Browsout Lake
Putnam County, FloridaView mapDirections
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Browsout Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 38 ft max depth
- Limited data
Browsout Lake in Putnam County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.5 µg/L.
Browsout Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Putnam County, Florida with an estimated average depth of about 38 feet. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 27 other monitored lakes in Putnam County, Browsout Lake ranks #15 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2023-12-12. 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, Browsout 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 Browsout 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 Browsout Lake
These are the measurements Florida DEP publishes for Browsout 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 7.7 ft. Phosphorus 12.5 µg/L. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 12.5µg/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. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Browsout Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Browsout Lake typically sits around 81°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 84°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 86°F) and coldest in Jan (about 59°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (59°F) to its warmest (86°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 42 field readings (2021–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Browsout Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~38 ft est.
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Florida has not published bathymetry for Browsout Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
57 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
49 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Browsout Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Browsout 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 Browsout Lake
Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Florida’s top lakes →
Follow Browsout Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Browsout Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2021–2024).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.55 µg/L/yr4 years
EPA Impairment Status
Browsout 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 Browsout Lake
Where is Browsout Lake?
- Browsout 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 Browsout Lake?
- Browsout Lake in Putnam County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.5 µg/L.
Is Browsout Lake safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, Browsout 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 Browsout 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 Browsout Lake?
- Browsout Lake typically sits around 81°F at the surface in October, from 42 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2021–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Browsout Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Browsout Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 38 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Browsout Lake across LakeQuality
Planning a trip around Fort Matanzas?
Browsout 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
30 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- FL Dept. of Environmental Protection, Northeast District
21FLA_WQX30 samples · 2021–2023
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)