Dead Lake
Dead Lake in Gulf County, Florida has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 25.5 µg/L. Surface area: 2985 acres.
- Clarity
- 3 ft
- Typical in August
- 86°F
- Max depth
- ~248 ft est.
- Area
- 2,985 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Dead Lake is a 2,985-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Gulf County, Florida with an estimated average depth of about 248 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2022. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Gulf County, Dead Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2022-11-14. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 25.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 56.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 25.5 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 56 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Dead Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Dead Lake in Gulf 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 Dead Lake
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Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Dead Lake → · more Florida lake trips
Water Temperature
Dead Lake typically sits around 86°F at the surface in August. 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.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 48 field readings (2012–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Dead Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~248 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~13 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 2,985 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Florida has not published bathymetry for Dead 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.
Recreation & Access
- Gaskin Park Public Boat RampPublic
- Beards / Cox Landing Pay RampSemi-private
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Dead Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.25 m/yr | 3 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +8.75 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Dead Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Dead Lakes Dam (completed 1962), built primarily for recreation on the Chipola River; other-type dam, 22 ft tall and 820 ft long.
- Surface area
- 2,985 ac
- Normal storage
- 34,800 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 40,600 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 0 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- GULF COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNTY
All listed purposes: Recreation;Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID FL00103 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.03 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 2 lakes in Gulf County
Nearby Lakes in Gulf County
Frequently asked questions about Dead Lake
Where is Dead Lake?
- Dead Lake is a lake in Gulf County, Florida. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Dead Lake?
- Dead Lake in Gulf County, Florida has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 25.5 µg/L. Surface area: 2985 acres.
Is Dead Lake safe to swim in?
- Good for swimming, clear water with low algae levels. Dead Lake has a water quality grade of B (Good). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Dead Lake?
- Dead Lake typically sits around 86°F at the surface in August, from 48 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2012–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Dead Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Dead Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 248 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 2985 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Dead Lake?
- Dead Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Gaskin Park Public Boat Ramp, Beards / Cox Landing Pay Ramp. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Dead Lake across LakeQuality
More Florida Lake Rankings
Other Grade B Lakes in Florida
Eutrophic Lakes in Florida
Where this data comes from
30 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples30 samples · 2020–2022
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory