This 5850-acre lake has a "little" northern area and a "big" southern arm connected by "the pass" where shad school and fishing is usually good for schooling largemouth and stocked sunshine bass. Numerous homes surround the lake, most with docks and ski boats; fishing is always best early and late or at night and on weekdays. In spite of development, the fish habitat is outstanding with many areas of cypress and healthy maidencane grass beds. Santa Fe Swamp Wildlife and Environmental Area (WEA) is a floodplain swamp that feeds the upper eight miles of the Santa Fe River. Its critical importance in protecting and maintaining both the quantity and quality of water in the Santa Fe Lake and Santa Fe River led to the acquisition of this area. Most of the 7,272 acres in the Wildlife and Environmental Area are dense swamps.
