Brownor Lake
Putnam County, FloridaView mapDirections
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Brownor Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Limited data
Brownor Lake in Putnam County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9.5 µg/L.
Brownor Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Putnam County, Florida. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 27 other monitored lakes in Putnam County, Brownor Lake ranks #17 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2022-08-15. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyBacteria tested: low
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.
Based on E. coli testing, Brownor Lake never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 14 samples across 2 seasons.
This is a historical summary of past testing, not a current condition — bacteria levels change quickly, especially after rain. Always check Florida’s current beach and health-department advisories before swimming.
Whether Brownor 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 Brownor Lake
These are the measurements Florida DEP publishes for Brownor Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.4 ft. Phosphorus 9.5 µg/L. TSI 42.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 9.5µg/L | Good 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. | 42 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Brownor Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Brownor Lake typically sits around 82°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 85°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 87°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 (87°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 30 field readings (2021–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Brownor Lake water temperature breakdown →
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Brownor Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Brownor Lake in Putnam 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Brownor Lake
Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Brownor Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2021–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.65 µg/L/yr5 years
EPA Impairment Status
Brownor Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL2617A · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Putnam County
Frequently asked questions about Brownor Lake
Where is Brownor Lake?
- Brownor Lake is a lake in Putnam County, Florida. Its water-quality measurements are published by Florida DEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Brownor Lake?
- Brownor Lake in Putnam County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 9.5 µg/L.
Is Brownor Lake safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, Brownor Lake never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 14 samples across 2 seasons. That is a historical summary of past bacteria testing, not a current reading and not a swimming clearance. Bacteria levels can spike quickly after heavy rain, so whether Brownor Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for Florida's water agency and the county health department; check their current beach advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Brownor Lake?
- Brownor Lake typically sits around 82°F at the surface in October, from 30 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Brownor Lake across LakeQuality
Planning a trip around Fort Matanzas?
Brownor Lake is about 26 miles from Fort Matanzas National Monument. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Fort Matanzas →More lakes in Florida
Other Lakes in Florida
Mesotrophic Lakes in Florida
Where this data comes from
28 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- FL Dept. of Environmental Protection, Northeast District
21FLA_WQX28 samples · 2021–2022
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