Take a look at any map of Florida and you will see the enormous 451,000 acre (731 square mile) Lake Okeechobee in southern part of the state. Lake Okeechobee is a recreation area with boating, fishing, and camping and it is also part of the complex water management system for southern Florida.
Exiting the Locks at Port Mayaca and entering Lake Okeechobee
Lake Okeechobee is the second largest freshwater lake in the United States. Lake Okeechobee means “big water” to the Seminole Indians. The lake is about 36 miles by 31 miles and is accessible from five (5) Florida counties including Okeechobee, Martin, Palm Beach, Glades, and Hendry County.
You can get to the lake by water, road, or air.
Most people (include most Floridians) don’t know that you can travel by boat from the east coast of Florida (starting out in Stuart/Palm City) to the west coast of Florida (ending up in Fort Myers/Cape Coral). The trip takes you through a series of Locks (managed by the US Army Corp of Engineers) on the east and west side of Lake Okeechobee.
Lake Okeechobee is known for excellent bass fishing and there are several fishing guides on all sides of the lake. A few of the bigger cities or towns you should consider visiting on the lake include:
Okeechobee on the north side of the lake at the intersection of highway 441 and 70.
Clewiston on the south west side of the lake accessible via highway 27/80 and the home of Roland Martins big bass fishing resort.
Pahokee on the south east side of the lake accessible via highway 700/98 from Palm Beach or highway 441/80
There are a variety of campgrounds on Lake Okeechobee managed by the US Army Corp or Engineers and other Agencies.
The campgrounds at Locks include the W.P. Franklin North, Ortona South, and St Lucie South have a total of 109 campsites including 16 boat-in sites.
These campgrounds accommodate RVs, Tents, and Boats and there is a $24 fee. You can make camping reservations online.
View of Lake Okeechobee from Clewiston, FL
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