Lake Verona

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Lake Verona
Lake Verona Lake Verona Show map of FloridaShow map of the United StatesShow all
Location	Avon Park, Florida
Coordinates	27°35′53″N 81°29′49″W / 27.598°N 81.497°W / 27.598; -81.497Coordinates: 27°35′53″N 81°29′49″W / 27.598°N 81.497°W / 27.598; -81.497
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	41 acres (17 ha)
Max. depth	80 ft (24 m)

Lake Verona is located at the east end of Main Street (SR-64 E) within the city limits of Avon Park, Florida. While the lake covers only 41 acres (17 ha), it is the deepest natural lake in peninsular Florida (at ~80 feet), with very steep banks, and a rapid drop-off. The lake gets deep quickly, and many people unaware of its dangers have drowned in its waters.

A broad boat ramp and turn-around exists where Church Street terminates at the lake shore adjacent to historic Donaldson Park. Picnic tables, shelter-houses, bathrooms, and barbecue grills are available. A broad white sand beach and public swimming area are present and quite striking, although the lake is highly dangerous for swimming, and swimmers are therefore warned to stay close to shore, within the zone defined by deep-water marker buoys!

Lake Verona is an entirely natural, land-locked, ancient, "collapse sink hole" lake, with white-sand beaches and clear water. It is the prominent feature and most important component of the City of Avon Park. The magnificent vista from Main Street north to the high, unspoiled banks and beaches of the north shore, fringed along the hill-side boulevard with ancient sand live oaks and cabbage palms (sable palms), is a memorable and indelible trademark of the city. No canals, seawalls, fences, boathouses, or other man-made deformities offend its natural beauty and hill-side setting.

The lake is extremely important to science as it is one of the oldest lakes in the United States, estimated at 33,000+ years old (possibly much older). This has been established through radio-carbon dating of core samples from the bottom of the lake. Lake Tulane, its "sister" lake, located a short distance south, is dated at 60,000+ years old and, depending on the water levels at any given time, sometimes alternates title as the deepest lake in peninsular Florida.

References[]

• Florida Lake Watch