Fishing in : United States : Florida : Runaway Bay Lodge

Runaway Bay Lodge

Address:

United States

Florida

1610 Lake George Road Seville, FL 32190

Coordinates:

Latitude: 29.310747

Longitude: -81.546169

Administrator

Contact:

386-753-4648

Communication language

English

E-mail

ihaveroom@gmail.com

Web-site

Go to Web site >>

Lake George is the second-largest freshwater lake (only Lake Okeechobee is bigger) in the Sunshine State and the largest along the trace of the St. Johns River. Covering some 46,000 acres (14 miles by 6 miles), George lies approximately halfway between the headwaters of the St. Johns River (the Melbourne/Palm Bay area) and the river's closure with the mighty Atlantic Ocean at Jacksonville. 

As with most Florida lakes and rivers, Lake George has a number of very specific 'personal' traits and characteristics which give it a distinctiveness all its own. 
 

First, it has possibly the most consistent bottom structure possible. Once you have moved across the shallow areas bordering the shorelines and out past the sloping drop-off, from six into 10 feet of water, the bottom topography of 'Big George' has hardly any variation in its entire length and width. We cruised a large portion of the lake with an Eagle graph recorder and found virtually no variations, save the normal drop-line that follows the shoreline. 
 

Second, George has a significant salt content. In fact, the saline level is high enough that numerous salt-water fish and plant species thrive in its waters. There is a large blue crab fishery that forms a significant part of the local economy. The St. Johns River waters, entering the lake at the South end, contain a good amount of salt from the run-off waters and springs, which enter between Lake Harney and George. In addition, three feeder creeks (Juniper, Silver Glen Spring Run, and Salt Springs) on the West side of George add a salty water influx. Salt Springs Creek, as the name would imply, is particularly salty. The waters gradually dilute as the river flows to the North, particularly when the clean, fresh waters of the Oklawaha River enter.