Lake Talquin State Park

Lake Talquin State Park is located in north Florida near the capital city, Tallahassee. This manmade lake was constructed in 1927, when the Ochlockonee River was dammed to produce hydroelectric power for Tallahassee. Today, this gorgeous lake is home to some great fishing opportunities, boating and other water recreation. Lake Talquin was named by combining the two nearest city names, Tallahassee and Quincy.

The Jackson Bluff dam was built in 1927 to create hydroelectric power for the city and surrounding townships of Tallahassee, Florida. It was owned and operated by Florida Power and operated until the end of 1970. At the time it was placed under control by the Florida Department of Natural Resources, which is now under control by the Department of Environmental Protection.

In 1981, the city of Tallahassee decided that a clean form of power was still needed and that the Jackson Bluff Dam was the perfect place to continue that tradition. The city commissioned several companies to "rebuild" the dam, retrofitting it with new generators, repairing the original locks and constructing new dykes and levees along the bluff. By 1985, the work had been completed and the dam reopened as the C. H. Corn Hydroelectric Power Generating Plant. It is still in use to this day and provides a pollution free means of helping to power the state capital.

Lake Talquin State Park is full of fantastic fishing opportunities and seems to be the biggest draw to this state park. Over 10,000 acres of lake are available to anyone who wants to fish the rewarding waters.

Much of the waters in Lake Talquin are shallow and rife with stumps and trees from long before it was a lake. This provides some great spots for fish to live and breed, however it can seriously ruin your day when you hit them with a boat. The center of the lake is where the old river bed used to be and is the deepest part of the lake. Caution should be taken on the eastern shoreline as this is where the most submerged trees lie.

The southern and western ends of the lake are the areas most frequented by boaters and several boat ramps and fishing lodges are in the vicinity. This is also where the Florida State Crew Club regularly practices its rowing for meets.

For more information on directions to the park, hours of operations and fees, visit the official state park website here.