Lake Istokpoga is a freshwater

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

Highlands County, Florida Highlands County is a county located in the Florida Heartland region of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 101,235. Its county seat is Sebring. Highlands County comprises the Sebring-Avon Park, FL Metropolita ...

. It is fed by two creeks, Arbuckle Creek and Josephine Creek. The

oblong An oblong is a non-square rectangle. Oblong may also refer to: Places * Oblong, Illinois, a village in the United States * Oblong Township, Crawford County, Illinois, United States * A strip of land on the New York-Connecticut border in the Unit ...

-shaped lake is approximately wide by long. It is considered the fifth largest lake in the state of Florida. Despite its area, it is very shallow, with an average depth of only . Maximum depth is . As a result, boaters must be cautious to not become stranded in muck near the shore line. Bass and pontoon boats are the most commonly used watercraft, with some use of

airboat An airboat (also known as a planeboat, swamp boat, bayou boat, or fanboat) is a flat-bottomed watercraft propelled by an aircraft-type propeller and powered by either an aircraft or automotive engine. In early aviation history the term ''airboat ...

s. With such shallowness, this lake is extremely dangerous for boaters during windstorms, as the waves get quite high. Boating and fishing are popular activities at this lake. There are at least half a dozen fish camps on Lake Istokpoga. Several of these fish camps book visitors for fishing trips and they also have cabins and hook up for campers, for overnight stays. The amenities on the lake are 5 public boat ramps and 2 public parks, one on the lake's north side and the other on the south east corner. Most of the shoreline is undeveloped and there are two islands, Big and Bumble Bee, in the lake's interior. Some residential properties and private boat docks and beaches dot areas on the shore. Local legend is that the word Istokpoga is of the Seminole language meaning "a lake where someone was killed in the water" because a group of Seminole Indians attempted to cross the lake and were bogged in the mire and swallowed by whirlpools. Lake Istokpoga serves as a home for the

snail kite The snail kite (''Rostrhamus sociabilis'') is a bird of prey within the family Accipitridae, which also includes the eagles, hawks, and Old World vultures. Its relative, the slender-billed kite, is now again placed in ''Helicolestes'', making ...

References

External links

Florida Lakewatch

Friends of Istokpoga

Lakes Online
Lakes of Highlands County, Florida Lake Okeechobee Lakes of Florida {{HighlandsCountyFL-geo-stub