Lochloosa Lake
Alachua County
Lochloosa Lake (5700 acres) is designated as a Fish Management Area and located 5 miles south of Hawthorne near the town of Lochloosa. Most of the shoreline is bordered by old-growth cypress trees, and knotgrass and spatterdock (bonnets) are the predominant aquatic plants in the lake. A public boat ramp provides access to the lake from U.S. Highway 301 in the town of Lochloosa, and at Lochloosa Harbor Fish Camp just north of the town of Lochloosa, also accessed from U.S. 301. In addition, a public pier is located south of the town of Lochloosa on Burnt Island and is a popular fishing site for those without a boat. Lochloosa Lake offers good bluegill, redear sunfish and warmouth (bream) fishing during April through September; however, some bream can be caught year-round. Anglers targeting bream should fish with grass shrimp in deep-water spatterdock or deeper grass patches. Black crappie fishing is best from January through April in the spatterdock with grass shrimp and minnows. During summer and fall, crappie anglers should drift open water with grass shrimp and minnows.
For more information on FWC management activities at Lochloosa Lake, visit the Orange Creek Basin Working Group webpage.
FWC maintains fish attractors at Lochloosa Lake; visit the Fish Attractor webpage for locations.
Shore and Pier Fishing Opportunities/Boat Ramp Locations:
Lochloosa Lake Park: 16204 SE 207 St, Lochloosa, FL 32640
Burnt Island Fishing Pier in Lochloosa WMA: End of Burnt Island Road. Turn west off of 301. Road is south of Lochloosa/north of Island Grove, FL.
For more and updated information please call:
Lochloosa Harbor Fish Camp 352-481-2114
The water is still plenty deep to launch on Lochloosa Lake. The extreme drought has not impacted water levels as much as other lakes in the area, but anglers should still use caution closer to shore. Currently only small outboard boats, airboats, mudboats, and paddlecraft are able to get through Cross Creek. Numerous Black Crappie anglers are catching their limits this winter. Crappie fishing should be excellent this year as FWC biologists observed a strong spawning event in the fall of 2022 and these fish should be reaching a good size to keep (over 10 inches in length). As we move into late spring and summer, the warmer weather will increase water temperatures and crappie will return to open water. Efforts to catch these crappie should change back to trolling in open water with a minnow or jig. This is also the time when bream (or panfish: Bluegill, Redear Sunfish) start to move inshore and are the number one attraction during late spring and summer. These fish will be spawning up in the shallows near pads and cypress trees during the warmer months and will be ready to bite a hook. Use grass shrimp under a cork for best results. There are good opportunities for some big Florida bass as well, try throwing topwater plugs or soft plastics around vegetation. Anglers should be aware that the Lochloosa Lake Florida bass regulations changed in April 2024 as part of the Florida Trophy Bass Project (read the news release for details and check the bass regulation signs at the ramp).
If you don’t have a boat, you can fish off the pier on Burnt Island at Lochloosa Wildlife Management Area off of Hwy 301. Anglers should also be aware of tagged Black Crappie with rewards. If you catch a tagged crappie, call the number below to receive information on how to claim your reward.
Steve Beck, FWC fisheries biologist: 352-415-6958
For more information on FWC management activities at Lochloosa Lake, visit the Orange Creek Basin Working Group webpage.
FWC maintains fish attractors at Lochloosa Lake, visit the FWC Fish Attractor webpage for locations.
Popular Species
Fish graphics by Duane Raver, Jr.
More species information is available for:
Florida/Largemouth bass, Bluegill, Redear sunfish, Black crappie
TrophyCatch Tracker
TrophyCatch is FWC's citizen-science program that rewards anglers for documenting and releasing trophy bass 8 pounds or larger. The following TrophyCatch bass have been submitted from Lochloosa Lake:
Lunker Club (8 - 9.9 pounds): 40
Trophy Club (10 - 12.9 pounds): 16
Hall of Fame Club (13+ pounds): 1