Lake Susan.
A smaller chain lake within the navigable Clermont Chain — quieter water, a different buyer profile, and the price-of-entry that comes with that trade-off. Lake Susan is what the chain looks like when you don’t need the show-lake amenities and you want the quieter end of the same connected system.
Lake Susan is part of the navigable Clermont Chain, sitting between Lake Louisa to the south and Lake Minnehaha to the north. It connects southward to Louisa via the Crooked River and northward to Minnehaha via a short river run — both connections part of the Palatlakaha River system that defines the chain. From a working dock on Susan, the chain’s primary residential waters are reachable by powered boat, not by paddle alone. The lake has a public boat ramp and a marina that sells boat fuel, which is the practical confirmation that Susan is on the operational chain rather than peripheral to it.
Susan also sits within the Palatlakaha Run blueway designation — the longest blueway in Lake County’s Blueways Program at seven interconnected bodies designated for canoe and kayak use. That designation is a meaningful credential. It is the public-record recognition that this stretch of the chain functions as a paddle-craft corridor as well as a powered-boat one, and it ties Susan’s recreational identity directly to the same waterway that buyers know from Louisa, Minnehaha, and Minneola.
The character is quieter than Minneola or Minnehaha by design. The boats here are smaller. The Saturday-afternoon traffic is a fraction of the chain’s primary residential lakes. The shoreline turns over rarely, and the buyers who choose Susan choose it on purpose. For buyers researching the chain who don’t need the wide open water of Minneola or the estate-tier acreage of Louisa, Susan offers a chain-lake address with full Palatlakaha access at a meaningfully different price tier.
The pricing math here is honest: per-foot frontage on Susan trades below the chain’s primary residential lakes, and the homes that change hands here are typically the chain’s entry-tier waterfront residences. That’s a market position with real value — first-time chain owners, second-home buyers exploring the area, families who want a Clermont waterfront address without the estate-tier commitment. Susan is the chain lake the introductory buyer often lands on, and the lake from which many of those buyers later move up to Minneola or Minnehaha as their priorities evolve.
Quick Facts
- Surface Area
- Approximately 81 acres (USF Water Atlas). A smaller chain lake within the Clermont Chain.
- Chain Position
- Positioned between Lake Louisa to the south (connected via the Crooked River) and Lake Minnehaha to the north (connected via a short river run). Part of the Palatlakaha River system. Chain elevation high at approximately 97 ft.
- Blueway Designation
- Within the Palatlakaha Run blueway — the longest blueway in Lake County’s Blueways Program (seven interconnected bodies designated for canoe and kayak use).
- Public Access
- Public boat ramp on the lake. On-lake marina sells boat fuel — a practical confirmation of powered-boat usability and operational chain navigation.
- Recreation
- Powered boating and paddle craft, fishing (largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie), paddleboarding, kayaking. Quieter character relative to the chain’s primary residential lakes.
- Buyer Profile
- Entry-tier chain waterfront. First-time chain owners, second-home buyers, families seeking a Clermont waterfront address at a meaningfully different price tier than Minneola, Minnehaha, or Louisa.
- Per-Foot Frontage
- Trades below the chain’s primary residential lakes. Comparable pull available on request via the regional MLS.
What I tell my buyers about Lake Susan
Susan is the chain lake to buy if you want a Clermont waterfront address at a different price commitment than Minneola or Louisa, with the chain’s navigability still on the table. The trade-off is real: a smaller surface, a quieter boating loop, and a recreational tempo defined by paddle craft and small boats more than wakeboards. For the right buyer, that trade-off is the point.
The Palatlakaha Run blueway designation is the credential I use when I want a buyer to understand what they’re actually buying. It connects Susan to the broader navigable system in a way that paper marketing rarely captures — this is publicly recognized chain water, with public ramp access and an operating marina, not a peripheral pond.
If your priority is multi-decade estate-tier appreciation, the chain’s primary residential lakes will historically reward that goal more measurably. If your priority is entry to the Clermont Chain as a lifestyle commitment without the estate price tag, Susan’s position on the navigable chain is genuinely useful.
Lake Susan Waterfront Brief
Active inventory, recent closed sales, and a candid read on per-foot pricing — plus the navigation profile from Susan’s shoreline to the chain’s primary lakes.
Request the BriefA Brief History of Lake Susan
Lake Susan’s name carries one of Lake County’s deepest hospitality stories. In the early 1940s, Bernard Bickel founded Bickel’s Fishing Lodge on the lake’s shore — a cluster of cottages, a private marina, and a fishing-camp ramp that drew anglers from across Central Florida. The lodge’s restaurant opened in 1943 and operated continuously for the next 73 years, becoming the longest-running restaurant in Lake County’s recorded history.
Through the 1970s and 1980s, the property — by then known as Lake Susan’s Lodge — was a weekend hotspot for seafood, live music, and entertainment. Native artifacts surfaced on the grounds during property work, a quiet reminder that Timucua people had used the same shoreline for travel and fishing centuries earlier.
A fire in 2016 destroyed much of the lodge. The site was sold in 2020 for approximately $1.2 million and is being redeveloped as a private Tuscan-style mansion and event venue (no public access). Today, the Susan’s Landing community sits on the same Lake Susan shore — modern luxury waterfront with a heritage line back to the chain’s most storied lodge.
Source: Lake County Historical Archives
Lake Profile
Lake Susan — the deep read
The Bickel’s Lodge legacy, Susan’s Landing, Old Florida’s longest-running restaurant, and the next chapter on the chain’s highest-elevation water.
Lake basics
Lake Susan covers approximately 88 acres in unincorporated Lake County, between Lake Louisa to the south and Lake Minnehaha to the north. It sits at ~97 feet normal surface elevation — the highest point in the Clermont Chain. The lake is shallow (~10 ft average), tannin-stained, and swamp-fringed, with a quieter, more natural character than Minneola or Minnehaha.
Susan’s Lodge — full history (1940s – present)
The site at 11834 Lakeshore Drive (across from Osprey Pointe) is one of the most storied “Old Florida” recreation locations on the entire chain.
In the early 1940s, Bernard Bickel opened Bickel’s Fishing Lodge — a collection of cottages and a lodge that quickly became a favorite for fishermen and vacationers arriving by car or boat. By 1943, it had evolved into Lake Susan Lodge, eventually operating as the longest continually-running restaurant in Lake County. The property included a marina with boat gas, rentals, a ramp, and the oldest boathouse in Lake County; Native American artifacts were also found on the grounds.
Through the 1960s–1980s — under owners including Ison (1967), Bill, and Tony — the Lodge expanded into a weekend hotspot with seafood dining, entertainment, gigantic hamburgers, T-bone steaks, and fried grouper. It drew boaters, locals, Disney managers, and visitors for its rustic fish-camp feel and casual lakeside vibe.
The Lodge faced challenges in later decades: located in the 100-year flood plain and Green Swamp Area of Critical Concern, it had sewage and stormwater issues, and became a controversial weekend hangout. In 2005, county commissioners approved plans to demolish cottages for luxury townhomes — never fully realized. A 2016 fire destroyed 30–40% of the structures, and the site was abandoned and cleared in 2016–2017.
In July 2020, the property sold for $1.2 million to a private investment group. Plans called for a 10,000-square-foot Tuscan-designed mansion featuring an event venue (weddings and corporate events), day spa, café, and limited overnight accommodations with some public-use spaces. As of the latest available records, it is no longer operating as a restaurant or marina — the next chapter is in design.
Parks & recreation
- Palatlakaha River Park
- The primary public access for the upper chain. 23-acre site with public boat ramp, fishing piers, pavilion, picnic areas, and a 0.7–0.8-mile nature/hiking loop through wetlands, scrub, and oak hammock. Excellent for birding, wildlife viewing, short hikes.
- Chain-wide access
- Boaters use the Clermont Boat Ramp on Lake Minneola or other entry points. The lake supports fishing, kayaking, and scenic boating — part of the 26+ mile Palatlakaha Run blueway. Historically the Lake Susan Lodge Marina provided gas, rentals, and a ramp (now defunct).
Waterfront restaurants
No active direct waterfront restaurants on Lake Susan today — the historic Lake Susan Lodge has been closed since the 2016 fire, and the redevelopment is in design. Visitors use chain connections (short boat or paddle trip) to nearby spots on Lake Minneola (Tiki Bar & Grill, Salt Shack on the Lake) or The Cove Bar at Cypress Cove Marina on Lake Minnehaha.
Waterfront communities
- Susan’s Landing
- Exclusive lakefront subdivision with single-family homes, direct waterfront living, private community boat ramp, and dock for full Clermont Chain access. Tranquility, boating, fishing, recreation. Popular with families and retirees seeking serene chain-side living.
- Osprey Pointe area
- Established neighborhood near the former Lodge site, with lakefront homes typically priced in the $1M–$2.3M range — reflecting the high-elevation chain frontage and proximity to the redevelopment site.
- Other lakefront pockets
- Individual lakefront homes, homesites, and neighborhoods preserve the swampy/natural shoreline character while offering chain navigation rights.
Sources: Lake County Water Atlas, Wikipedia Clermont Chain documentation, Orlando Sentinel, South Lake Tablet, verified marina and community records.
Common questions about Lake Susan
Is Lake Susan part of the Clermont Chain of Lakes?
Yes. Lake Susan is part of the navigable Clermont Chain, sitting between Lake Louisa to the south (via the Crooked River) and Lake Minnehaha to the north (via a short river run). The connections are part of the Palatlakaha River system that defines the chain.
Can you boat from Lake Susan to the rest of the chain?
Yes. The lake is on the operational chain with a public boat ramp and a marina that sells boat fuel. Powered-boat navigation reaches Lake Minnehaha to the north, Lake Louisa to the south, and onward through the Palatlakaha system.
How big is Lake Susan?
Approximately 81 acres, per the USF Water Atlas. Susan is one of the smaller chain lakes — a deliberate part of its character.
What is the Palatlakaha Run Blueway?
The Palatlakaha Run is the longest blueway in Lake County’s Blueways Program — seven interconnected bodies designated for canoe and kayak use, including Lake Susan. The designation is the public-record recognition of the chain’s paddle-craft corridor.
How does Lake Susan compare on price to other chain lakes?
Per-foot frontage on Lake Susan trades below the chain’s primary residential lakes (Minneola, Minnehaha, Louisa). It is the chain’s entry-tier waterfront market.
Is Lake Susan a sound first chain-frontage purchase?
For the right buyer, yes. Susan is often the chain lake from which buyers later move up to Minneola or Minnehaha as their lakefront priorities evolve. The pricing is honest and the entry barrier is meaningfully lower.
Get the 2026 Chain Brief — with my candid read on Lake Susan.
Eight pages of verified market data on the Clermont Chain. Plus a personal note from me on what I’m seeing on Lake Susan specifically — pricing, inventory, what AVMs miss. Delivered to your inbox in minutes.