NEWS, NOTES + NEIGHBORS WHO KNOW
Back to Life
Lake Apopka is on its way to being a sportfishing destination as it was 90 years ago.
B
y the 1970s, lake bed farming and lax environmental protections led Lake Apopka to be named Florida’s most polluted lake—a far fall from its ’30s-era fame, when it was considered one of the best sportfishing destinations in the country. But finally, thanks to
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The Local
WI N TE R G AR DE N
environmental legislation and the efforts of organizations like Florida Fish and Wildlife (FFW) and Friends of Lake Apopka, the lake has been steadily returning to its former glory. “Around 40% of Lake Apopka has catch rates comparable with the rest of the chain,” says Scott Bisping, Fish-
eries Resource Biologist for the Harris Chain of Lakes with FFW. “Where there’s good habitat again, there are good numbers of fish. It won’t happen overnight, but our hope is to see continuing improvements in sport fish population, and to see people enjoying the lake again.”
