District celebrates reopening of Rattlesnake Lake North recreation site

HAVANA – The Northwest Florida Water Management District celebrated the re-opening Wednesday of a popular recreation site within the Econfina Creek Water Management Area.

Officials from the District were joined by State Rep. Shane Abbott, Washington County Commissioner David Corbin, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Ed Smith, who is the Director of Ecosystems Projects, for a special ribbon-cutting ceremony at Rattlesnake Lake North.

The recreation site is located slightly north of State Road 20 in southern Washington County.

“The Econfina Creek Water Management Area plays a vital role in protecting Econfina Creek and the water that flows into Deer Point Lake,” said Kellie Ralston, a member of the District’s Governing Board. “While we are committed to protecting the water resources in northwest Florida, we take tremendous pride in maintaining recreational sites like Rattlesnake Lake North and providing access for the public to enjoy.”

Rattlesnake Lake North features overnight camping, hiking, boating, fishing, and more. It is one of 24 recreation sites the District maintains within the Econfina Creek WMA – and one of 13 to offer overnight camping. Overnight camping at this site is not allowed from Thanksgiving Day until the first Wednesday in February because of hunting season.

“Rattlesnake Lake North is an extremely popular camping and fishing spot and we know visitors have been eager to see it reopened,” said Nick Patronis, a member of the District’s Governing Board who represents Bay County. “We are grateful to Gov. DeSantis and the legislature for funding that allows us to keep this site open for the public to enjoy.”

All overnight camping sites on District-managed lands are free but require an online reservation.

To reserve a camping site, go to https://nwfwater.com/lands/recreation/ and follow the instructions for registration.