Lake Talquin

Lake Talquin is a reservoir located on the Ochlockonee River between Leon County and Gadsden County in north Florida. The lake, located about 10 miles (15 km) west of Tallahassee, is south of Interstate 10 and bordered by State Road 20 on the east and State Road 267 on the west.
The lake was created by the construction of the Talquin Dam, and used for the generation of hydroelectric power. The name Talquin is a contraction of the names of the two cities the lake lies between, Tallahassee and Quincy.
Rolling hills and deep ravines surround the lake. The water level is usually at the 70-ft contour (70 feet above sea level), but it can vary by as much as 3 feet. The lake's nominal surface area is about 10,000 acres, or about 15 square miles, but because of the shallow gradient in some of the inlets and the seasonal variations in water level, it is not possible to state a more precise figure for the size of the lake.
The lake's shoreline measures more than 40 miles, and considerably more if one includes all of the nooks and crannies of the numerous inlets. Most of this shoreline is public land, and is therefore undeveloped.
Most of the lake measures approximately 1 mile in width. The total length of the lake is almost 20 miles (depending on where one decides the river ends and the lake begins).
Lake Talquin is not, however, ideal for swimming. Most of the shoreline and bottom is muddy rather than sandy, and swimmers need to keep in mind that they are sharing the water with alligators, turtles, and snakes (particularly at the eastern end of the lake). Nor is water skiing a safe activity because of the numerous submerged tree stumps near the shores and inlets. The lake is, however, a good spot for day-sailing and canoeing, and the scenery is beautiful.