# Relocating to Orlando...Lagoon Help Needed!



## jboriol

Greetings,

I will be coming down to Orlando in June for a new job in East Orlando. Coming down with the wife this weekend to find a place to live, ideally somewhere on the east side so it's close to my job and the coast. It is a pretty big area, a bit overwhelmed right now, but hope to narrow it down this weekend. Looking at Oviedo, Maitland, or Heathrow areas. Looking for good schools, a nice house for pennies on the dollar, close as possible to the coast and a pool so my wife has somewhere to hang while I fish the Lagoon! 

I'm am accustomed to sight fishing/fly fishing the vast marshes of Louisiana, and never fished the Mosquito Lagoon though I've always wanted to check it out. My skiff floats and rides shallow, but can't handle open water so I want to figure out where there are launches close to protected water? Also, I are the channels marked or is it tricky to navigate? I plan to get out with one of the guides in the area a time to two to figure things out. I would be interested in hooking up with some of you if you need a fishing partner...will pole in exchange for pearls of wisdom. Will also be heading back to Louisiana marshes to fish during the winter so I could trade notes. 

Look forward to getting out there when I get settled in, see you at the boat launch when I figure out where it is!


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## Dillusion

It's mosquito lagoon, all the launches are protected. Any of them are suitable to launch anything from a kayak to a full microskiff.

If you want to live IN east orlando and want a nice place, look up Avalon Park. it's 35 minutes from mosquito lagoon and in the city limits of orlando. If you go 10 miles to the east of it, you are in Bithlo/Christmas which are really rural and beat down places to live.

Heathrow and maitland are WAY to far from the east side of orlando. Traffic is a nightmare on the major highways in orlando around downtown on I4 and the surrounding junctions....even at 3PM on a Sunday. IMO it's way to far if you're aiming for 'east orlando'

If you like sightfishing/fly fishing the lagoon is perfect for you. That's all I do here.

There are no channels in mosquito lagoon aside from the main channel for big boats to navigate, it's pretty much an intercoastal dredged cut that connects new smyrna to sebastian. There are no speed limits, only in the ICW itself. There are manatee zones, but they are mostly in the indian river, not in mosquito (until you get up north or around haulover canal).

Mosquito Lagoon is a very hard fishery. There are no tides, so the fish pretty much do whatever the hell they want. They are roaming bands of assholes. Once you fish the lagoon for about 8-14 months you can get a hang of what patterns the fish stick to in what conditions.

Ive been fishing it for 3 years now and it still boggles my mind sometimes.

Avalon park is a planned community with nice amenities, a 'downtown area', all new construction, some HOA's, etc. The homes can be has for under $200k and the townhouses for less than $150k. Living here puts you:

30 min from mosquito/north IRL
45 min from turkey creek area
1 hr from smyrna inlet
1.75 hours from tampa bay
2.5 hours from jacksonville
3.5 hours from naples
4.5 hours from chokoloskee


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## AfterHours2

I live on the out skirts of downtown orlando and love the location. I can literally get on the 408 and be lagoon bound in 2 minutes. I'm close to just about anything needed within reason. Like said earlier, anything that puts you in the I4 corridor is going to be a nightmare. The lagoon is not like others make it out to be. Most people think they can show up and be surrounded by all these trophy reds tailing in the sunshine. Not the case, you have to put in your time and even then you still have frustrating days. But, I was raised fishing this area and will continue doing so. If your serious about finding a place in Orlando then shoot me a pm and I will try to lead you in the right direction and possibly link you up with a realtor that is very familiar with the area. Good luck and your making a great decision..


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## el9surf

I live in Sanford and Lake Mary is only 3 miles from my house. Lake mary is a great area without a lot of the traffic that affects oviedo and avalon park area. Problem with oviedo and especially avalon park is one main way in and out during rush hour. I work in Maitland and have multiple options to get home. It has some great deals mostly middle to upper middle class neighborhoods. Seminole towncenter is near by, quick access to I4 and 417 and it's got great schools. 40 min from my door to oak hill boat ramp, edgewater, nsb or titusville garden st ramp. 45 min to multiple beaches. In my opinion its probably the best area in Orlando. Guess it depends on where you will be working. Hit me up if you want to fish.


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## el9surf

If your job is research park / ucf area stick to avalon park oviedo area. Just saw you mentioned East Orlando. That could encompass be a pretty large area.
Be more specific.


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## jboriol

I'll be a Project Manager for a builder and my community is near Lake Picket. I'm north of Bithlo on 420/Lake Picket Rd most of the week. I will also have to go to our office downtown one day a week.

There are really some nice areas, Orlando is much nicer when you get to see more than the parks.

Thanks for the feedback, all great points to consider.


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## el9surf

If you are out there you are on the back side of oviedo. Would look in Oviedo, Chuluota, Geneva, Black Hammock area. There are some newer communities there which are very nice and would be very close to commute to work. From those areas its a quick ride to either hwy 50 or 426 to sr 46. Both routes will spit you out on the coast in 30 to 45 min. 
Living in these areas will not be ideal for a commute to downtown but one day a week is managable.


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## TwoKids

Highly recommend checking out Live Oak Reserve. 2nd choice Sanctuary. Both in Oviedo. Your drive to work would be 5 min or less, 2 lights away. LOR schools are A+


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## Dillusion

> Highly recommend checking out Live Oak Reserve. 2nd choice Sanctuary. Both in Oviedo. Your drive to work would be 5 min or less, 2 lights away. LOR schools are A+


My SO's parents live in there, nice place.


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## ifsteve

Anybody who gets a chance to fish with LAMarsh should do so. Great guy to spend the day on the water with and we'll miss him! :'(


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## jboriol

Thanks SkiffinIdaho...

Just spent my third weekend in a row house hunting and looking around the area. We are really excited about coming down, there seems to be some great things happening. Thanks for all the feedback about the area, I looked at much of what you guys recommended. We have decided to go south to Lake Nona area, a little farther from the Lagoon and 30-40 min from my office. We will be renting for 6-8 months and then plan to go with a newly constructed home in the Eagle Creek community. I look forward to getting out on the water soon.

Thanks again!


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## Dillusion

> Thanks SkiffinIdaho...
> 
> Just spent my third weekend in a row house hunting and looking around the area.  We are really excited about coming down, there seems to be some great things happening.  Thanks for all the feedback about the area, I looked at much of what you guys recommended.  We have decided to go south to Lake Nona area, a little farther from the Lagoon and 30-40 min from my office.  We will be renting for 6-8 months and then plan to go with a newly constructed home in the Eagle Creek community.  I look forward to getting out on the water soon.
> 
> Thanks again!


Good decision. I spend 9-5 everyday in lake Nona


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## Chasintail22

Lake Nona is a nice area, just a little too far from the coast for me. I live in Oviedo and work in Titusville, takes 35-40 door to door for me. To get out to Oak Hill I'm looking at a solid 50 minutes, and I go out 46 to 95, up to Oak Hill. If you start to make the drive out there, once you're in the Oak Hill area, be very careful about your speed. If it says 45, go 45. The cops there are sticklers and will nail you for speeding everytime.

Spend some time in both the Lagoon and the Indian River, sometimes the river can be much more fun since it receives A LOT less pressure. For example, right now the water in the lagoon is going through an algae bloom and it makes fishing very slow and sometimes unbearable. On the other side, the River a little bit further south into the Port St. John area still has plenty of clear water and hungry fish. It's worth learning both this way you give yourself options. Not sure what your work schedule is like, but if you can fish during the week, I highly advise doing so. The weekend on the lagoon ends up looking like an ant hill and is full or rude and disrespectful anglers. If you're heading out there soon let us know and I'm sure someone will be helpful enough in pointing you in the right direction. If you find the right crowd to be part of, there are plenty of nice anglers around who dont have a stick up their .....


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