Hancock P Lake
Hancock P Lake in Polk County, Florida has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 0.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 440 µg/L. Surface area: 4541 acres.
- Clarity
- 0.7 ft
- Typical in September
- 84°F
- Area
- 4,541 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Hancock P Lake →
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Hancock P Lake is a 4,541-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Polk County, Florida. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 176 other monitored lakes in Polk County, Hancock P Lake ranks #173 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2025-09-15. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyBacteria advisory
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 0.7 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 440 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 88.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 0.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 440 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 88 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Where to stay near Hancock P Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Hancock P Lake in Polk County, Florida — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Hancock P Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Hancock P Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Florida’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Hancock P Lake typically sits around 84°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 84°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 84°F) and coldest in Dec (about 67°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 11 field readings (2023–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Hancock P Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 4,541 acres |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Hancock P Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Fishing Hancock P Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.035 m/yr | 3 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +125.75 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Hancock P Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the P-11 (completed 1965), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Saddle Creek; concrete-type dam, 10 ft tall and 110 ft long.
- Surface area
- 4,541 ac
- Normal storage
- 44,048 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 31,787 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 131 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- SWFWMD
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID FL13003 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.06 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Hancock P Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL1623K · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.29 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #173 of 177 lakes in Polk County
Nearby Lakes in Polk County
Frequently asked questions about Hancock P Lake
Where is Hancock P Lake?
- Hancock P Lake is a lake in Polk County, Florida. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Hancock P Lake?
- Hancock P Lake in Polk County, Florida has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 0.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 440 µg/L. Surface area: 4541 acres.
Is Hancock P Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum. Hancock P Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Hancock P Lake?
- Hancock P Lake typically sits around 84°F at the surface in September, from 11 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2023–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Hancock P Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
21 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples21 samples · 2023–2025
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database