Florida Lake
Kandiyohi County, Minnesota705 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Florida Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Impaired biota (cause unknown)
- 2 aquatic invasives
- 40 ft max depth
- Public access
Florida Lake in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 705.39 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 15, 2024 caught 13.25 walleye per gill net at Florida Lake. DNR survey details →
Florida Lake is a 705-acre mesotrophic lake in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 40 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 18 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 24 other monitored lakes in Kandiyohi County, Florida Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Florida Lake covers about 710 acres in Kandiyohi County. It has one public boat landing. The median ice-out date is April 4, which is when the open-water season begins. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Florida Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Florida Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.3 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing18 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 4
- Deep water40 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Florida Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Florida Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Florida Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Florida Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 12.3 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.8 µg/L. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 20µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.8µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| 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 Florida Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Florida Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 75°F) and coldest in May (about 55°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (55°F) to its warmest (75°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 18 field readings (2011–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Florida Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Florida Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (66,069 cells/mL) on November 1, 2025.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 15, 2024 caught 13.25 walleye per gill net at Florida Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Florida Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
16 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-07-15 (Standard Survey).
16 surveys on file · most recent 2024-07-15 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 22.72 | 3–8 in 2024-07-15 | 0.14 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 16.93 | 7–15 in 2024-07-15 | 0.45 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 16.62 | 5–7 in 2024-07-15 | 0.11 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 6.82 | 5–15 in 2024-07-15 | 0.63 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Bluegill
Black Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Largemouth Bass
From the 2024-07-15 survey
A standard survey of Lake Florida was conducted in July of 2024. A targeted survey is generally used for sampling a specific kind of fish or time of year (i.e., spawning season, fall season, etc.) unlike a standard survey which samples a wider range of fish species during the summer months using standard methodology…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Florida Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — FloridaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — FloridaFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — FloridaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
40 ft
Surface area
705 acres
Shoreline
4.4 mi
Littoral zone
38%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
4 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,109 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Florida LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Florida Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Florida Lake in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota — 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 Florida Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 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 Minnesota’s top lakes →
Follow Florida Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Florida Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+2.3 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.66 µg/L/yr6 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 4
Earliest Mar 30, 2007 · Latest Apr 15, 2002
Typical ice-in
Nov 28
Earliest Nov 18, 1996 · Latest Dec 20, 2001
Most recent ice-out
Mar 30
2007
10 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Florida Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN34-0217-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Kandiyohi County
Frequently asked questions about Florida Lake
Where is Florida Lake?
- Florida Lake is a lake in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Florida Lake?
- Florida Lake in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.8 µg/L. Maximum depth: 40 ft. Surface area: 705.39 acres.
Is Florida Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Florida Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for impaired biota (cause unknown), mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Florida Lake?
- Florida Lake typically sits around 65°F at the surface in September, from 18 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Florida Lake?
- Florida Lake has a maximum depth of 40 feet. The lake covers 705.39 acres.
What fish are in Florida Lake?
- Fish species found in Florida Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, freshwater drum, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, shortnose gar, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Florida Lake is located in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Florida Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 15, 2024 caught 13.25 walleye per gill net at Florida Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Florida Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Florida Lake thaw?
- Florida Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 4. Ice typically forms around Nov 28. The open water season is approximately 238 days.
Does Florida Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Florida Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (66,069 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Florida Lake?
- Florida Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Florida Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Florida Lake?
- Florida Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Florida Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Kandiyohi County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Crow River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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State Parks Near Florida Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Mesotrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Compare Florida Lake With Nearby Lakes
Kandiyohi County · 14.1 ft
Kandiyohi County · 5.2 ft
Kandiyohi County · 7 ft
Kandiyohi County · 5.6 ft
Kandiyohi County · 5 ft
Kandiyohi County · 7 ft
Where this data comes from
64 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA64 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate