Dead Lakes State Recreation Area, Recreation area in Gulf County, Florida.

Dead Lakes State Recreation Area is a Gulf County park one mile north of Wewahitchka off Florida State Road 71. A single-story building with tan walls and a low-pitched green roof stands at the end of a paved entrance road, with an oval maroon-bordered sign reading "DEAD LAKES PARK" above "RV & CAMPGROUND", and smaller "Dead Lakes Park" and "OFFICE" signs below. The grounds hold a boat ramp, fishing pier, freshwater trails and a camping area.

The land was used as a fish hatchery from 1936 to 1951, managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. After that, it was opened to the public as a recreation area.

The park lies about 1 mile north of Wewahitchka, a Gulf County town on the Chipola River. Visitors come for the fishing and boating on the Dead Lakes, and the campground and boat ramp serve as the base for those trips. The park is open from sunrise until sunset.

The area works best for visitors who bring a boat, since the main access to the water is through the on-site boat ramp. Water levels can vary noticeably depending on the season, so it is worth checking conditions before heading out on the water.

The lakes were formed when sandbars from the Apalachicola River blocked the Chipola River, trapping water over a large area and submerging stands of cypress trees. The trunks and stumps of those trees are still visible today, rising out of the dark water across the lake.