Tenoroc turns Polk mining land into fishing water

Tenoroc Public Use Area near Lakeland turns old phosphate mining land into managed lakes, wildlife habitat, trails, and fishing water.

Outdoors Polk County

Tenoroc is a good Florida reminder that an old work site can get a second life.

The land that became Tenoroc was mined for phosphate between 1950 and 1978. The name has a small twist too. Tenoroc is Coronet spelled backward, tied to one of the mining companies in the area’s past. Later gifts and land buys helped turn the site into a public use area northeast of Lakeland.

Today the place is known for water. FWC manages 29 lakes there, with fishing for Florida bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, black crappie, and catfish. Some lakes were reclaimed after mining. Others were not. That changes the banks, the water, and the way each lake fishes.

There is more than fishing here. Tenoroc also has trails, wildlife viewing, horse and bike access, and shooting sports areas. Still, it is not a pull-up-and-fish-anywhere lake. Check FWC first. The area uses headquarters check-in and check-out, set lakes, quotas, licenses, and harvest rules. That planning helps the fishing and the restored land work together.

Where to see it

Tenoroc Public Use Area and Tenoroc Fish Management Area northeast of Lakeland. Check FWC for current check-in rules, fishing access, lake quotas, licenses, fees, ranges, hunting dates, and area hours before going.