Q: Can I fish on Lake Parrish?

A: No, not at this time.
Several fishing websites incorrectly state that the lake is open to the public, and it once was. The lake is private, created and owned by Florida Power and Light, whose position on the issue is as follows:

"Lake Parrish was dug and built in the mid 1970s by FPL to provide water for the operation of the Manatee Energy Center. For some years FPL was able to offer some fishing to the community; however, in early 2000 the site was closed for renovation of the facilities on site. Shortly before the reopening, 9/11/2001 and the security concerns associated with the events of that day forced FPL to close access to all facilities near and around all power plants. Although we would consider reopening the site, continued and recent additional regulations imposed by the National Energy Regulatory Commission prevent us from allowing activity on the Lake."