Lake Weir

About Lake Weir

The vast live oaks and Spanish moss dripping down the side of Lake Weir, Florida's largest freshwater lake, and the beautiful white sand beaches, combined with exceptional fishing, make this area one of the most popular tourist destinations in the state of Florida. The combination of beautiful waterfalls, scenic views and a variety of activities ensures that visitors never run out of time to do anything.

European diseases decimated the native population in the mid-16th century, and the original inhabitants of Timuka were their area around the lake. Spanish missionaries came to this area in the 16th century, and the Indians, who later became known as Seminoles, farmed the area near the lake. The Creek Indians were pushed south by the British until the 17th century and were overrun by the Europeans, along with the native inhabitants.

In the 19th century, Lake Weir was named after a lieutenant in the US Army who was killed near Lake Seminoles. Sometimes referred to as "weir" or "little lake," this lake is actually a single lake with two rags. The southwestern "rag" is a lake known as the "Little Sea-Weir" and the eastern "rag" as the "Sea-Weir."

Residential buildings are located on all three sides of the lake, and the area east and south was once covered with citrus fruits. Oklawaha, the nearest community, is on the north coast, but the land that later became known as Carney's Island was bought in 1875 by John Carney, one of Florida's first settlers, and his wife.

A severe frost in 1894 killed the trees, but they were replanted, and in 1984 a severe frost destroyed them again. After all, citrus fruits were everywhere around the reservoir, and the brothers planted a 25-hectare citrus grove. The fruit was transported by steamboat from the packaging plant to the railway across the lake.

Carney Island is actually a peninsula, and the land was bought by the Coca-Cola Company, which sold it to Marion County in the 1990s.

The county founded Carney Island Park, and today visitors use the park for picnics and hikes, as well as fishing, kayaking and other activities.

The white sandy beach offers exceptional bathing opportunities and there is a private beach club. Lake Weir has a number of public beaches, as well as some private ones, but there are no private beaches or clubs in the park, only public access to the public beach. There are two public swimming pools, one for adults and the other for children, both located on the west side of the lake, south of Carney Island Park.

In March and April, the weir hosts extraordinary shellfish fishing events, and during the season, weekly fishing tournaments.

Seaplanes also take off and land in the lake and at night Fishing is excellent, as are a number of other activities. On the west side of Lake Weir there is a public swimming pool and a private beach club.

The weir and the lake are lined with grasses and weeds, which provide a good habitat for fish and a variety of other bird and insect species.

The nearby Ocala National Forest has over 383,000 acres of wildlife to explore, and proximity to Lake Weir makes a day trip easy.

Forest visitors can snorkel in spring, but there is a huge spring that has a large amount of water as well as a variety of fish and wildlife.

V vacation rentals are available at Lake Weir, and Disney Orlando is also just an hour away, so pack your bags for a fun filled getaway. Living oaks dripping from the Florida sun and the lush green grasses of the Ocala National Forest make it a visually stunning destination. Add to that the beautiful water, restaurants on the lake, hiking trails, water sports and a variety of activities that will surely satisfy everyone.