Lake Hart Fishing & Boating Near Lake Nona: Moss Park

Two connected lakes, one public launch at Moss Park, and some of the quietest bass water in Orlando, just southeast of Lake Nona.

By David Myers, Broker Associate · NonaOrlandoProperties.com · Last updated September 2026

Lake Hart and Lake Mary Jane are two lakes in unincorporated Orange County, southeast of Lake Nona, joined by a canal at Moss Park that boats can use. The Orange County Water Atlas lists Lake Hart at 1,881 acres and Lake Mary Jane at 1,119 acres. Public boat access is through Moss Park at 12901 Moss Park Road, Orlando, FL 32832, which has ramp access to both lakes and charges about $3–$5 per vehicle. Anglers target largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish and catfish under FWC statewide freshwater rules. Water from both lakes drains south toward East Lake Toho and Lake Okeechobee through gated canals that boats cannot pass, and swimming is prohibited at Moss Park because of alligators.

Most people come to Lake Nona for Medical City, Town Center or the schools. But drive south to the end of Moss Park Road, past where the strip malls give way to oak canopy, and you hit a different Florida entirely: two big, quiet lakes full of bass, ringed by cypress and marsh, barely a wake in sight.

That's the Lake Hart chain. For a boater it's two lakes, Lake Hart and Lake Mary Jane, joined by one canal — nothing like the Harris Chain up in Lake County. For the water itself, it's the start of something much bigger. Here's how it all connects, how to get on it, and what you'll catch.

What is the Lake Hart chain?

For boats, the Lake Hart chain is two lakes, Lake Hart and Lake Mary Jane, joined by a canal at Moss Park; for water, it's part of the upper Kissimmee chain that drains to Lake Okeechobee.

The boating half is simple. A canal at Moss Park connects the two lakes, so a boat launched on one can reach the other — roughly 3,000 acres of open freshwater between them.

The water half is where people get it wrong. Lake Mary Jane is linked south to Lake Myrtle in Osceola County, and Lake Hart has an outflow toward Lake Ajay and East Lake Toho. From there the water runs down the Kissimmee chain, down the Kissimmee River and into Lake Okeechobee. The South Florida Water Management District treats Hart and Mary Jane as one unit of that upper chain, and it manages their water level with gated structures. Those gates are for water, not boats: you can't run a boat from Moss Park to Lake Toho.

The same goes for Lake Whippoorwill to the west. It's joined to Lake Hart, but only by a shallow, overgrown drainage connection that runs under Kirby Smith Road. You can't get a boat through it.

What makes these two lakes special isn't size, though — it's the quiet. Moss Park takes up the strip of land between them, and Split Oak Forest backs up to the south. That green buffer is why you'll see sandhill cranes, wading birds and deer instead of a solid wall of lakefront houses, which is rare for water this close to a fast-growing master-planned community.

How big are Lake Hart and Lake Mary Jane?

The Orange County Water Atlas lists Lake Hart at 1,881 acres and Lake Mary Jane at 1,119 acres, so Lake Hart is the bigger of the pair by a wide margin.

You'll see rounder numbers elsewhere, including around 1,850 acres for Lake Hart and 1,150 for Lake Mary Jane in fishing guides, and this post used those figures until September 2026. The surface area of a shallow Florida lake moves with the water level, so sources measured at different times disagree. The Water Atlas figures come from the county's own water-resource data. For more on the smaller lake, see our Lake Mary Jane guide.

Where do you launch a boat on Lake Hart?

The public launch is Moss Park, the Orange County park at 12901 Moss Park Road, which has boat ramp access to both Lake Hart and Lake Mary Jane.

There's no other public ramp on these lakes — Moss Park is the door. The ramps work for canoes and kayaks, too. A few things worth knowing before you load the truck. Entry runs roughly $3 per vehicle for 1–2 people, $5 for 3–8, and $1 for walk-ins or cyclists. Hours are generally 8 a.m.–8 p.m. in summer and 8 a.m.–6 p.m. in winter, but they shift, so check before an early launch. The park allows no pets and no alcohol (service animals excepted), which is stricter than a lot of county parks. And parking near the ramps is limited, so arrive early on weekends and holidays.

Everyone else on the water is launching from home. Isle of Pines residents who belong to that neighborhood's optional HOA have a private ramp on Lake Mary Jane, and plenty of lakefront homes on both lakes have their own docks.

The park itself is a whole destination: 54 campsites, pavilions, playgrounds and trails into Split Oak. Our Moss Park camping, boating and wildlife guide has the full rundown, and our guide to Moss Park Road and the Eagle Creek corridor covers the drive south from Lake Nona.

What fish can you catch in Lake Hart?

Lake Hart and Lake Mary Jane fish like classic Central Florida: largemouth bass first, then crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish and catfish.

• Largemouth bass are the headliner. Work the shoreline vegetation, lily pads and the mouths of the canal early and late in the day.
• Black crappie — locals call them "specks" — are best in the cooler months, roughly November through February. Drift minnows or small jigs in deeper water until you find a school.
• Bluegill and redear sunfish (the "shellcracker") are a spring favorite around the beds: great for kids, a light rod, and some of the best eating.
• Catfish are reliable on the bottom with cut bait or worms if you just want a bend in the rod.

These aren't tournament-famous waters like Lake Toho down in Kissimmee, and that's part of the appeal: less pressure, fewer boats, and the kind of quiet water where a first-timer can learn. Want time on the water without owning a boat? The cable wakeboarding and aqua park at Nona Adventure Park are a different kind of day out.

Rules, licenses and limits

Both lakes fall under Florida's statewide freshwater regulations. A Florida freshwater fishing license is required for most anglers ages 16–64; kids under 16 and Florida residents 65 and older are exempt. You can buy one at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com. As of this update, the daily limits are 5 black bass (only one of which may be 16 inches or longer), 25 crappie with no minimum length, and 50 panfish combined, covering bluegill, shellcracker and similar species.

Limits change, so check the current numbers on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission site before you head out. Nobody wants their first Lake Hart bass to come with a citation.

What are conditions like on Lake Hart?

Expect wind, alligators and no services: both lakes are big and open, and there's no marina, fuel or bait on the water.

Wind builds fast on open water, and the chop can get uncomfortable by midday, so morning is almost always the calmer, better-fishing window. Alligators live in both lakes. Paddlers should hug the shorelines and marsh edges (where the birds and fish are anyway) and keep hands and dogs out of the water. Swimming is prohibited at Moss Park for exactly that reason.

There's no lakeside marina, bait shop or fuel dock anywhere on the chain. Stock up before you turn onto Moss Park Road.

Which neighborhoods are on Lake Hart and Lake Mary Jane?

A handful of neighborhoods and stretches of private shoreline sit on these two lakes, which makes them one of the few places around Lake Nona where you can keep a boat at home.

• North Shore at Lake Hart is a gated community directly on Lake Hart, near Moss Park.
• Lake Whippoorwill-Hart is a rural settlement of large lots, most of them backing to Lake Hart or Lake Whippoorwill. Remember that a Lake Whippoorwill lot doesn't get you onto Lake Hart by boat.
• Isle of Pines is on the east bank of Lake Mary Jane. Its HOA is optional, members get the private ramp, lakefront homes can have docks, and there's no CDD.
• The north shore of Lake Mary Jane, along Lake Mary Jane Road, is lined with private homes, many with docks, that aren't part of any named neighborhood.
• Live Oak Estates offers large-lot living just off the chain, with the same secluded, canopied feel.

The trade-off is honest: you get seclusion, space and lake access, but also a longer drive to Town Center, a single road in and out, and some airplane noise from MCO. For the buyer who values a quiet dock over a quick Publix run, that's a good deal. Our Lake Nona waterfront homes search shows what lakefront actually costs down here.

The Honest Version: Pros, Cons and Our Take

Our Take: Treat it as a two-lake fishery and plan around the wind, and it's one of the best-value days on the water in Orlando. If you want to live on it, check which lake a lot actually reaches by boat before you fall for the view — Lake Whippoorwill frontage and Lake Hart frontage are not the same thing.

What the Neighbors Know

Regulars will tell you the same things: go early, watch the wind, respect the gators, and stock up before you turn onto Moss Park Road.

If being able to fish or launch a kayak before work sounds like a good life, the southern edge of Lake Nona is one of the only places in the area that delivers it. Weekend on the water, then Town Center for dinner? That's a pretty good version of Lake Nona living. For more trails, parks and lakes, see our Lake Nona parks and lakes guide, and for tennis, golf and the rest of the active scene, our Lake Nona sports and athletics guide.

Official Sources

• Orange County Parks: Moss Park
• Orange County Water Atlas: Lake Hart
• FWC: Freshwater fishing regulations
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Kissimmee chain daily lake levels

Want to know which neighborhoods sit on the water? Browse the latest Lake Nona listings, or Call/Text David Myers at 407.801.3286 or use the contact form for straight-talking local advice.