Lake Jesup is located in Seminole County and is part of the St. Johns River System. General Thomas Sidney Jesup of the United States Army named the lake after himself during the Second Seminole War (1835-1842). The lake is 13 miles long and covers 8,000 acres of open water with an additional 8,000 acres of flood plains.

During the late 1800s, the Lake Jesup Settlement was the name of the entire area near modern Oviedo, Florida before the incorporation of other towns in the region. Antonio Solary built Solary's Wharf in 1872, which served as the primary steamboat stop and post office for the Lake Jesup area. In 1879 the establishment of the Oviedo post office replaced the post office at the wharf. In the late 1800s the citrus industry expanded in the Lake Jesup region. These farmers attempted several transportation ventures to lower shipping costs, including The Lake Jesup Steamboat Company and the Oviedo, Lake Charm, and Lake Jesup Railroad.

Prior to the 1950s the lake had been known for its fishing and rich environment. However, environmental issues since the 1960s caused an increase in polluted run-off that adversely affected the lake's health and surrounding wildlife. Efforts by local residents to restore the lake started in the 1980s and continue to this day.