Kayak fishing Ocala National Forest in Jan 2025, inquiring for off-the-beaten path suggestions

[Orion Red]

Spending 2 weeks in Ocala National Forest in Jan 2025, looking for suggestions on small lakes or streams, off-the-beaten path types; hidden gem without all the fishing pressure. 

[Orion Red]

Anybody familiar with these 3 small impoundments in Ocala National Forest -> Wildcat, Buck, or Doe Lake?   Worth a shot, or don't waste my time? 

[Alex from GA]

There are lots of ponds that are hard to get to without 4 wheel drive.  Get a map and try all you can get to.  There are bass in all of them and some big ones.  I haven't fished any of the places you mentioned.  Good luck/skill.

[Aaron_H]

On 12/18/2024 at 11:35 PM, Orion Red said:

Anybody familiar with these 3 small impoundments in Ocala National Forest -> Wildcat, Buck, or Doe Lake?   Worth a shot, or don't waste my time? 

 

Buck Lake is worth a shot, but I haven't tried the others.

[N Florida Mike]

On 12/18/2024 at 11:35 PM, Orion Red said:

Anybody familiar with these 3 small impoundments in Ocala National Forest -> Wildcat, Buck, or Doe Lake?   Worth a shot, or don't waste my time? 

I’ve fished wildcat and buck. I didn’t do well because I’m more of a structural fisherman, and there just isn’t much there. Someone I know caught a 10 pounder in Wildcat. I caught my biggest forest bass ( 5 pounds), in echo lake, which may be nearly dry now. It is really a pond , and is on the left corner right when you turn onto buck lake rd. Caught it on a red shad culprit worm.

My wife caught her pb ( 4 pounds) in N. Grasshopper lake on a zoom super fluke. 
I can tell you my favorite lake out of many I fished there.

It isnt far at all from Wildcat.

Crooked lake- There is an access off 40 that used to be a scout camp I think. I haven’t been there in awhile now. One time there was a chain across the road, then there wasn’t.  Turn off 40 onto camp McQuarry Rd. If there isnt good access, there is a back way down an unimproved dirt rd. that comes to the lake off 445a.

I have done very well with numbers there. Biggest fish we ever caught was 4 pounds , but heard of a 12 caught there. A friend lost a huge fish on the south shoreline on a yum dinger. They love watermelon seed super flukes in there. One day we caught 25 in a few hours .

The lake is also full of bullhead catfish, we used to run trot line there and it was all you can eat ! 🤠

[Orion Red]

Thanks NF Mike… on satellite the area around Crooked Lake looks promising with a number of small lakes that look secluded… upon arrival I’ll spend 1 day just driving around to recon. 

[FryDog62]

I was only in FL for 18 months and just started looking around at off the beaten path lakes and ponds for my kayak. Never really got much traction, just a couple abandoned quarry pits in SWFL. 
 

The two things to be mindful of on the primitive lakes, are getting stuck, either your vehicle, or kayak in the shallows…  and encountering gators in lakes where they aren’t used to being around people. 

[N Florida Mike]

The area around where he’s talking about has some soft sand , but I never got stuck  in there. Not to where I couldn’t get unstuck on my own anyway 🤠 . I fished in there a lot, although it’s been awhile. Strangely enough, I’ve only seen 1 little gator in crooked lake. I would wade fish any of those lakes without reservations. I would be careful to lock food up at night if camping. That forest is full of bears…

What I watch out  for the most  in the ONF are varmints of the 2 legged kind. I wouldn’t think about going in there without a pistol .

@Orion Red Crooked is the best lake  in that area. Grasshopper is worth trying too. I lost a hawg in there . A friend got a 3 pounder there.

Another one I fished a lot was Delancy, in the North part of the forest. It probably has more hawgs than any of the other forest lakes. I never did too well , but there have been some dds caught in there on shiners.

[bigbassin']

On 12/26/2024 at 7:23 PM, N Florida Mike said:

 

What I watch out  for the most  in the ONF are varmints of the 2 legged kind.

You can find some interesting folks out there, most of which don’t appear to be sportsmen enjoying the NF.

[ramjet]

Just in case you haven't found this online.

 

www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd697373.pdf

 

Have only fished out that way a few times, so not much specific advice to offer

 

 

[Orion Red]

10 hours ago, ramjet said:

Just in case you haven't found this online.

 

www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd697373.pdf

 

Have only fished out that way a few times, so not much specific advice to offer

 

 

 

Thanks, yes, I picked up a hard bound copy from local Forestry office in Silver Springs, It is helpful info.