Cascade Lake
Leon County, FloridaView mapDirections
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Cascade Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Metals (other than mercury)
Cascade Lake in Leon County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17 µg/L.
Cascade Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Leon County, Florida. Compared to the 58 other monitored lakes in Leon County, Cascade Lake ranks #12 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2025-04-30. 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, Cascade Lake never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 53 samples across 8 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 Cascade 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 Cascade Lake
These are the measurements Florida DEP publishes for Cascade 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 2.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 17 µg/L. TSI 54.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 17µg/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. | 54 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Cascade Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Cascade Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 82°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 83°F) and coldest in Dec (about 58°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (58°F) to its warmest (83°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 39 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Cascade Lake water temperature breakdown →
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Stays near Cascade Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Cascade Lake in Leon 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.
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Fishing Cascade Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2021–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Stable3 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.06 µg/L/yr3 years
EPA Impairment Status
Cascade 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.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL878D · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Leon County
Frequently asked questions about Cascade Lake
Where is Cascade Lake?
- Cascade Lake is a lake in Leon County, Florida. Its water-quality measurements are published by Florida DEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Cascade Lake?
- Cascade Lake in Leon County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17 µg/L.
Is Cascade Lake safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, Cascade Lake never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 53 samples across 8 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 Cascade 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 Cascade Lake?
- Cascade Lake typically sits around 72°F at the surface in October, from 39 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
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Where this data comes from
42 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples22 samples · 2020–2025
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples20 samples · 2020–2024
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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