MIAMI LAKES-ANSIN GARCIA (Indian River County):

The Garcia/Miami Lakes Reservoir is a 3,149-acre section of the Blue Cypress Water Management Area (BCWMA) along the east coast of central Florida in the north Indian River County. Water depths range from1.5 to 6 feet on this impoundment, fluctuating annually. Boaters unfamiliar with the BCWMA are advised to operate their crafts cautiously, due to the number of navigational hazards found throughout the area. Facilities include a double lane concrete boat ramp, air boat launch site, paved parking lot, picnic pavilion and restroom. This impoundment is noted for good numbers of smaller largemouth bass, but does produce its share of trophy bass each year. Largemouth, bluegill and black crappie are sport fish is must targeted by anglers.

This water management area is presently inundated by “topped-out” hydrilla. Several lakes in this region are known to experience cyclical blooms of hydrilla, but it is likely that by this time next year, conditions should be back to normal. Until then, largemouth bass anglers should focus on edges where the hydrilla ends next to deep water such as a canal and use weedless baits. Those anglers with large outboard motors may be able to “weed-eat” their way into the open water of the submerged borrow pit on the west side of the lake. It should be remembered that hydrilla provides habitat for food items and this year’s spawn of fish. Fishing conditions may be difficult for a while, but it should be as good as ever after the hydrilla declines.

Black crappie anglers should still focus their efforts in deeper waters of the borrow pit, the zig-zag canal draining the northwest corner of the lake, and within the canal that runs east and west along the northern edge of the reservoir. Traditional tackle and techniques like those mentioned previously for the Stick Marsh/Farm 13 will work here as well, but anglers may have to use very light line if the water is especially clear, as it often is when hydrilla is prolific. Bluegill and redear sunfish (shellcracker) should be found along the sandy bottom areas around submerged drainage canals and along the edges of the borrow pit. Crickets, grass shrimp and worms work best when targeting these two species.

A map in PDF format is available courtesy of the St. Johns Water Management District here. Ansin/Garcia is the area marked Blue Cypress WMA, just southeast of the lake.