Lake Tohopekaliga

Lake Tohopekaliga, also called Lake Toho, West Lake or simply Toho, is the largest lake in Osceola County, Florida. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) lists it as an 18,810-acre lake southeast of Kissimmee. Its shoreline runs about 42 miles. Kissimmee borders it on the north, Kissimmee Park on the east and South Port on the south. Its main inflow is Shingle Creek, which rises in Orlando. The lake is part of the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes. The 3-mile St. Cloud Canal (Canal 31) connects it to East Lake Tohopekaliga, and the 4-mile South Port canal at its southern tip leads to Cypress Lake. Makinson Island and Paradise Island lie in the lake.

The City of Kissimmee's Big Toho Marina at Kissimmee Lakefront Park is the lake's largest boat ramp and marina, with boat slips, a bait shop, a restaurant and a fishing pier. Osceola County maintains Whaley's Landing near St. Cloud, a two-lane ramp with unpaved parking for 12 trailers that is open from sunrise to sunset. Other public ramps are at Southport Park and Granada. Paddlers can launch at Cherokee Point, Tupperware Island (Brownie Wise Park), Scotty's Cove and Twin Oaks conservation areas. The South Florida Water Management District runs the S-61 (Southport) navigation lock on the south shore. During a drought in 2018, the district said it would stop operating the lock if water downstream fell to 48.5 feet above sea level. The FWC treats invasive hydrilla in parts of the lake under a habitat management plan that aims for 30 to 40 percent submersed plant cover.

The lake is known for bass fishing and birdwatching. The FWC has placed fish attractors in the lake. It names the mouth of Shingle Creek, the St. Cloud canal and Partins Ditch as places where bass gather after rain.