I live on Sutton Lake, just north of Florence, but on the dry side of the road. Thankfully, I have awesome neighbors who let me tie up at their docks so I can leave the boat in the water and avoid trailering for a few days. Hoping to get a line in the water Friday, when temps go over 70° for the first time this year.
I ended up in Florence after retiring from 35 years in public education. My grandparents lived here in the 60's-90's, and as a kid I used to get dropped off at their place on the Siuslaw for a week or so at a time. It was heaven being able fish every day, all day, and it was those memories that drew me back here when it was time to slow life down a bit. We looked a homes on Siltcoos, but they were either dumps or WAY out of our price range, so we ended up on Sutton Lake. It's pretty cool to be able to walk less than 50 yards and and be floating on my home lake.
Florence is a great little town. There are probably 10 fishable lakes within 10-15 miles, and the Siuslaw runs right through town. This old man is a happy fella!