Hunt Lake.
Hunt Lake is the southernmost lake in the Groveland Chain — the lake that sits right at the dam separating the two Lake County chain systems. Cross the dam to the south and you are on the Clermont Chain at Cherry Lake. Stay on Hunt and you are firmly on the Groveland Chain side, with Lake Emma and Lake Lucy to your north.
Hunt’s character is shaped by its boundary position. The water-level control dam at the Hunt-Cherry transition is the operational reality that defines both chains: from Hunt, you cannot boat to Cherry, and from Cherry, you cannot boat to Hunt. That single piece of infrastructure produces two distinct real estate markets sharing the same Palatlakaha watershed.
Real estate on Hunt is comparatively scarce and tends to attract a specific buyer profile — someone who wants Groveland Chain access without committing to Lucy or Emma’s larger surface areas, or someone who values being adjacent to (but not on) the Clermont Chain at a meaningfully lower price point. Per-foot frontage pricing reflects the smaller buyer pool relative to the Clermont side and the smaller surface area relative to Lucy.
For buyers researching the Groveland Chain, Hunt is the lake that explains the dam’s significance. Standing on Hunt’s southern shore, you can see Cherry Lake on the other side of the dam and recognize the full operational geography of the two chains. That spatial awareness changes how buyers interpret pricing on both systems.
Quick Facts
- Surface Area
- Smaller than Lucy or Emma; precise acreage available via Lake County records.
- Setting
- Southernmost Groveland Chain lake. Adjacent to (but separated from) Cherry Lake by the water-level control dam.
- Chain Position
- Boundary lake. North to Lake Emma and Lucy; south is Cherry Lake on the Clermont Chain side, blocked by the dam.
- Public Access
- Verify current public access status with Lake County before purchase.
- Fishing
- Largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie. Standard Groveland Chain profile.
- Important
- The dam at Hunt’s southern edge is the boundary between the Groveland and Clermont Chains.
What I tell my buyers about Hunt Lake
If you want Groveland Chain access at a smaller surface area and lower price tier than Lucy or Emma, Hunt is the chain’s most efficient entry point.
If you want Clermont Chain access from your dock, Hunt is not the lake — the dam at Hunt-Cherry blocks the connection.
For buyers who want to be adjacent to the Clermont Chain but priced below it, Hunt’s geographic position is genuinely unique on Lake County’s lake map.
Lake Profile
Hunt Lake — the deep read
A small ~49-acre northern Groveland chain lake connected via water-control dam to Cherry Lake — rural north shore with conservation-buffered lots.
Lake basics
Hunt Lake covers approximately 49 acres in Groveland, in the northern Groveland Chain along the Palatlakaha River. Rural development on the north shore, swampland to the south. Connected via a water-control dam to Cherry Lake — the southbound chain entry from this section.
History
Shares the Groveland regional timeline: 1890s Taylorville settlement (C.C. and B.M. Taylor turpentine), renamed Groveland 1922, citrus dominance until 1980s freezes. Hunt Lake remained largely natural and swamp-fringed with minimal early development — part of the Palatlakaha River system for transport and resources.
Chain access
Northernmost public access via Arnold Brothers Boat Ramp (15945 SR 19, Groveland) — ramp, fishing pier, parking; provides chain navigation southward through Cherry Lake to the full Clermont Chain.
Waterfront communities
Predominantly rural-residential with individual waterfront homes, oversized lots, low-density subdivisions on sandy hills. The Palatlakaha River corridor + conservation buffers shape the area’s character.
Sources: Lake County Water Atlas, Groveland official history, Wikipedia chain documentation.
Common questions about Hunt Lake
Is Hunt Lake part of the Clermont Chain of Lakes?
No. Hunt Lake is on the Groveland Chain side of the dam. The water-level control dam between Hunt and Cherry Lake is the boundary between the two systems.
Can I see Cherry Lake from Hunt Lake?
Yes — Cherry Lake is directly south of Hunt, separated only by the dam. The two lakes are visually adjacent but operationally separate.
Why is the Cherry Lake water-control dam significant?
It is the operational boundary between the Clermont Chain (south, with Cherry as the northern terminus) and the Groveland Chain (north, with Hunt as the southern terminus). The dam controls water levels and prevents boat passage between the two systems.
Get the 2026 Chain Brief — with my candid read on Hunt Lake.
Eight pages of verified market data on the Clermont Chain. Plus a personal note from me on what I’m seeing on Hunt Lake specifically — pricing, inventory, what AVMs miss. Delivered to your inbox in minutes.