Blue Cypress Lake is a freshwater lake in Indian River County, Florida. This scenic body of water gets its name from the bluish glow created on the surrounding cypress trees when the sun shines on the water. Blue Cypress Lake is relatively shallow and provides plenty of food for hungry alligators. Find out just how many gators live in Blue Cypress Lake and other interesting facts about this body of water.
Species Overview: Florida’s Alligator Population
Over one million alligators make their home in the state of Florida. These carnivorous ectotherms enjoy the state’s warm weather and abundance of marshes, swamps, rivers, and lakes. In Florida, alligators are present in all 67 counties, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
Alligators feed on a variety of prey, such as fish, snakes, turtles, small mammals, and birds. They prefer to lie in wait and ambush a potential meal, though they can swim at speeds of up to 20 mph. Though alligators have a bad reputation, attacks on humans are rarer than you might think. Still, alligators can be very dangerous creatures, and Florida has taken steps to control its gator population.
Alligators prefer to live in shallow bodies of water such as marshes, lakes, and swamps.
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Alligator Hunting in Florida
Florida has such a robust alligator population that it sometimes permits humans to hunt these creatures. However, alligator hunting is not a free-for-all. There are a number of rules in place. According to Everglades Holiday Park, alligator hunting was established in Florida in 1988 to control the state’s massive gator population.
Alligator hunting season falls between August 15 and November 1 each year. To hunt an alligator, you need a permit. The state of Florida and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission hand out only 5,000 permits per year and each permit holder is only permitted to hunt two alligators per season.
About Blue Cypress Lake
Blue Cypress Lake is located in Indian River County in eastern Florida. The lake lies approximately 20 miles west of Vero Beach on Florida’s Treasure Coast, according to World Atlas.
Blue Cyprus Lake is the largest lake in Indian River County and on the Treasure Coast, spanning across 6,555 acres. Despite its size, Blue Cyprus Lake is only around 8-9 feet deep on average. It also contains some of the purest water in Florida, though in certain spots it might not appear that way.
According to Wild Florida Airboats, the lake appears murky and black in some places due to decaying vegetation, which releases tannins into the water. As the tannins disperse, they make the water transparent, acidic, and darker in color. However, this is completely natural and not a sign of pollution or the lake being “dirty.”
Blue Cyprus Lake forms the headwaters of the St. Johns River. Several creeks, such as Mudfish Slough, Padget Branch, Trim Creek, Blue Cypress Creek, and Moonshine Bay flow into the lake. Water flows out of Blue Cyprus Lake into M Canal and Zigzag Canal.
Blue Cyprus Lake forms the headwaters of the St. Johns River, which flows beside downtown Jacksonville.
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Alligators in Blue Cypress Lake
Wild Florida Airboats estimates that at least 800 to 1,000 alligators live in Blue Cypress Lake. It’s no surprise that alligators make their home in this lake, which attracts plenty of wildlife for these creatures to hunt.
Alligators also typically prefer shallower bodies of water and Blue Cypress provides calm waters with access to marshland to sunbathe or make nests for their young.
Between August 15 and Nov. 1, alligator hunters try their luck in Blue Cypress Lake. In 2019 the lake yielded a massive catch. Andrew Cutaia, S&K Fisheries owner Rob Ward, and Thad Isenhour, of Port St. Lucie, teamed up to pull in an impressive 11-foot-10 alligator from the waters of Blue Cypress Lake.
“This is an alligator of a lifetime,” Ward told TC Palm. “Most people hunt their entire life and never even see one that big.” Isenhour was one of the few people to secure an alligator hunting permit for the 2019 season through the Statewide Alligator Harvest lottery.
Other Wildlife Found Around Blue Cypress Lake
Blue Cypress Lake is home to a number of wildlife other than alligators. The lake is an ideal spot for fishing, as it contains largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, and chain pickerel.
Visitors to the lake may also spot osprey — a bird of prey that feeds almost exclusively on fish. Other species in the area include snail kites, great blue herons, white ibis, snowy egrets, wood storks, and bald eagles, according to St. Johns River Water Management District.
Of course, the lake hosts an abundance of cypress trees, but that’s not the only notable flora. The Blue Cypress Conservation area also contains maidencane, sawgrass, willows, and buttonbush.
