Darkwater Lake
Darkwater Lake in Putnam County, Florida is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar.
- Max depth
- ~50 ft est.
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Why Darkwater Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Darkwater Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by FDEP and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Darkwater Lake is a lake in Putnam County, Florida with an estimated average depth of about 50 feet.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2023-11-07. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water quality measurements for Darkwater Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
No clarity data.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples |
Where to stay near Darkwater Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Darkwater 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 Darkwater Lake
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Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~50 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~10 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 Darkwater Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
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.
Fishing Darkwater Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Darkwater Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL2732 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.09 km)
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Darkwater Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Edgar Minerals, Inc.Edgar · 0.9 mi away · NPDES FL0028525Recent violation
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Graded lakes near Darkwater Lake
Darkwater Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Putnam County
Frequently asked questions about Darkwater Lake
Where is Darkwater Lake?
- Darkwater Lake is a lake in Putnam County, Florida. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Darkwater Lake?
- Darkwater Lake in Putnam County, Florida is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar.
Is Darkwater Lake safe to swim in?
- Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Darkwater Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Darkwater Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Darkwater Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 50 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Darkwater Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
2 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- FL Dept. of Environmental Protection, Northeast District
21FLA_WQX2 samples · 2023
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)