Lochloosa Lake: depth, boat ramps and water quality
Boat: 3 ramps and launches on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Lochloosa Park, 2 lanes, concrete.
The lake
Lochloosa Lake covers 5,456 acres in Florida, across Alachua County. It is a lake: 94.3% of it is 7 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is at least 10 feet (3 m). Our records hold 19 species for this water.
Where to fish
The state names these places on this water: Burnt Island and Orange Creek Basin. The biggest launch for them is Lochloosa Park.
Depth and bottom
Deepest measured point: at least 10 ft (3 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. 94.3% of the water is 7 feet or shallower. We hold 64 depth contour lines for this water.
- 0–2 ft: 9.1% of the water
- 2–3 ft: 6.2% of the water
- 3–4 ft: 13.2% of the water
- 4–5 ft: 13.6% of the water
- 5–6 ft: 40% of the water
- 6–7 ft: 12.2% of the water
- 7–8 ft: 5.2% of the water
- 8–9 ft: 0.6% of the water
Water and conditions
Water clarity runs 1.3–2.8 feet on our readings, averaging 2.1 feet, from 207 readings. Our water temperature readings average 79°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. The coldest single reading we hold is 56°F and the warmest is 93°F; the warmest monthly average is 87°F. pH averages 7.6. These readings span 2016–2025.
3 ramps and launches on this water
On this water we hold 2 trailer ramps, 1 hand launch and 1 fishing pier.
- Lochloosa Park — 2 lanes, concrete, parking for 16 trailers (soft unpaved), no fee, open around the clock, flush restrooms, dock, wheelchair access. Hawthorne, Alachua County. 16204 SE 207th Lane, Hawthorne 32640 · website alachuacounty.us/Depts/pcl/Pages/Details.aspx?park=Lochloosa%20Park
- Lochloosa Harbor Fish Camp — 2 lanes, concrete, paid, flush restrooms, dock. Hawthorne. 15008 SE US Highway 301, Hawthorne 32640 · website lochloosaharbor.com
Car-top and kayak launches — no trailer
- Lochloosa Conservation Area Boat Landing — hand launch, sand, parking for 6 trailers (soft unpaved), no fee. Hawthorne, Saint Johns River Water Management District. 19680 Highway 301, Hawthorne 32640 · website sjrwmd.com/lands/recreation/lochloosa
Fishing piers
- Lochloosa Conservation Area — no fee, open 8am–6pm. Hawthorne, St. John River Water Management District. 19680 US-301, Hawthorne 32640
3 of the 4 places listed have both a fee and opening hours on file: a blank means we hold no such field, not that it is free or always open, and this list may not be complete.
What is hard here
Wind is the limit, not the fish: 5,456 acres of open water build a short steep chop, and there is no shelter in the middle. With 94.3% of the water 7 feet or less, low level turns the flats into hazards. Alligators live in Florida fresh water. Keep clear of the bank edge at dawn and dusk, and keep pets away from it. Summer water sits at 87°F: heat and afternoon lightning are the real risks, not the fishing.
Where this data comes from
- Florida FWC — FWC Florida lake bathymetry: class A, a survey of the bottom.
- Webster, K.E., McCullough, I.M., Soranno, P.A. LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0, EDI, doi:10.6073/pasta/64ddc4d04661d9aef4bd702dc5d8984f (CC BY 4.0); Cheruvelil et al. LAGOS-US LOCUS v1.0 (EDI) — LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0: Lake depth for 17,675 lakes in the conterminous U.S.: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.
