar Periods: Today the moonrise occurs at 7:46 p.m. producing a 4-5 feed rating from 6-9 p.m. Daily the moonrise occurs later by an average of 45 min and remains at the same feed rating over the next four days. The second half of the week it drops to a 3-rating.
A second minor period happens today when the moonset occurs at 5:05 a.m. producing a 2-3 rating from 4-6 a.m. Daily the moonset occurs later by an average of 50 min and improves to a 3-4 rating Tuesday and Wednesday when it harmonizes with the sunrise period. The second half of the week during bright sunny mornings the rating should improve by one number.
A third minor period happens today when the moon is overhead at 12:01 a.m. producing a 3-rating from 11 p.m.-1 a.m. Daily the overhead moon occurs later by an average of 50 min and remains at the same feed rating. During the second half of the week a 2-3 feed rating will gradually occur when it happens during the 4-7 a.m. hours when oxygen rates are critically low.
Best Fishing Days: With the full moon occurring Monday night, today through Tuesday and perhaps Wednesday midday will be very good fishing. The full moon is forecasted to be a bright one with little cloud cover predicted. Therefore, you can expect fewer active feeders twelve hours later.
And with bright sunshine predicted during the morning and early afternoon hours oxygen production will be very good which means more active feeders during both the underfoot and overhead periods. But the highest oxygen period of the day will be during the underfoot period.
Lake Istokpoga S68 Spillway and Lake Level Status: Lake level average is currently at 36.50 NAVD88 with four S8 spillway gates closed. The NAVD88 Offset to NGVD29 is + 1.16 feet = 37.52NGVD29. Current maximum high level is 38.25’ NGVD and the low level is 37.50’ NVGD.
Prime Monthly Periods: June 28-July 2 weak full moon phase, July 11-17 very strong super new moon phase, 26-31very weak full moon phase, August 9-15new moon phase, 25-30 full moon phase, Sept. 6-12 new moon phase, 23-29 full moon phase.
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.