Conservation Public Lands & Waters

Public Land: Hunting and Fishing in Florida

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The Sunshine state may not be at the top of the list when it comes to public hunting opportunities, but 26 percent of the state is publicly-owned. And, of course, there’s no shortage of excellent fishing areas with good access options as well.

Ocala National Forest

• Southernmost National Forest in the U.S. and totals 383,000 acres

• 85 miles of ATV trails

• Deer hunting, turkey hunting (Osceolas) and fishing on more than 600 lakes

Osceola National Forest

• 200,000 acres

• Excellent turkey hunting (despite the Forest’s name, the turkeys found there are Easterns and not Osceolas)

• Abundant fishing opportunities on ponds, lakes, rivers and streams

Jennings State Forest

• 24,033 acres in Northeast Florida

• Excellent fishing opportunities for bream and bass on ponds, lakes, and streams

• Good whitetail hunting

Big Cypress National Preserve

• 720,000 acres in southeast Florida

• Abundant fishing opportunities and deer, turkey, and pig hunting

• Expansive ORV trail system

More Links

Tide Charts

Public Boat Ramp Finder

Statewide WMAs

Find more public land access opportunities with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Hunt Planner.

Photo: Big Cypress National Preserve

Photo credit: Guide of Travels