Lake Winona.
Lake Winona is the largest of the chain’s three smallest peripheral lakes — at roughly 64 acres, big enough for a fishing boat to work several coves in a morning, small enough to keep weekend boat traffic out. Paddlers know Winona well. Most chain riders motor past the canal entrance without noticing.
Winona’s character is consistent: quiet water, wooded shoreline, the kind of midday stillness that makes the chain feel like its earlier-decade self. The lake holds bass and bluegill in productive shoreline cover, and the depth profile is shallow enough to make kayak fishing genuinely effective. For paddle-bound anglers, Winona is one of the chain’s most reliable small-craft lakes.
Inventory on Winona is comparatively scarce. The frontage parcel count is small, turnover is slow, and the buyer profile is narrow but loyal — kayakers, anglers, retirees who want chain access without the recreation overhead. Per-foot pricing trades at a discount to the chain’s open-water lakes; the discount is real, the privacy is meaningful, and the math depends on the specific cove.
Like Cook and Wilson, Winona is not a recreation-anchor lake. It is the alternative for chain buyers who already considered the bigger lakes and decided that 64 acres of quieter water was the right answer. That alignment, when it happens, tends to be permanent.
Quick Facts
- Surface Area
- Approximately 64 acres. Largest of the chain’s three smallest peripheral lakes (Cook, Wilson, Winona).
- Depth
- Average around eight feet, with deeper holes around twelve. Productive for shoreline fishing and kayak-bound anglers.
- Chain Position
- north shore of Lake Minnehaha. Connected to the main chain via river/canal access.
- Public Access
- River access only. No dedicated public ramp.
- Fishing
- Largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie. Lily-pad mats and cypress edges hold fish year-round. Excellent for kayak fishing.
- Character
- A paddler’s lake. Quiet water, wooded shoreline, slow inventory turnover. Buyer profile: kayakers, anglers, retirees.
What I tell my buyers about Lake Winona
If you want chain access at a smaller-pocket address with quiet water and productive fishing, Winona is one of the chain’s better-positioned peripheral lakes.
If you want a recreation anchor or fast inventory turnover, Winona is not your lake.
For paddle-bound anglers and chain investors who can be patient on inventory, Winona offers chain ownership at a meaningfully lower per-foot pricing tier than the recreation lakes.
Lake Profile
Lake Winona — the deep read
A small peninsula lake originally called Mill Lake, renamed by the New Jersey founders of the Clermont Improvement Company as part of the planned model town.
Lake basics
Lake Winona covers approximately 67 acres in Clermont (Ocklawaha River Watershed). Sits on a peninsula that geographically separates Lake Minneola from Lake Minnehaha — a unique connector position. No major dedicated public boat ramp; access is via the broader chain network.
Spelling note: “Winoa” is a common phonetic variant; official + verified sources use “Lake Winona.”
Name origin
Locally called “Mill Lake” before being renamed by the Clermont Improvement Company — founded in the late 19th / early 20th century by visionaries from New Jersey, who developed Clermont as a “model town” and named many local features.
Chain integration
- Short Lake Winona Canal
- Direct canal connection to Lake Minnehaha; full chain access from there via the Palatlakaha River system.
- Public chain access
- Clermont Boat Ramp (140 East Ave., Lake Minneola; 4 lanes, 102 trailer spots) or Palatlakaha River Park boat ramp.
Waterfront communities
- Winona Bay
- Lakefront and lake-view homes with chain access — single-family residences and lots with potential for docks.
- Winona Shores
- Lakeside community with waterfront or near-waterfront properties, private access points, serene chain living.
- W Lakeshore Drive / Settle Street
- Individual lakefront homes and small private townhome communities. Listings frequently highlight 50+ ft of deeded frontage and chain boating. No large HOAs/resorts dominate — focus on private waterfront living.
Sources: Lake County Water Atlas, Wikipedia Clermont Chain, City of Clermont, current real estate listings.
Common questions about Lake Winona
Is Lake Winona part of the Clermont Chain of Lakes?
Yes. Winona is one of three smaller peripheral chain lakes (alongside Cook Lake and Wilson Lake), connected to the main chain via river/canal navigation.
Can I take a boat from Lake Winona to Lake Minneola?
Via the river/canal system, yes. Most Winona owners use smaller craft for the connection — Winona is not a fetch large enough for serious wakeboarding.
How big is Lake Winona?
Approximately 64 acres. Larger than Cook (23 ac) and Wilson (33 ac), but well below the chain’s recreation-anchor lakes (Minneola at 1,920 ac, Minnehaha at 2,313 ac).
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