About Winter Haven Chain Of Lakes

 

Winter Haven has adopted the name “The Chain of Lakes City” due to its many connecting lakes. Nine lakes compose 6,000-acre chain where fishing and boating are extremely popular. Boat and shore access to the South Chain are available at Lakes Summit, Shipp, Howard, Cannon and Hartridge.

 

Winter Haven is at the headwaters of both the Peace River watershed and the Floridan Aquifer. Because the lakes are interconnected with the aquifer, the health of groundwater resources and lakes is of paramount concern. There are 50 lakes that either touch or are located within the City of Winter Haven.

 

There are two different chains of lakes…the Northern Chain that has 8 interconnected lakes and the Southern Chain that has 16 lakes all connected at the same elevation.

 

The city has made available 22 boat ramps, 30 waterfront parks and 14 public docks making the chain of lakes a boater’s paradise. The lakes are home to several fisherman favorites including the largemouth bass, bluegill, and black crappie. Sunshine bass have been placed in the chain and are frequently caught on minnows while fishing for black crappie. Visitors can also enjoy the many parks and picnic areas located at several different areas around the lakes.

 

Most of the lakes in Winter Haven are called ‘solution lakes’, which means that they formed in the same manner as sinkholes form – through the dissolution of limestone and the eventual collapse of the overlying land surface. The City owns or manages approximately 2.4 miles of shoreline, most of which is available for public use.