Columbia County Lake Quality
Florida, 4 lakes, average grade B (Good)
Only 4 lakes in Columbia County carry an active grade. The county-level summary is therefore representative of those specific lakes, not necessarily of every water body in the county. With an average grade of B, Columbia County sits comfortably above the Florida median.
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 Columbia-Jeffery Lake (B); the most-stressed is Alligator Lake (C).
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Quick Answers for Columbia County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Columbia-Jeffery Lake — or check the official Florida fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Columbia County
4 lakes · 2 graded, 2 not rated2 graded lakes · 2 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BColumbia-Jeffery LakeColumbia | B | 4 ft | 15.5 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 2 | CAlligator LakeColumbia | C | 3 ft | 58 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| NRLake MontgomeryColumbia | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| NRAllignorth LakeColumbia | NR | 1.8 ft | 53 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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Six questions — swimming, fishing, quiet, cabins, drive time — and a shortlist of graded lakes that fit, with the water quality behind each one.
Other Counties in Florida
See how Columbia 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.