paddling adventure on the withlacoochee river

Paddling Adventure on the Withlacoochee River

Features Parks and Preserves Sports & Recreation

By Sally White • Posted on March 21, 2024

As our kayaks glide through the dark water of the Withlacoochee River, a calmness fills the cool morning air around us. Birds flit from tree to tree along an embank of oaks and cypresses and the only other sound heard is that of our paddles dipping into the cool, tea-colored water.

Our last paddling adventure on this mighty river had been years ago when our pontoon’s motor blew out and we had to paddle back to the boat ramp, Huckleberry Finn raft style, with two little kids.

Water plants along the embanks provide shelter and shade for the aquatic life. Photo by Sally White

The Withlacoochee River Has a Storied Past

Mention the Withlacoochee River to a gathering of outdoorsy people and out will pour the most colorful stories. The giant gator that bumped the bottom of someone’s boat. The ‘stuck on the log’ bass tracker. The water moccasin caught on the fishing pole – and that time the gator grabbed a water moccasin. Getting caught on the rocks. The biggest bass catch. The biggest gar catches. Seeing the most humongous gator ever. Withlacoochee River life is rich with its many-storied past.

The Withlacoochee River stretches for 141 miles with its headwaters in the Green Swamp through Polk, Pasco, Hernando, Sumter, and Citrus counties. It is only one of two Florida rivers that flows from the south to the north, and it empties into the Gulf of Mexico in Yankeetown, Florida.

30% of the Withlacoochee River’s watershed is recreational land, rich with diverse plant life and over 500 species of vertebrae. Herons, eagles, and hawks fish in its waters for sunfish, bass, and brim. White-tailed deer, bears, bobcats, and raccoons are among the critters roaming the surrounding wilderness along its banks.

bobcat in florida's wildlife corridor
Bobcats, bears, birds, and more use the Withlacoochee River watershed for their home and to move through the Florida Wildlife Corridor. The Corridor’s connectedness provides some safety as they move naturally. The Withlacoochee River watershed it part of the Corridor. Image: FStop Foundation.

Today the flow of this tannin-infused dark river is not strong. Fed by swamp waters and springs, the river rises with rainfall, growing darker and faster during wetter periods. As summer rains pour down, the Withlacoochee River becomes deeper and faster.

The Withlacoochee name derives from the Creek native language, meaning “little big water.” It is believed to be referring to the drastic level changes in the river. Look for evidence of the past levels by the water marks on the trees along its banks.

Paddling the Withlacoochee River provides the opportunity to see the drastic changes in water levels by looking at the water marks on the trees along its banks. Photo by Sally White.

Silver Lake Recreation Area

Here on the south side of Silver Lake, water plants edge the banks, providing shade and sanctuary to the local fish, like largemouth bass, sunfish, and brim, and the storied reptile, Alligator mississippiensis.

The Withlacoochee River is known for its large alligator population. There are portions of the river unnavigable by boat due to limestone rocks and low water conditions, making it a haven for Florida’s most famous native reptile population.

The dark water of the river, rich in tannins gets its color from the leaf debris and sediment. When the river runs faster, it gets darker. In essence, you are paddling through compost tea.

The Little Withlacoochee

On the Little Withlacoochee River, a 16-mile addition to the Withlacoochee River. Photo by Sally White

Not far from our launch site is a side canal to the left. A family of anglers is trying their luck on this confluence of waterways where the Little Withlacoochee joins the big river.

The Little Withlacoochee River runs 16 miles from the Richloam Wildlife Management Area in Sumter County, Florida, to the Silver Lake Recreation Area in Hernando County. It’s narrow, winding, and can be impassable when the water is low.

Cypress knees on Silver Lake_Paddling the Withlacoochee River. Photo by Sally White

Campers from River Junction Campground have their tents set up along the high bluffs of the river’s banks. They are beginning to stir and the smell of camp coffee mingles in the air. We feel as if we are paddling through a house awakening, intruding on their peaceful solace, and so we turn back to rejoin the less populated big river.

There is no one on the Withlacoochee River this morning but us. We continue paddling upriver (south). Our goal is to paddle up as far as we can and drift back with the current. The embankments rise on either side. Sandy spots along the river beckon us invitingly. The perfect wilderness campsite? Or a perfect spot for sunning gators?

Cypress trees along the river are giants with a network of roots to help stop erosion. Bald cypress trees can grow to six feet in diameter and 150 feet in height. Photo by Sally White

Cypress on the Withlacoochee River

A ginormous cypress tree stands on the riverbank, surrounded by a group of small knees, looking like a wise professor teaching young minds. Further upriver the cypresses get larger! We are but dwarves in the shadows of their stature.

Bald cypresses can grow 6 feet in diameter and about 150 feet in height.

The waterline on the cypress trees tells tales of the rise and fall of Little Big River. Photo by Sally White

Cypress trees play a vital role in the ecology of the Withlacoochee River. Beneath the surface, their root systems are like a spider web between cypress knees- knobby bits. The knees are thought to be a way to help the tree breathe when its roots are submerged. The root network helps stop, or slow, erosion and keeps the tree anchored in the swamp environment. Like humans; the more of a support system you have around you, the better off you are.

The sun rises above the surrounding forest and the sound of a whirring motor echoes across the water, warning of an approaching boat. A family in another vessel passes us. The world is awakening.

We take a few more turns along the river and turn around to float back to the boat ramp where families have already settled along the sandy shore to enjoy a Sunday in the Florida sun.

Paddling the Withlacoochee River

River Junction Boat Ramp, where we put in for our Paddling Adventure on the Withlacoochee River. Photo by Sally White

Not known for excessive water traffic, aside from airboats, because of the many obstacles in the water like rocks and fallen trees, the Withlacoochee tends to be a quieter river for kayaking. There are many times you may be the sole human for miles. Embrace the precious commodity of solitude on your journey in this bustling state.

We put in at the River Junction Boat Ramp on the Southwest tip of Silver Lake in the Withlacoochee State Forest, Croom Tract, but you can choose from a myriad of launch sites to explore the winding Withlacoochee River and return with your own colorful stories.

Cypress trees – nature’s sculptures- play a vital role in the ecosystem of the Withlacoochee River. Photo by Sally White

Silver Lake Recreational Complex is located at 31475 Silver Lake Rd, Brooksville, FL 34602. Day-use passes are $2 per person. An annual pass for up to 6 persons on one pass is $45. It’s good for all Florida State Forests.

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Comments

Philip says

Don’t forget broken motor props and holes gouged in boats from all of the hidden stumps… especially in the backwaters.

Sally White says

Absolutely!

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