Bowlees Creek is a River located in Manatee County, FL. Starting in Oneco, FL the Bowlees Creek flows 5 miles through Oneco, FL before ending in Bradenton, FL. Find maps, fishing guides, weather and recreation information at Guidesly.

About Bowlees Creek, FL

Bowlees Creek, also known locally as Bolees Creek, is a 4.8-mile stream located within the Sarasota Bay Coastal Watershed in Manatee County, Florida. It essentially runs alongside a wide stretch of Magellan Drive before widening and emptying out into Sarasota Bay. Because it is smack dab in the middle of a highly urbanized area, the location isn’t as frequented by anglers as other more rural locations in the region.

There’s no easy access to the stream because much of the area surrounding it is residential housing, so the best way in is through Sarasota Bay via a small boat. 

All About Fishing in Bowlees Creek, FL

The water quality index of the waters of Bowlees Creek ranges from good to fair across its whole length. This, coupled with shifts in salinity as the waters approach the bay makes for a very diverse range of fish species to be found. The common snook and the red drum are the two most commonly caught species by anglers across the length of the stream. These are followed by the crevalle jack, hardhead sea catfish, black bullhead, and spotted sea trout.

Much of the diversity can be credited to the location of the stream’s mouth close to the ocean and the relatively short length of the stream with minimal penetration inland. That’s why you’ll also find largemouth bass more common in larger lakes, ponds, and rivers mingling with ladyfish which are found onshore and in wider bay areas. Overall, it’s a great location for a spot of urban fishing if you can’t afford a trip into other fishing spots further inland.

Fishing Seasonality 

Fishing in Bowlees Creek is generally consistently reliable the whole year through--particularly for recreational fishing between the hours of 5:00 AM and 7:00 AM daily. If you really want to enjoy the full range of species that Bowlees Creek has to offer, however, you definitely want to head there in March. This is the local start of springtime so water temperatures will be rising--pulling fish out of their winter stomping grounds and scattering them about the length of the stream.

Ladyfish are particularly prevalent in springtime so you should definitely check out the area if that’s what you’re looking for. By April, the fish species in the area will have settled into their migratory patterns so you’ll find just about every species mentioned out and about Bowlees Creek. Just note that as soon as June starts to roll around, the overall climate starts to warm up as summer starts to creep in. With many local anglers going for apex game fishing in the open waters, recreational fishing is relatively easy further inland. September might be a month to avoid in general as it’s hurricane season in the region with the changing weather making fishing very difficult to peg down particularly after storms.

Fishing Seasonality 

Fishing in Bowlees Creek is generally consistently reliable the whole year through--particularly for recreational fishing between the hours of 5:00 AM and 7:00 AM daily. If you really want to enjoy the full range of species that Bowlees Creek has to offer, however, you definitely want to head there in March. This is the local start of springtime so water temperatures will be rising--pulling fish out of their winter stomping grounds and scattering them about the length of the stream.

Ladyfish are particularly prevalent in springtime so you should definitely check out the area if that’s what you’re looking for. By April, the fish species in the area will have settled into their migratory patterns so you’ll find just about every species mentioned out and about Bowlees Creek. Just note that as soon as June starts to roll around, the overall climate starts to warm up as summer starts to creep in. With many local anglers going for apex game fishing in the open waters, recreational fishing is relatively easy further inland. September might be a month to avoid in general as it’s hurricane season in the region with the changing weather making fishing very difficult to peg down particularly after storms.

All About Fishing in Bowlees Creek, FL

The water quality index of the waters of Bowlees Creek ranges from good to fair across its whole length. This, coupled with shifts in salinity as the waters approach the bay makes for a very diverse range of fish species to be found. The common snook and the red drum are the two most commonly caught species by anglers across the length of the stream. These are followed by the crevalle jack, hardhead sea catfish, black bullhead, and spotted sea trout.

Much of the diversity can be credited to the location of the stream’s mouth close to the ocean and the relatively short length of the stream with minimal penetration inland. That’s why you’ll also find largemouth bass more common in larger lakes, ponds, and rivers mingling with ladyfish which are found onshore and in wider bay areas. Overall, it’s a great location for a spot of urban fishing if you can’t afford a trip into other fishing spots further inland.