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Buck Lake

Umatilla, Florida — Marion County.

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61Surface acres
1Public access sites
1.3 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 107775147).

Location & fast facts

Where Buck Lake is in Florida

The red circle marks Buck Lake.

Fast facts

About Buck Lake

  • County: Marion
  • Nearest city: Umatilla (about 7.5 mi from the lake)
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 30 mi from Ocala and 39 mi from Daytona Beach, straight-line (not driving distance)

Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline (Florida: incorporated places touching the lake, otherwise the nearest one).

Fishing in Florida

Official FWC pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.

Good for & watch for

Good for

  • Boating. 1 public trailer launch listed (see access)
  • Walking. 1.3 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 33 campgrounds within 15 mi, 1 on the shore (list)

Watch for

  • Boat traffic. A public trailer launch means motorboats share the water; expect more traffic on summer weekends.

Built only from the data on this page: official access lists, OpenStreetMap beaches and trails, campground listings, state and USGS invasive-species records. We don't rate crowds or water quality.

Lake map

Buck Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Buck Lake Group Campground (campground)Ocala National Forest - Buck Lake Recreation Area Primitive Boat Ramp (Boat launch)10.1 mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchShoreline trail Campground
  1. 1Ocala National Forest - Buck Lake Recreation Area Primitive Boat Ramp
    Boat launch · Umatilla

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 107775147), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: FWC Florida Boat Ramp Inventory. Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Shoreline trails

1.3 miTrail within 100 m of shore
About 60%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
North, south and west shoresWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 1.3 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Buck Lake shoreline, mostly along the north, south and west shores. They follow about 60% of the shore, so you can walk most of the way around but not a full loop.

Trails along the shore

Getting to the trails

No trailhead is mapped for these trails. The closest public access site is Ocala National Forest - Buck Lake Recreation Area Primitive Boat Ramp, 200 ft from a shoreline trail (FWC boat ramp data).

The dashed brown line on the lake map shows these trails. We include paths, footways and marked trails that OpenStreetMap doesn't mark as private, and leave out roads, sidewalks and snowmobile corridors. Mapped trails can still cross private land or close for the season, and not every trail is mapped, so follow posted signs.

Trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Map data as of Oct 9, 2026. Trail lengths count only the parts within about 100 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.

Campgrounds near Buck Lake

We found 33 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Buck Lake, 2 of them within 5 miles. 1 is right on the shore. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

14 more within 15 miles

All campgrounds & RV parks in Florida

Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.

Campground data: Recreation.gov (RIDB) · OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.

Conditions right now

Air temperature & conditions (nearest NWS station)Loading…
Fetching the latest National Weather Service observation…

Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (29.0951, -81.6512). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Buck Lake. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

Sun, moon & best fishing times

Sun & moon at Buck Lake

Best fishing times

Major periodMinor periodDaylight

    Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in ET (America/New_York), and accurate to within a few minutes.

    Boat launches & access sites

    1 public access site listed, 1 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Ocala National Forest - Buck Lake Recreation Area Primitive Boat RampUmatillaUnited States Forest ServiceStand Alone Ramp · Concrete ramp · dock—FeeBoating
    Unknown
    29.0978, -81.6530

    FWC Florida Boat Ramp Inventory

    Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.

    Contact & official info

    Questions about Buck Lake

    How big is Buck Lake?

    Buck Lake covers about 61 acres in Umatilla, Florida (Marion County).

    Is there a public boat launch on Buck Lake?

    Yes. 1 public trailer launch is listed: Ocala National Forest - Buck Lake Recreation Area Primitive Boat Ramp. Check posted fees and parking rules.

    Are there campgrounds near Buck Lake?

    Yes. We list 33 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 2 of them within 5 miles.

    What towns are on Buck Lake?

    Buck Lake touches Umatilla in Marion County, Florida.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Buck Lake? Tell us about the launch, parking, where they're biting or anything a first-time visitor should know. Tips go privately to the LakeRipple editor; nothing is posted automatically. Helpful tips may be featured on this page (we'll use your first name only if you give one).

    Lakes & ponds nearby

    Straight-line distance between lake centers. All Florida lakes & ponds · All waters in Umatilla