Looking for the best locations Central Florida

[Ccs723]

Hello all. Just purchased my first jet boat. I am use to tillers and fishing boats so this is all new to me. I am in Central Florida (Orlando-Maitland) and the lakes near me have too many weeds and small branches (learned the hard way) so I am looking for recommendations on different areas around Central Florida. i love the boat just trying to find the right places to use it.
Thanks all and looking forward to learning from this community.

 

[zipper]

How about the St. John’s River.

 

[ChrisRoman422]

I'm in the Lake Nona area. I do Lake Conway Sandbar and Silver Glen Springs a lot.. Actually did the srpings yesterday and hitting Lake Conway tomorrow hopefully

 

[Ccs723]

Thanks for the recommendations. Is there a launch site on St John better then others or just drop at any of them?

 

[ChrisRoman422]

Thanks for the recommendations. Is there a launch site on St John better then others or just drop at any of them?

I've been using South Moon Fish Camp. $10 but the closest one to Lake George and shortest ride to Silver Glen. Lots of fiends have jet skis and they enjoy the run from Ed Stone but they aren't limited to 35 miles per hour.

 

[VitaminSea]

@Ccs723 - Welcome! What are you trying to accomplish with your boat?

I see the St John’s/Lake George were suggested, here are a few other options.

• ICW - Ponce Inlet area for Sandbars
• Dora Chain of Lakes - A good mixture of Residential and Commercial, as the chain allows you to stop at Mount Dora, Eustis, Taveras, Howie in the Hills, and Leesburg. There are quite a few eateries with dockage as well. The water here is not clear like it is on the Maitland Chain.
• Lake Fairview is nice for a short cruise, with a dockside restaurant
• The Clermont chain, has been on my list, but haven’t made it there
• Butler Chain, but limited access that tends to fill up early from what I have heard, and its 100% residential.

What lake did you encounter that was too weedy?

 

[RNYCLV]

Good Morning Central Florida,
I am going to be moving to Eustis within the next few weeks, been on Eustis, Dora, George and Silver Glen.
Got some crap while out in the chain/channel about having a jetboat. Has anyone else experienced locals being upset with jetboats. I was told it is going to disrupt the wildlife. I felt as if not having a prop was better for the animals in such shallow chains and at such low speeds. Am I just taking this too seriously or am I truly doing damage?

Side note, I will be looking for some new groups to explore the area with this winter.... it's great to be able to type that and mean it...lol
Moving down from NEPA/Upstate NY not used to being on the water in the winter.

 

[TeenGee]

You can take 528 East to Merritt Island and put in at Kelly Park. Provides access to the Banana River.
Cocoa Village boat ramp provides easy access to the Indian River.
Both rivers are connected by the Barge Canal (runs parallel to 528 in Merritt Island) and south of Dragon Point (just North of Eau Gallie Causeway).
There are restaurants on both rivers.
There is a popular sand bar near Bird Island in the Banana River.
Or, continue on to the port and put in there and head off shore.
All three ramps are free to use.

 

[VitaminSea]

Good Morning Central Florida,
I am going to be moving to Eustis within the next few weeks, been on Eustis, Dora, George and Silver Glen.
Got some crap while out in the chain/channel about having a jetboat. Has anyone else experienced locals being upset with jetboats. I was told it is going to disrupt the wildlife. I felt as if not having a prop was better for the animals in such shallow chains and at such low speeds. Am I just taking this too seriously or am I truly doing damage?

Side note, I will be looking for some new groups to explore the area with this winter.... it's great to be able to type that and mean it...lol
Moving down from NEPA/Upstate NY not used to being on the water in the winter.

Congrats on the move. Just curious, how did you land on Eustis?

I frequent the Dora/Harris chain of lakes, and would venture to say excluding toons and bass boats, Hurricanes and then Yamahas are the most prominent manufacturers I encounter on the chain. Great chain for crushing and grabbing a meal, as there are numerous eateries.

Was this one single encounter that you had?

 

[RNYCLV]

Congrats on the move. Just curious, how did you land on Eustis?

I frequent the Dora/Harris chain of lakes, and would venture to say excluding toons and bass boats, Hurricanes and then Yamahas are the most prominent manufacturers I encounter on the chain. Great chain for crushing and grabbing a meal, as there are numerous eateries.

Was this one single encounter that you had?

Thank you,
My brother currently resides there, he moved down last year in September. He made the move with his company, I went to see him for the first time and fell in love with the lakes. We are from NEPA and Upstate NY so we get to be on the lakes for about 4-5 months out of the year. My family and myself live on the water for those few months. Once we got down there and saw the possibilities and realized I could be on the water 365 days a year I was sold. The school systems aren't as good however FL has phenomenal home school options if it gets bad. Healthcare is worse there but seems to be manageable. I love Mt Dora but can't find a house we like that affordable. My sister in law found the one we are buying while taking her morning walks.
We will be within walking distance of their house and the launch at Lake Eustis plus it has property for my dogs and kids. So it felt right and here we are.

It was a one time thing, Not sure if they just had a bad day and wanted to take it out on the new guy or if they were really angry. We shook it off and continued on our way. I saw a ton of Yamahas and pontoons so we just approached them, tied off and enjoyed the day. Wasn't sure if this was normal behavior and I should get used to it or if people are generally not interested in what you are in.

 

[VitaminSea]

Sounds like it was meant to be, excellent that you will be close to the water and the family!

As for your encounter, hoping it was a one off, as I mostly only receive compliments or inquiries about the boat (and I have an older model).

Was out on Lake Dora & Eustis on Sunday on the ski and saw 3-4 other Yamahas out and about.

As for schools, there are different options, here is one. Step Up For Students: Scholarships For PreK-12 In Florida

More than happy to help with any other questions/concerns.
Good luck with the move!

 

[RNYCLV]

Sounds like it was meant to be, excellent that you will be close to the water and the family!

As for your encounter, hoping it was a one off, as I mostly only receive compliments or inquiries about the boat (and I have an older model).

Was out on Lake Dora & Eustis on Sunday on the ski and saw 3-4 other Yamahas out and about.

As for schools, there are different options, here is one. Step Up For Students: Scholarships For PreK-12 In Florida

More than happy to help with any other questions/concerns.
Good luck with the move!

Good Morning @VitaminSea
Thank you so much for the information, it was extremely helpful.

If it was a white and blue AR242, and a white and blue AR195 it was my brother and myself. There was a pontoon with us as well. I understand its a bigger lake so maybe not us, but its fun to believe it may have been.

Still seeking employment in that area. I've tossed a ton of resumes out there and put a bunch of applications out but still haven't found a match that works well.

Glad to hear this should be more of a one time thing, in their defense my brother did have his speakers on and he can get loud....so they may have just been finding a way to take out that frustration. I like to think I'm a very easy person to get along with so hoping no problems from here on out.

I'll keep you posted on the final transition and hopefully see you on the lakes.

Franco