Highland Lake
Hernando County, FloridaView mapDirections
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Highland Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Limited data
Highland Lake in Hernando County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 0.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16 µg/L.
Highland Lake is a lake in Hernando County, Florida. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2020-11-04. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Highland 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 Highland Lake
These are the measurements Florida DEP publishes for Highland 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 0.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 16 µg/L. TSI 62.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 0.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 16µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| 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. | 62 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Highland Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Highland Lake typically sits around 85°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 87°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 87°F) and coldest in Feb (about 69°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (69°F) to its warmest (87°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 10 field readings (2010–2020) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Highland Lake water temperature breakdown →
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Highland Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Highland Lake in Hernando 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 Highland 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 Highland Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Highland Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2020–2022). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving3 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1 µg/L/yr3 years
Nearby Lakes in Hernando County
Frequently asked questions about Highland Lake
Where is Highland Lake?
- Highland Lake is a lake in Hernando County, Florida. Its water-quality measurements are published by Florida DEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Highland Lake?
- Highland Lake in Hernando County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 0.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16 µg/L.
Is Highland Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Highland Lake?
- Highland Lake typically sits around 85°F at the surface in September, from 10 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2020). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Highland Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in Florida
Other Lakes in Florida
Eutrophic Lakes in Florida
Where this data comes from
8 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples8 samples · 2020
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.