Welcome to the Lake Tarpon Information Center  

Serving the interests of Lake Tarpon for 11 years


Lake Tarpon, the "Jewel of Pinellas County" is located about 10 miles West of Tampa in Palm Harbor and Tarpon Springs Florida.  This 2,500 acre lake provides recreation and enjoyment for thousands in the Tampa Bay area.  You can visit Lake Tarpon at Anderson Park, Chesnut Park or several other public access points listed on these maps.

Please!

Never feed alligators - they lose their natural fear of humans!
Eliminate the use of fertilizer or only use liquid fertilizer - it makes the lake GREEN, too!

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Hot Topics

NEW! Pictures from the 2007 Lake Tarpon Boat Parade are here and on the Tarpon Turtle web site!

Water level, quality, clarity and other interesting data on Lake Tarpon are on the Pinellas County Water Atlas site.  Take a look!

Lake Tarpon Management Plan Updated January 2006 - Download here (2MB). 

Here is a sample:  "Due to historically excellent water quality and healthy fish and wildlife populations, the lake has served as an important recreation resource. However, anthropogenic eutrophication of the lake increased rapidly in the 1990s." 

In my opinion, this means that Lake Tarpon will quickly lose it's sportfish and water quality will decline unless we stop the nutrient runoff into the lake.  This means building more retention ponds to capture runoff and initiating an education campaign to stop residents from fertilizing their lawns (at least stop using granular fertilizer; liquid goes into the ground faster and can't easily be washed into the lake).  Fertilizer adds excess nutrients to the lake and accelerates the health decline.

 Here is the original Lake Tarpon Management Plan adopted by Pinellas County Commission July '99
        How will water quality be preserved?  How will user conflicts be resolved? Will Lake Tarpon end up like Lake Apopka?  What does Anabaena look like?
             Lake Tarpon Management Committee Meets periodically at PC Dept of Environmental Mgmt 727 464-4761

Picture of Lakeshore Estates in the early days:   Quick pic   Large pic

Restaurants on the Lake -  See the maps for locations.

New fishing guide for Tampa Bay  Click here for a copy of the St. Petersburg Times Fishing Guide (340KB).  Another fishing guide is here.

Zoning/Land Use battle: Cypress Pointe Campground won't become a Walmart - it's now single-family homes.   Here are the details of now-defeated Walmart proposals. 

Updated Lake Tarpon Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Plan - August 2000
       This affects all lake users - please read it!  To print it, Download the WordPerfect copy. (4MB)

Additional Chesnut Park Information, Detailed Environmental Maps, More Tarpon Springs Information and more pictures.

Lake Tarpon Fisheries Report 12/93  Funded by the Pinellas County Department of Environmental Management and conducted by The University of Florida - Download here!  (2.2MB)

Updated lake level fluctuation plan.  Good for the lake and it won't go nearly as low as the Spring 2000 drought.

User conflicts - how do other urban areas handle this? Here's an Analysis

Recreation, Maps and Pictures (2 restaurants, 2 marinas, 3 parks, 1 hotel)

Where is Lake Tarpon?  It's shown at the top end of US19 on this Map. Tampa Florida is on this Map.
Maps of the lake, including gas, food, lodging, boat repairs, and more!
Parks on the Lake: Anderson, Chesnut and  Canal Park 

Billy Ely's Wakeboard Video
Lake and Outfall Canal photos and information.  SWFWMD's Outfall Canal Guide
Fishing: Reports, regulations, Fishing Licenses, Guide and lodge: Florida Fishing Adventures - Captain Gene Zamba (727-938-8186) and his excellent fishing report, George Medders' Guide Service
Environmental Maps: USF study including Land use, topography, and more...
Boat Rentals:   Fischer Marine Service - Boat Rentals, ship's store, live bait 37517 US 19N Tarpon Springs. 727-934-0003

Camping:  Clearwater KOA 727 937-8412.  Cypress Pointe Campground is closed - it's being developed into single-family homes.

Best Western Hotel, Sam Seltzer's Restaurant, meeting/banquet facilities, docking on canal to lake, phone 727 942-0358
Days Inn (Tarpon Springs, across US 19 from lake, near Anderson Park) email or phone 727 938-8000
Holiday Inn (38724 Us Highway 19 N, Tarpon Springs, 34689, also near Anderson Park) - 727 934-5781
East Lake Bed and Breakfast
Diving in Knight's Sink (in Anderson Park)
Repair and towing - Tarpon Lake Marine - Gary 727 938-1164, 938-6276  Keep this number on your boat.
Jack Willie's Tarpon Turtle on Lake Tarpon (formerly Tarpon Turtle Cabins, English Pub, Ramp and Marina) 1513 Lake Tarpon Ave, Tarpon Springs.  727 934-3696

Information for Residents

Animal Capture can remove nuisance gators
Florida Dock Lease Fees for property zoned commercial or multi-family residential
"Minimum Speed" Zone for the South Cove
Vegetation - Desirable, Undesirable, What are those weeds caught on my prop? Who sprays to kill weeds?
Economic Value of Lake Tarpon
Lake Apopka - a eutrophic lake (prematurely aged with poor fishing)  This is what will happen to Lake Tarpon if we keep putting granular fertilizer on our lawns.  Use liquid fertilizer if you have to fertilize at all.

Government Contacts - All these agencies (and more!) have some jurisdiction over Lake Tarpon

Community Contacts

Lake History

Results of the 1996 Lake Tarpon Waterfront Residents' Survey
The fast level drop of February 1998
The Anabaena Bloom of 1987
The Lake - Past and Present
The Outfall Canal - Past and Present
Lake Tarpon's original name: Lake Butler Look at this St Pete Times article for the full story.
Lake Tarpon is named after the city of Tarpon Springs, not the fish.
News Archives: 1966: New plan formed for Lake Tarpon, 1965: Plans for Upper Tampa Bay call for changes in salinity

A few years ago, a manatee may have come into the lake over the dam.  Here is more information.

If you have any material or ideas to contribute, please email Paul at:


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Photos of Lake Tarpon activities, especially historical ones, are cheerfully accepted.

Created September 11, 1997.  Last update 3/08.
This site is privately maintained and does not represent any government or commercial entity.
All pages and photos are copyright 1997-2008 Paul Kempter unless otherwise credited.  Please ask to use photos - they contain watermarks.  Licensing terms available, usually free for personal/non-profit.  Please verify all information independently before taking action - accuracy or completeness is not guaranteed. Some content is personal opinion.

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