Alachua County Lake Quality

Florida, 59 lakes, average grade C (Fair)

Alachua County has 59 graded lakes, enough that within-county variation matters as much as the county average. Some are deep glacial basins, others are shallow agricultural-watershed waters, and the grade distribution reflects that mix. The county average is C — the middle of the rubric, with one or two lakes pulling the average up or down depending on year.

The county's lakes lean shallow, which makes the grades sensitive to wind, sediment-resuspension, and any nutrient inputs from the watershed. The cleanest lake on the books is Alachua-Santa Fe Painter Canal Lake (B); the most-stressed is Alicetst Lake (D).

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Quick Answers for Alachua County

Cleanest lakes in Alachua County →Cleanest lakes in Florida →Safest swimming lakes in Florida →

Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Alachua-Santa Fe Painter Canal Lake — or check the official Florida fishing regulations.

All Lakes in Alachua County

59 lakes · 29 graded, 30 not rated29 graded lakes · 30 not rated, hidden

Include not-rated lakes (30)

#	Lake	Grade	Clarity	Phosphorus	Algae	Trophic	Access
1	BAlachua-Santa Fe Painter Canal LakeAlachua	B	5.5 ft	24 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
2	BAlachua-Elizabeth LakeAlachua	B	3 ft	16 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
3	BOlc LakeAlachua	B	2 ft	36.8 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
4	BAlachua-Santa Fe Barricade LakeAlachua	B	6 ft	23 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	✓ Public
5	BAlachua-Melrose Bay LakeAlachua	B	7 ft	14 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	✓ Public
6	BAlachua-Santa Fe LakeAlachua	B	7.5 ft	14 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
7	BAlachua-Alto LakeAlachua	B	3.5 ft	21.5 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
8	BAlachua-Little Santa Fe LakeAlachua	B	5.5 ft	18 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
9	BLol LakeAlachua	B	1.5 ft	37.2 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
10	BAlachua-Santa Fe Canal Mouth LakeAlachua	B	6.8 ft	15 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
11	BAlachua-Watermelon PondAlachua	B	No recent samples	7 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
12	BOrange Lake-Mcintosh BayAlachua	B	3.6 ft	32 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
13	CAlachua-Orange LakeAlachua	C	2 ft	53 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
14	CAlachua-Jeffords LakeAlachua	C	2.5 ft	48 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
15	DAlicetst LakeAlachua	D	3.3 ft	470 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
16	DAlachua-Wauberg LakeAlachua	D	2.4 ft	124 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	✓ Public
17	DAlachua-Lochloosa LakeAlachua	D	2 ft	77 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
18	DAlachua-Newnan LakeAlachua	D	1.3 ft	198 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
19	DNew LakeAlachua	D	1 ft	79.8 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
20	DAlachua-Little Orange LakeAlachua	D	2.8 ft	176 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
21	DAlachua-Holden PondAlachua	D	2.9 ft	113 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	✓ Public
22	DAlachua-Kingswood LakeAlachua	D	2.5 ft	156.5 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
23	DBivens Arm LakeAlachua	D	1 ft	148 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
24	DLochloosa Lake @ ParkAlachua	D	2.1 ft	74.5 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	✓ Public
25	DLochloosa Lake Entrance To Cross CreekAlachua	D	2 ft	88.5 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
26	DBivensarm LakeAlachua	D	0.7 ft	175 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
27	DLochloosa Lake NeAlachua	D	2 ft	82 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
28	DHammocklak LakeAlachua	D	1.3 ft	225 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
29	DAlachua-Alice LakeAlachua	D	5 ft	439 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRLake WaubergAlachua	NR	2.2 ft	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRWatpondAlachua	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRBlackpot LakeAlachua	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRCenter of Lake Santa FeAlachua	NR	8.7 ft	14 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRAlachua-Surya Kund LakeAlachua	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRLittle Orange Lake South ShoreAlachua	NR	3 ft	170 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRLittle Orange Lake North ShoreAlachua	NR	1.3 ft	240 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	✓ Public
	NRLochloosa LakeAlachua	NR	0.8 ft	49 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRNewnsotst LakeAlachua	NR	1.3 ft	74 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	✓ Public
	NRClear LakeAlachua	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRLake Wauberg-NwAlachua	NR	7.2 ft	150 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRAlachua-Jonesville Quarry LakeAlachua	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NROrange Lake Hab CenterAlachua	NR	1.8 ft	84 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	✓ Public
	NRMcintosh Bay @ Hb Boat Ramp LakeAlachua	NR	3.6 ft	210 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	✓ Public
	NRNewnan'S LakeAlachua	NR	1 ft	250 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	✓ Public
	NRLake Wauberg End of Uf DockAlachua	NR	2.3 ft	250 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRAlachua-Moon LakeAlachua	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRSanta Fe Lake-Melrose BayAlachua	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRLake Wauberg Hab CenterAlachua	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRMcintosh Bay @ Fish Camp LakeAlachua	NR	2.5 ft	31.5 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRMcbaysouth LakeAlachua	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRMcbayorng LakeAlachua	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRNewnans LakeAlachua	NR	2 ft	50 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRLochlcntr LakeAlachua	NR	1.3 ft	41 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRCalfpondAlachua	NR	2.6 ft	110 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRLake Santa FeAlachua	NR	2.6 ft	13 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NROrange LakeAlachua	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRAlachua-Santa Fe Blue Bayou LakeAlachua	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NRDepot Pond-GainesvilleAlachua	NR	No recent samples	230 µg/L	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded
	NROrange Lake-Acepd Algae BloomAlachua	NR	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	No recent samples	Not recorded

NR = not rated: there is not enough recent sampling to support a letter. That is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 (insufficient information), not a failing grade. How grading works.

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Other Counties in Florida

Bay County

17 lakes · Avg grade B

Miami-Dade County

9 lakes · Avg grade B

Washington County

11 lakes · Avg grade B

Santa Rosa County

1 lake · Avg grade B

Wakulla County

6 lakes · Avg grade B

Jackson County

7 lakes · Avg grade B

See how Alachua County stacks up in the national county water-quality rankings, or browse the full directory of graded lakes across all 49 states and 2 Canadian provinces.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.