Lake Harris (Florida)
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| Lake Harris | |
|---|---|
| Location | Lake County, Florida |
| Coordinates | |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 13,788 acres (55.80 km²) |
| Surface elevation | 62 ft (19 m) |
| Lake Harris | |
|---|---|
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| Location | Lake County, Florida, USA |
| Nearest city | Yalaha, Florida |
| Coordinates | |
| Area | 13,788 acres (56 km²) |
Lake Harris is a lake in Lake County, Florida, United States. Its shape resembles China from the air. The lakes' northeastern shore is a landing zone of planes at the Leesburg Municipal Airport. It is a harbor city for Leesburg, at the northwestern shore of the lake. A neighboring lake, Little Lake Harris, east of SR 19, is a smaller version of the lake. At the westernmost point of the lake is U.S. Route 27/SR 25. The road adjoins the lake to the east.
Lake Harris is the largest lake in Lake County, at 13,788 acres (56 km²), over 15,000 acres (61 km²) combines with Little Lake Harris. It is 31 miles (50 km) from Orlando. The lake is 31 miles (50 km) in diameter.
Lake Harris' average depth is much greater than Lake Okeechobee to the south with many deep holes and ledges. The lake is surrounded by hills and cypress trees. This is the part of Florida some Orlando residents call "The Mountains". Local humor to be sure, but compared to the rest of Florida which is flat as a pancake, it is very hilly.
There are three public launching ramps on Lake Harris; off of U.S. Route 27 to the west, Venetian Gardens in Leesburg and Hickory Point near the Howey bridge off SR 19. There is a small but serviceable ramp located on the east side of Little Lake Harris in the City of Astatula.
The lake is ringed with Kissimmee grass and reeds, except for the occasional boat, dock, or seawall. The depth in the grass normally ranges from 2-5 feet. The bottom is mostly hard sand except for some shallow marshy areas where the bottom is soft mud. These areas also offer a good place to fish during inclement weather.
Until recently, water skiers and jet skiers have mostly avoided these lakes. In the last 5 years, the lakes have cleaning up considerably bringing more boating activity. Still, it's a fraction of the traffic found on most Orlando lakes.
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