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Lakes in Florida

38 lakes in Florida with photography planning data — sunrise and sunset azimuths, golden hour by month, Milky Way windows and estimated sky darkness. Highlands County has the most (6). The darkest skies are at Lake Istokpoga (Bortle 3).

Top lakes

Lake OkeechobeeLake
Lake OkeechobeePalm Beach County · 2 m
Lake ApopkaLake
Lake ApopkaOrange County · 20 m
Lake KissimmeeLake
Lake KissimmeeOsceola County · 15 m
Kingsley LakeLake
Kingsley LakeClay County · 53 m
Lake EustisLake
Lake EustisLake County · 19 m
Lake HarrisLake
Lake HarrisLake County · 18 m
Lake WashingtonLake
Lake WashingtonBrevard County · 4 m
Lake AliceLake
Lake AliceAlachua County · 20 m
Little Salt SpringLake
Little Salt SpringSarasota County · 5 m
Lake LillianLake
Lake LillianHighlands County · 31 m
Lake MunsonLake
Lake MunsonLeon County · 7 m
Lake ThonotosassaLake
Lake ThonotosassaHillsborough County · 10 m

Lakes by county

All lakes (38)

NameCountyElevationNearest townSky
Lake OkeechobeePalm Beach County2 mPahokee3
Lake ApopkaOrange County20 mMontverde5
Lake KissimmeeOsceola County15 mBabson Park4
Kingsley LakeClay County53 mStarke4
Lake EustisLake County19 mEustis6
Lake HarrisLake County18 mYalaha5
Lake WashingtonBrevard County4 mJune Park5
Lake AliceAlachua County20 mGainesville7
Little Salt SpringSarasota County5 mWarm Mineral Springs7
Lake LillianHighlands County31 mAvon Park5
Lake MunsonLeon County7 mTallahassee5
Lake ThonotosassaHillsborough County10 mThonotosassa6
Lake HallLeon County42 mTallahassee5
Lake JacksonHighlands County31 mSebring5
Newnans LakeAlachua County20 mGainesville5
Lake BarcoPutnam County28 mHawthorne3
Lake AdelaideHighlands County31 mAvon Park4
Lake MortonPolk County54 mLakeland7
Lake SeminoleGadsden County—Chattahoochee4
Lake ConlinOsceola County21 mSaint Cloud4
Lake GeorgeVolusia County—Pierson3
Lake LeonLeon County34 mTallahassee6
Lake VeronaHighlands County34 mAvon Park5
Lake EllaLeon County48 mTallahassee7
Lake JacksonLeon County26 mTallahassee5
Lake JoannaLake County47 mEustis6
Orange Lake (Alachua County, Florida)Alachua County17 mCitra4
Eagle LakePolk County39 mEagle Lake7
Lake SeminolePinellas County1 mSeminole7
East Lake TohopekaligaOsceola County17 mSaint Cloud6
Alligator Lake, Columbia County, FloridaColumbia County30 mWatertown5
Lake MirrorPolk County55 mLakeland7
Lake WeirMarion County16 mThe Villages5
Lake FanniePolk County38 mLake Alfred6
Lake OliviaHighlands County35 mAvon Park4
Lake RoyPolk County40 mCypress Gardens7
Lake MonroeVolusia County—Sanford7
Lake IstokpogaHighlands County—Lake Placid3

Sky = estimated Bortle class (1 darkest – 9 brightest).

Map

How to photograph lakes

Lakes reflect best in calm air — usually the first hour after sunrise, before breezes ripple the surface.

  • For mirror reflections, get low and close to the water; the reflection grows with a lower camera.
  • A polarizer can remove reflections to show the lakebed — or keep them, depending on rotation.
  • Mist often lifts off lakes on cold mornings after warm days, especially in autumn.
  • Include shoreline rocks, reeds or a log as foreground to give the reflection depth.
  • Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.

Season: Autumn mornings bring mist and fall color; high-elevation lakes are usually ice-free only from early summer to mid-autumn.