Great For Kids
Lake Dora, located in Mount Dora, is known as “the New England of the South” to many people. In keeping with the combination of Southern hospitality and New England charm, this theme extends beyond the entrance to this spectacular community in Leesburg.
Mount Dora’s city, which surrounds Lake Dora, embraces this theme with its milder climate, sophisticated shopping, and vibrant cultural life, making it a unique Florida destination. It has won many awards for being such a wonderful place to live and fish; some others are:
Lake Dora, a 4,500-acre lake, is one of the seven lakes of the Harris Chain of Lakes located in Lake County in central Florida. The lake is a favorite location for fishing and recreational boating. The Dora Canal connects Lake Dora to Lake Eustis to the north, and Lake Dora is connected to Lake Apopka to the south by way of Lake Beauclair and the Apopka-Beauclair Canal.
There are many options in My Dora for getting a birds-eye view of the waterways, including private fishing charters, boat rentals, and the popular Dora Canal tour offered by locals.
The choice is yours; the options are endless. Rent a boat by the hour, be seated along with passengers on a local tour, or interact with the outdoors on a private charter. There are higher-end tours that exist, like a seaplane ride of the waterways. Renting a paddleboard, kayak, or canoe is potentially much less expensive.
Dora has many scenic areas, as there is a lot to take in. A prominent local hot spot is the pathways at the Palm Island Boardwalk.
Leesburg and Lake County have over 130 miles of usable waterways; there is no lack of things to do.
Lake Dora’s southwestern shore is a wetland, and its southeastern coast is a narrow strip of land separating Lake Dora from Lake Beauclair.
Lake Dora is teeming with wildlife, including many types of fish, waterfowl, reptiles, and mammals. The famous Dora Canal is a popular area for bird-watching and is the primary focus of guided tour boats that maneuver the waterways.
Location: latitude 28° 47’21.733″, longitude 81° 41’51.643″, GPS datum—WGS-1984 Station DMR is located near the center of Lake Dora.
There are two public boat ramps with direct access to Lake Dora: the first is on the northern shore in Tavares, and the other is on the eastern coast in Mount Dora. Both are very usable ramps with plenty of parking for vehicles and boat trailers.
A public boat ramp is located one mile off U.S. 27 on S.R. 630-A at Keene Park Road; refer to the map below for directions.
Anyone interested in fishing Lake Dora or the Harris Chain of Lakes should consult with local guides and resources before heading out to fish. Additional local Mt Dora resources can be found here!
We hope you enjoy exploring the website. It is primarily about fishing for bass but has excellent information on all freshwater topics, like bluegill, crappie, snakehead, peacock bass, and catfish throughout the U.S.