Bradford County Lake Quality
Florida, 6 lakes, average grade C (Fair)
Bradford County has 6 graded lakes — a thin enough sample that one or two stressed lakes can move the county average noticeably. Use the per-lake pages below for what actually matters. Bradford County averages to a C. The distribution behind that average matters more than the letter: a few stressed lakes versus many decent ones can produce the same average as the inverse.
Most of the county's monitored lakes are shallow — under 50 feet — which means wind keeps the water column mixed all summer and sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the surface layer whenever the bottom is disturbed. Bradford-Sampson Lake (B) is the cleanest in the county.
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Quick Answers for Bradford County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Bradford-Sampson Lake — or check the official Florida fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Bradford County
6 lakes · 2 graded, 4 not rated2 graded lakes · 4 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BBradford-Sampson LakeBradford | B | 2 ft | 38 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 2 | DBradford-Rowell LakeBradford | D | 2 ft | 88 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| NRLake RowellBradford | NR | 2.6 ft | 140 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRSmpsctr LakeBradford | NR | 2 ft | 52.5 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRHab Lake SampsonBradford | NR | 2 ft | 36 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRLake SampsonBradford | NR | 2.3 ft | 160 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
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.
Lake Match
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Other Counties in Florida
See how Bradford 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.