June Trivia: How Many Lakes Are in Lake County Florida?

The answer may come as a surprise but there are more than 1,000 named lakes in Lake County. The lakes cover 200 square miles of our 1,156 square mile county. The Clermont Chain is comprised of 15 lakes which range from 20 to 3,634 acres. That’s huge! Did you know that the Harris Chain Lakes can take you from Lake County all of the way to the Atlantic Ocean via the St. Johns River? That’d be an interesting ride!

Florida is often referred to as “The Fishing Capital of the World,” but what many people don’t realize is how Lake County is a “big-catch” for prospects to go fishing. Lake County brings out the fishing enthusiasts from all over the country as the lakes are a great location to catch freshwater fish such as bass, blue bream, shellcrackers, black crappie, redear sunfish, stripers, speckled perch, and catfish. Most of the 250 species of freshwater fish in the Florida lakes are edible. Lake County is home to seven of the top 11 lakes here in Florida for the number and size of bass fish.

The lakes can provide fun filled days, especially in the summer when you want to cool off. Lake County tourists and residents enjoy water-skiing, wakeboarding, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, swimming, and windsurfing. For a more relaxed day you can enjoy seaplane rides, boat tours, canal cruises, and picnics along the lakes in Lake County.

Florida lakes are publicly owned and regulated by the State Water Authorities. The only times lakes are not open to the public is if there is a private party that owns all of the surrounding land and there is no inlet to the lake from any outside public waterway. Public ramps are just about everywhere around the lakes and allow everyone to enjoy the beauty of our Lake County lakes!

It’s important to remember a few things when spending your days on the lakes here in Lake County. All natural Florida lakes contain alligators and snakes. For this reason it is suggested that small animals do not spend time near the lakes as well as small children should not swim alone or be left unattended. Also never swim in a Florida lake at night as you can put a lot of people besides yourself in danger.