Blue Cove Lake
Marion County, FloridaView mapDirections
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Blue Cove Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
- Limited data
Blue Cove Lake in Marion County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 120 µg/L.
Blue Cove Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Marion County, Florida. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 17 other monitored lakes in Marion County, Blue Cove Lake ranks #18 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2025-07-28. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Blue Cove Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Blue Cove Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Blue Cove Lake
These are the measurements Florida DEP publishes for Blue Cove Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 120 µg/L. TSI 69.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 120µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 69 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Blue Cove Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Blue Cove Lake typically sits around 87°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 86°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 89°F) and coldest in Jan (about 61°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (61°F) to its warmest (89°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 25 field readings (2014–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Blue Cove Lake water temperature breakdown →
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Blue Cove Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Blue Cove Lake in Marion 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Blue Cove Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Blue Cove Lake
Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Blue Cove Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening3 years
Phosphorus
Improving-4.43 µg/L/yr4 years
EPA Impairment Status
Blue Cove Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL1329V · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Marion County
Frequently asked questions about Blue Cove Lake
Where is Blue Cove Lake?
- Blue Cove Lake is a lake in Marion County, Florida. Its water-quality measurements are published by Florida DEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Blue Cove Lake?
- Blue Cove Lake in Marion County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 120 µg/L.
Is Blue Cove Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Blue Cove Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Blue Cove Lake?
- Blue Cove Lake typically sits around 87°F at the surface in September, from 25 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2014–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
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Where this data comes from
25 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples25 samples · 2020–2025
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database