Florida Lake To Relocate To

[moretolife]

Hey new member here. I'm thinking about a home in Florida that gives me direct access to bass fishing so I can leave my boat in the water. Any thoughts on which lakes to consider? I like the Big O but housing not so much. Toho is nice but is it too close to Orlando? What do you locals think?

[GLADES]

You can leave your boat in Clewiston on Lake O, and live in West Palm Beach, or Ft Myers..etc. Just an hour or so drive.

The area around Lake Kissimmee is nice too.

Right now the best bass fishing is in Lake O, or the Kissimmee chain IMHO.

[moretolife]

Thanks, are there any developments on or near Lake Kissimmee? Chris

[Highhawk1948]

Look at the Harris Chain of Lakes in Lake County, Florida. Several smaller cities around, marinas, urban or country living. 6 lakes to fish, 5 are connected. Qauality bass fishing. Google it, several sites. Google Bass Fishing Lake County or Bass Fishing Harris Chain of Lakes. I lived in Lake county for 20+ years and now live in the next county over,still fish the Harris Chain. It is also close to St.Johns River, Rodman, Toho, etc. 45-60 minutes north of Orlando. Let me know if I can assist.

[FD.]

Toho is actually in the city of Kissimmee and is on the edge of nowhere. Close to the big city but not in it.

Lake Kissimmee is most easily accessed from the west side which is Lake Wales. Numerous places to live from fish camp style living on the water to higher end subdivisions within a 15 min ride.

CampMack.com, they have park model/RV homesites for sale. There are fairly large mobile home water front communities on Lake Hatchinhaw, around Camp Mack and at Grape Hammock (south end of Kissimmee).

If you have the means to live in a 500k home on the water, then the Harris Chain or the north end of Toho are the best bet.

If you are not dead set on living on a big lake, then along the US 27 corridor there are numerous small lakes that have subdivisions on them and you are only a short trailer away from hundreds of other lakes.

[gar-tracker]

I purchased a house after doing a lot of research on this subject in 1993. I have been using it on a weekend basis since and after recently retiring I stay there about 4-5 days returning to my other place in Broward on weekends. I will be moving there full time in about a year. I had always wanted to live on the water.

Before I give you my 2 cents i have to tell you my first priority was fishing, there were no other issues such as schools jobs etc..

1. I narrowed down the lakes to Okeechobee, Toho, Kissimmee. After researching many of the smaller lakes I found access with low water to be an issue, like most of the smaller lakes I checked out Istapoaka, a lake I love, had some great homes but left you high and dry on low water conditions.Even at record lows I still have access to Okeechobee.

2. Although fishing was priority one I still thought of other issues like some sort of town to go to. No offense to anyone living there but I hate the Kissimmee, Orlando area, my kids are grown we did the Disney deal. I'm from Broward and have had my fill of traffic and crime, That being said Toho is a great lake but I ruled out Toho. Kissimmee had some homes but not many and I felt it very isolated as far as everyday conveniences many of the places Fishindaddy mentioned weren't available at the time. Also both Toho and Kissimme were pretty far from Broward so using it for a weekend place for the 10-15 years would have been hard. After checking out the north end of lake Okeechobee I found a decent home with access to the lake by ramp or home, and found the town a perfect size. That was my choice.

3. When I first found and bought my home at the north end of Big O I kept my boat in the water in a covered boat house, I had to go through a lock to enter the main lake which was no problem at all due to the fact its a small lock thats rarely crowded.

Like what you mentioned you're looking for I loved the idea of just getting in my boat from the house and thought that was going to be a priority. HOWEVER, I later found that the ramp which is a 5 minute drive was a better option. I stay on top of cleaning my boat better, and can load and unload tackle easier with it on the trailer, and pretty much just found it was better to take the short ride. So keep that in mind when looking. I still like being on the water and sitting on the patio, I plan on keeping a smaller boat in the boat house for quick shots to fishing the canal area, and locking out to that part of the lake.

I'm an hour and 15 minutes from Kissimmee, 2 hours to South Florida, a half hour to the Stuart area, and 2 hours from the west coast, I have several nice restaurants and a 3 movie theater within a 10 minute drive but still have a rural vibe to my area, the local tackle shop and one of the local churches both run tournament trails that fish about 50 to 60 boats.

A good friend and ex fishing partner moved to St. Cloud and lives off the west side of Toho close to the Granada ramp. He usually trailers to the public ramp as well but at times puts in at the small ramp by his house. He like it, he fishes the night tournaments on West Toho and East Toho and has enjoyed the area and made a bunch of friends in the fishing community.

Also I might add if you're looking for a gated community with sculptured lawns you may opt better up north, my community is hodge podge, I live next to a 400,000 dollar home and across the street from a house that should be condemned, but all I worry about is my home and lot.

Hope this helps, good luck, wherever you choose you'll have a great time.

Feel free to IM me with any questions.

[chobee]

I bought one in Okeechobee too and I don't keep my boat in the water it's quicker for me to trailer to the ramp.

If your even thinking about Okeechobee then I think the north end is a better choice unless you don't mind having having no raunts to go to then look at Clewiston or have you even considered something on the St Johns

[JayD]

Northend of lake Okeechobee would be my choice. Your still fairly close to istopokga, lake june and lake kissimee. The coast is only 30-45 minutes to Stuart which has some of the best snook in the state. Ive lived in Stuart for close to 30yrs.

[moretolife]

Thank you all for the great insight. In October we are going to check out Lake Toho. Then in January our annual fishing trip to the Big O should give us some time to look around. Like Gar-Tracker I no longer have to worry about kids and their schools. BUT, I do have a non-fishing wife (is there really such a thing?). So, wherever we land it will need to have something for her to do beside lube my reels. Thanks again you guys are a good group. Chris

[gar-tracker]

Give me a shout when you get down here, Ill show you around the north end.

[JayD]

What are some of your wifes interests?

[moretolife]

She likes shopping, flower gardening, church activities and occasionally going out to dinner. Pretty low maintenance. I'm a lucky guy.

[gar-tracker]

Sounds like mine, she can drive 40 minutes to Stuart/Port St Lucie and do all the shopping she wants to.

If your retired and she has the time she could go a little further to West Palm beach and make a day out of it.

Dinner you have some decent places in Okeechobee, Steak, Seafood, Mexican.Chinese but when we get tired of them we head to Stuart.

[JayD]

Vero about an hour away also has some decent outlet malls.

[Nod]

Okeechobee is a fine small town, and a fisherman with a boat couldn't find a more productive bass lake and area canals and creeks/rivers We moved here from Michigan in 1987 and have never regretted it. Restaurants are many but not fancy. Couple of chain eating spots probably have the best ambience. While not hardly a Palm Beach or even a Stuart, homes come in all sizes and prices. Real estate market here has never recovered. My wife and I went out to a friend's new (to them) house purchase at the Okeechobee Country Club a few days ago. OMG, it is a home of more than 3,200 sq feet and they got it for considerably under $ 200,000. Owners of a similar house next door are still asking for more than $300,000 and will never get that much. In my gated subdivision, homes that were goiing for over $200,000 are now selling in the mid 150s (and even less).

Okeechobee is a thumbs up community.