Lake Istokpoga, Florida

What does Istokpoga mean? "People have died there" It was so named by the Seminole Indians because in the early 1900's, before they became a tribe, their people tried to cross the waters of Lake Istokpoga and were swallowed up by whirlpools.
Lake Istokpoga has been designated a Fish Management Area by an agreement between Highlands County Board Of County Commissioners and the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission.
There are several fish camps on Lake Istokpoga, providing recreational and serious anglers alike, many hours of enjoyment. There are four public boat ramps and a dedicated park on the lake which covers nearly 28,000 acres.
The lake is generally shallow, averaging only 4 to 6 feet in depth. The major tributaries to Lake Istokpoga are Josephine Creek and Arbuckle Creek, which are located in the northwest and north areas of the Lake, respectively. Water is discharged from the Lake through two major outlets, the Istokpoga canal that flows to the Kissimmee River and the S-68 Canal that flows through a series of canals to both Lake Okeechobee and the Kissimmee River.

SPECIAL REGULATIONS FOR LARGEMOUTH BASS ON LAKE ISTOKPOGA. A slot limit protects quality largemouth bass by requiring that all bass between 15 and 24 inches in length must be immediately released back into the lake. The daily bag limit is three fish per day. Only one of the three fish may be greater than 24 inches. This means you may keep three bass less than 15 inches, or two bass less than 15 inches and one bass greater than 24 inches.