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Fishing and Hunting

The Welaka area is well known Bass Capital. And the Turkey hunting is great too. Check back for photos of our guests catches as well as currently published fishing and hunting seasons and licence information.

Click HERE For the Current Northeast Region Fishing Forecast

Fishing and Hunting in the Area

Welaka State Forest Located along the east bank of the beautiful and historic St. Johns River. The Division of Forestry maintains the integrity of the natural systems while allowing limited outdoor recreation use and environmental education, especially in the areas of forestry, botany, soils and wildlife ecology.The assortment of functioning ecosystems include wetlands, flatwoods, hammocks, sandhills, and bayheads. A large variety of trees and plant life flourish along the river swamps of the St. Johns River.
Ocala National Forest Between the Ocklawaha and St. Johns Rivers. Encompassing approximately 383,000 acres, it is the southernmost forest in the continental United States and protects the world's largest contiguous sand pine scrub forest. Four major natural springs of crystal clear water can be enjoyed at the popular recreation areas of Juniper Springs, Salt Springs, Alexander Springs and Silver Glen Springs Recreation Areas. The forest hosts a variety of recreation, scenic and historic areas. The recreation activities are as diverse as the environment, from canoeing in wilderness waterways to swimming in crystal clear constant 72° springs. Visitors can enjoy year-round camping, picnicking, fishing, birding, hiking, bicycling, horseback riding and four-wheeling on designated Jeep and ATV trail systems.
Oklawaha River The Oklawaha River Aquatic Preserve is made up of roughly 25 miles of the Oklawaha River system. About five miles downriver of the start of the preserve, the Oklawaha River meets the Silver River spring run. This run is one of the largest spring runs in Florida rivaling Rainbow Spring. It has an average discharge of over 500 million gallons a day. Over three miles of the roughly five-mile run are part of the preserve. The headspring area is a tourist attraction. The next twenty miles of the Oklawaha River, downriver of this confluence follows a narrow winding course. It is a black water river with a swamp canopy along most of its length. Intermittently high areas meet the river forming sandy bluffs.
Mud Creek Mud Spring, empties 13,750 gallons per hour of clear, spring water into a half-mile spring run that flows into the St. John's River.
Dunns Creek Conservation and Recreation Area The swamp and upland communities support a variety of animals, including numerous salamander species, toads, frogs, snakes, alligators, bobcats, raccoons, white-tailed deer and gray fox. Birds typically present include migratory and resident species such as yellow-crowned night herons, wood ducks, swallow-tailed kites, turkey, red-shouldered hawks, barred owls, woodpeckers and warblers.
Silver Glenn Springs
Lake Crescent
Caravelle Ranch Conservation Area Nestled between the Ocklawaha and St. Johns rivers is the 27,241-acre Caravelle Ranch Wildlife Management Area with hardwood river swamps, pine flatwoods, and improved pastures punctuated with small depression ponds and hardwood hammocks. On Caravelle you can participate in special opportunity dove hunts and supervised youth small game hunts, as well as quota hunts for deer and feral hog. Horses are welcome, and ample space is available for parking trailers. Fishing is excellent on Camp Branch Creek, and opportunities abound for birders, especially in the spring when as many as 15 swallow-tailed kites may be observed circling the pastures. The St. Johns River Water Management District and the Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Greenways and Trails, administer portions of the area.