Lake Jackson (Sebring, Florida)
Lake Jackson, covering 3,212 acres (12.95 km2), is located within the city of Sebring, Florida. Sebring is the county seat of Highlands County. Lake Jackson, a healthy freshwater lake, is approximately 25 feet (8 m) at its deepest. Most of the area is fairly shallow. The water is clear as compared to most lakes and the shores are sandy.
| Lake Jackson | |
|---|---|
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  Lake Jackson  Lake Jackson | |
| Location | Sebring, Florida |
| Coordinates | 27.4896°N 81.4619°W |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 3,212 acres (1,300 ha) |
| Max. depth | 25 ft (7.6 m) |
The lake has various boat ramps, including the popular public ramp at Veterans Beach on the lake's west side. Most ramps are private and there are many private beaches. Three public swimming beaches exist. One at Veterans Beach, at the north end of Lake Jackson, and Hidden Beach, near Faith Lutheran Church, and City Pier Beach is located just to the west of downtown Sebring. City Pier Beach was closed for five years but reopened in 2013. It remains an active public beach. Crescent Beach is a small community beach located at the end of Crescent Drive just off of S.E. Lakeview Dr. A public fishing dock is to the north side of the swimming beach near the downtown.
The shore is largely surrounded by homes. A large condominium, The Fountainhead, is on the east side. The only areas not surrounded by residential property are the southwest side, which is bordered by U.S. Highway 27, and an area on the north cove containing a large orange grove.
The lake is almost round, with the exception of the north cove, a smaller rounded area. Lake Jackson is connected to Little Lake Jackson by a short canal.
Due to the death of novelist Rex Beach in his lakefront home, the lake was renamed Rex Beach Lake in his honor, but the name did not last.
CORRECTION
Rex Beach died by suicide in December, 1949.
The lake was renamed after Rex Beach years before he died.
References to Rex Beach Lake are seen in local recreation sections of "Hi-Life", a publication from Hendricks Field in the early 1940's.
Rex was considerably wealthy compared to most citizens of Sebring. He was a generous man, paying the grocery tabs and utility bills for many through the Great Depression. This is the likely reason he was honored with the renaming of Lake Jackson.
I have a 1945 edition of Hi-Life sitting in front of me as I type this. Clearly mentioning Rex Beach Lake over four years before his death.
Also, the pier was closed to swimming for three years due to the accidental drowning of a 23 year old man in a dredge hole that had a steep drop off from dry sand. This was due to the water being extremely low, as Lake Jackson was in another low cycle.
The hole at the pier was filled by a hired dredge crew in late 2012-2013 and swimming was again allowed.
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