Madison County Lake Quality
Florida, 8 lakes, average grade C (Fair)
Only 8 lakes in Madison 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. Madison 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.
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 Cherrylk Lake (B); the most-stressed is Middle of Lake Francis (D).
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Quick Answers for Madison County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Cherrylk Lake — or check the official Florida fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Madison County
8 lakes · 3 graded, 5 not rated3 graded lakes · 5 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BCherrylk LakeMadison | B | 7.1 ft | 19 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 2 | BCherry LakeMadison | B | 5.6 ft | 18 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 3 | DMiddle of Lake FrancisMadison | D | 1.6 ft | 135 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| NRLake FrancisMadison | NR | 2.6 ft | 86 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| NRMadison-Cherry LakeMadison | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRRigginslakeeastMadison | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRRigginslakecenterMadison | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRCherry Lake Continuous MonitoringMadison | 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
See how Madison 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.