Lake Park, Lutz, FL

Update: Lake Park is finally re-opening on October 7, 2016. Located in Lutz, Florida, Lake Park is has one larger freshwater lake and several smaller ones. Only the largest one, Starvation Lake, has a drive up launch site. For a determined angler that can drag a boat a considerable distance (or maybe use an inflatable) the smaller lakes are under fished and could have some large bass in them. The main lake itself is home to bass, bream, and catfish. Bird life is typical of open freshwater areas in much of Florida. There are alligators in these lake, albeit not in large numbers, nor are they excessively large in size. However, I once paddled up a small hidden creek on the northeast side of Starvation Lake and startled a 6 to 7 footer who was sunning on a bank. I got out of that closed in area quickly. Fortunately for boaters in Florida, alligators aren't very aggressive. Still in all, it's better to have some distance from them. Going into narrow creeks puts me a little closer than I would like. A lot of freshwater rivers leave little room between alligators and boaters. Still alligator attacks are rare. The lake has a lot of open water in the center with increasing vegetation in the northwest corner. Of all vegetation, lily pads are the easiest to navigate through. Hydrilla mats are a whole lot tougher. This lake isn't a challenging paddle and thus good for a quick paddle when you don't have all day free.