Orange Lake
Alachua County
Orange Lake is the largest lake in the North Central Region at 12,550 acres. It is designated as a Fish Management Area and is located about 20 miles southeast of Gainesville. Orange Lake averages 5.5 feet deep with a maximum depth of 12 feet. Water levels fluctuate an average of 2 feet, annually. Outflow is controlled by a fixed-crest weir located at Highway 301 (southeast portion of lake). Orange Lake receives inflow from Newnans Lake through River Styx and from Lochloosa Lake through Cross Creek. Cross Creek (1.8 miles) is navigable to most boats during normal water levels.
Orange lake has an extensive aquatic vegetation community, dominated by spatterdock (lily pads) and periodically hydrilla. Shallow marsh areas are inaccessible to anglers due to the dense growth of vegetation. Bluegill, redear sunfish, black crappie and largemouth bass are generally caught in the deeper spatterdock, emergent grasses and hydrilla.
Marion County and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission allocated funds to establish a fishing pier at Heagy-Burry Park (southwestern part of the lake). The pier is handicap-accessible. A fish attractor is located near the pier, which provides for good fishing.
For more information on FWC management activities at Orange Lake, visit the Orange Creek Basin Working Group webpage.
Shore and Pier Fishing Opportunities/Boat Ramp Locations:
Orange Lake Public Fishing Pier: 5005 Lake Ave, Citra, FL, 32113 (At Heagey-Burry Boat Ramp)
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park/Kate Barnes Boat Ramp: 18700 County Road 325, Cross Creek, FL 32640
For updated information please call:
South Shore Fish Camp 352-595-4241
Sportsman Cove Fish Camp 352-591-1435
Orange Lake should continue to provide some of the best fishing that Florida has to offer this summer and early fall. Water levels have steadily dropped since April, so help from summer rainfall as the days get hotter will be welcomed. The pads in the southern part of the lake have continued to expand this year and are great places to target some nice size bream during these warmer months. Try fishing for bream up near the pads or shoreline and use a grass shrimp or cricket under a cork. Submersed vegetation has really taken off in recent years, and patches of hydrilla and coontail can be found near much of the shoreline around the lake and throughout McIntosh Bay in the SW part of the lake. Orange Lake is known for providing great catches of bass and there were quite a few big bass caught this past spring. Top water jerkbaits, frogs, and soft plastics have been the baits of choice for most bass anglers. Orange Lake is loaded with trophy fish!
NOTE: Closures of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings and Heagy-Burry boat ramps to conduct boat ramp/infrastructure improvements are likely to occur this summer.
Popular Species
Fish graphics by Duane Raver, Jr.
More species information is available for:
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 Orange Lake:
Lunker Club (8 – 9.9 pounds): 107
Trophy Club (10 – 12.9 pounds): 69
Hall of Fame (13+ pounds): 13