Florida lakes and gators

[jc turtle]

I have been to Florida a few times, and we are thinking of moving there
in a few years. I enjoy fresh water much more than salt water. I have wondered if
there are lakes that are free of gators so they are usable for fishing , swimming or
water sports? If so, what areas are they in? Thank you, John

 

[sphelps]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

If there is water , there are probably gators . The coast has sharks . Don't let it bother ya . More people get struck by lightning than attacked by critters .

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

the issue with fresh water down here is that there is either gators, or mutant fish from lawn chemical run-off.

I prefer the gulf coast over the east coast. we have a plethora of dolphins, so sharks are a bit scarce, however they are around. its the dang jellyfish that I have a problem with.

I have moved from fresh water up north to salt water down here. if i want fresh water, I head to fresh water. However for water sports, etc, I prefer salt water.

 

[xjdriver]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

I have been to Florida a few times, and we are thinking of moving there
in a few years. I enjoy fresh water much more than salt water. I have wondered if
there are lakes that are free of gators so they are usable for fishing , swimming or
water sports? If so, what areas are they in? Thank you, John

Gated communities. Dont let it bother you to much.

 

[sphelps]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

I think the sand knats and mosquitoes are more annoying than the gators !

 

[robert graham]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

The wildlife in Florida's swamps, prairies, rivers and lakes is what makes it so beautiful and interesting....fishing and water sports are great, but you just have to use some good judgement in where and when to swim in the dark waters....We boat on the St.Johns River, Nassau River, Suwannee River, etc., and I would water ski or tube on these....but just jumping in and swimming/snorkeling on these, I'd be thinking it over!.....Gator attacks are rare, but who wants to press their luck!....

 

[phillyg]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

I have been to Florida a few times, and we are thinking of moving there
in a few years. I enjoy fresh water much more than salt water. I have wondered if
there are lakes that are free of gators so they are usable for fishing , swimming or
water sports? If so, what areas are they in? Thank you, John

I've heard, and tend to believe, there's a possibility of gators in almost all FL freshwater. I'm in SWFL and have seen no less than 10 gators in the past two weeks and I have one, Fred, who hangs out on the canal bank behind my house but he dashes into the water as soon as he sees me, like when I'm cutting the grass near the canal. One of the most numerous sharks in Boca Grande pass are bull sharks, which are supposedly the most dangerous to humans. I don't pull the grandkids behind the boat in a tube here. I do see a lot of dolphins and I've heard that sharks don't stay around them and when we swim at the beaches, we don't go out too far. I've seen skates perhaps as large as 5' launch themselves out of the water. This past summer there were a couple of kids that got a dangerous virus in fresh water and one of them died. If you want to be in fresh water in FL, I think you'd be safer in a pool. On the other hand, I don't let fear of gators, sharks or other animals prevent me from enjoying the water as much as reasonably possible.

 

[xjdriver]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

The whole virus thing freaks me out more than the wildlife!

 

[kfa4303]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

Fl Native, born and raise. I see your from Mass, so I'll forgive the ignorance, but ANYWHERE there is water in FL there can/will be alligators. It can be your pool, a private pond, a drainage ditch of even at the coast. There are no "gator free zones". Besides, they can walk +50 mile overland anyway. They were here 100million years before us and they'll probably be here 100million years after us. They also have the right of way, if you touch them, YOU go to jail.
However, as others have stated, the only time wildlife cause problems is when humans bother them. Growing up, I routinely went fishing in areas with sharks and/or gators bigger than the boats I was in and I'm still here. I believe FL actually just celebrated 5 years without a fatal gator attack.If you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone.
However, it is incumbent upon you to educate and accommodate yourself to the environment, not the other way around. Please don't move here if you're scared or ignorant of sharks, poisonous snakes (too many to name), alligators, crocodiles, caiman, panthers, bear, bob cats, snapping turtles, stingrays, 20' pythons, iguanas, et. al. they're all here in droves and any or all of them may end up in your driveway at some point. Cape Cod it is not. Here's one of the little fellas now (btw, the cop is 6'6'')........if you don't think you can handle it, check out Georgia. I hear they're looking for snowbird retirees.

 

[sphelps]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

^^^ Little fella's ^^^^! :faint2: :lol: Hey, They got those things in Georgia too !

 

[britisher]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

Let's not forget that Florida is one big swamp, where there always have been nasty stuff lurking. That's where you get Gators (largest caught was 4 metres long), mosquitoes. You get riptides on the Atlantic coast and if they don't get you, the sharks and the jellyfish will. On the gulf coast you get red tide and whilst it won't kill you, it is stinky and best avoided as it kills the fish. Want to swim in the freshwater lakes? Then be prepared for the brain eating amoeba that flourishes when the water temperature rises (duh, it's Florida!)
Other than that, it's pretty harmless down in Florida. :laugh:

 

[robert graham]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

Maybe those "brain-eating amoebas" is what's the matter with some of our congressmen/senators/politicians!....

 

[jkimball]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

Much like others have said here, any body of water in FL. be it a large leftover rain puddle, swimming pool, drainage ditch, lake, pond, river, creek or the intercoastal there can and will be gators. Nowhere is exempt. But having lived here my whole life, and fished around them, tubed around them, floated down springs/creeks around them they won't bother you. What normally results in gator attacks is because someone who hasn't seen them their whole life, and just accepted them as a fact of FL life, or another part of the scenery takes it upon themselves to feed them or try to domesticate them. Then they associate humans with food, and you get gator attacks. But just a normal wild gator, is next to harmless for the most part. Just leave 'em alone and you'll be fine.
Sharks, again in theory any river that feeds to the ocean here can have bull sharks in it. It's just a fact of life here. Shark attacks however, for the millions of Florida visitors each year are extremely rare.
The Amoeba stuff is even more rare than shark attacks... I think there were a total of 3 cases this year. 2 of which came from drainage ditches/runoff canals out of how many millions of people were in FL's waters?
Don't let FL's wildlife scare you. I'd be far more concerned about uneducated or intoxicated boaters than any threat of gators/sharks/ amoebas.
Just my $.02 as a FL. Native.

 

[sphelps]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

As a born and raised Floridian also, I think jkimball has pretty much hit the nail on the head .
Just be aware of your surroundings and use your best judgment . I for one love surfing and I NEVER paddle out with out pausing for a moment and thank our Lord for the surf and to ask for his protection of me and my family and everyone else that will venture out on these beautiful waters he has provided for us .. Life is short . Go have fun !

 

[kfa4303]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

c'mon guys if we keep telling the snowbirds the gators won't actually eat them in their sleep, they'll keep moving down here :/

 

[jkimball]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

^ ^ :laugh: ^ ^

 

[xjdriver]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

Lets not forget about the mosquitos

 

[Cptkid570]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

c'mon guys if we keep telling the snowbirds the gators won't actually eat them in their sleep, they'll keep moving down here :/

Oh yes, Florida is a terrible place to live. Even worse place to boat. Heck, there is probably about a month or two per year when it is just too cold to boat! You better not move down here.

That said, Cypress Gardens put on water ski shows for years and I don't believe there were ever any gator bites. In fact, that area (look up Cypress Gardens that is now called Legoland) has a chain of lakes that are all linked together by canals and go on for miles and miles. I've visited there and it is a great place to freshwater boat in Florida. But, if you boat on the west coast of Florida, other than the water tasting a little different, it really isn't much different than a lake unless you go out in the gulf.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

Oh . Heck, there is probably about a month or two per year when it is just too cold to boat! You better not move down here.

I boat year round. However I have grown up swimming in the great lakes

 

[Cptkid570]

Re: Florida lakes and gators

I boat year round. However I have grown up swimming in the great lakes

Very true! Maybe I should rephrase my post to say "there may be a week in January or February when you may have to wear a long sleave shirt" haha